Summary

A scanner can be a valuable piece of hardware, allowing you to input existing images and printed documents into the computer. A wide variety of scanners are available, and understanding what to look for can help as you look for a specific scanner to fit your needs.

Setting up a scanner can be an easy process if you get the right kind of scanner for your system. Scanners are typically connected to a computer using the USB or parallel ports. You also need to install the scanner software, which includes the scanner drivers.

Once installed, you can use the bundled software to scan images or text documents. You can then convert text documents into a format that you can edit using specialized OCR software. If a printer is connected to your computer, the scanner can act like a copier.