Image resolution refers to the number of pixels captured by the scanner sensor and is measured in dots per inch ( dpi). In addition to the intended purpose of a scanner, a buyer will also need to know the type of image resolution they need from the scanner. However, it's also worth noting that scanners are embedded in other devices such as photocopiers, barcode scanners and fax machines used to make copies of documents and images. 3D scanners are a bit different than traditional scanners in that they collect distance point measurements from a real-world object and translate them into a virtual 3D object.

They are designed for scanning documents on the go, such as newspaper articles or printed photos. Handheld scanners are portable scanners that are smaller than flatbed scanners.Scanners with automatic document feeders are smaller and more portable than flatbed scanners and are often used in home offices or small businesses. Sheetfed scanners are designed to scan documents fed into the scanner one at a time.Flatbed scanners can scan documents of various sizes and are generally more versatile than sheetfed scanners. They are called 'flatbed' because the document is placed on a flat surface for scanning. Flatbed scanners are the most common type of scanner.

Modern scanners come in handheld, feed-in and flatbed types and are for scanning black-and-white only or color.

Wireless scanners for computers