Upside down scanning

  • Thread starter Thread starter rgstn
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rgstn

Is it possible to use a Canon Lide scanner upside down i.e. place it
on the document rather than the document on it.
Some documents such as bound newspaper volumes would be very difficult
to position on a scanner
I was thinking of buying a Lide 35 to use for copying in libraries etc
but after contacting my local Canon office who told me it wasn't
possible I'm having doubts.
Thoughts anyone?

Ron
 
Is it possible to use a Canon Lide scanner upside down i.e. place it
on the document rather than the document on it.
Some documents such as bound newspaper volumes would be very difficult
to position on a scanner
I was thinking of buying a Lide 35 to use for copying in libraries etc
but after contacting my local Canon office who told me it wasn't
possible I'm having doubts.
Thoughts anyone?
Click to expand...

I don't know if it would work (maybe the motor could have trouble
working at an angle, plus upside down).
Time ago, I used a digital camera to do a similar job, with good
results.

Fernando
 
Is it possible to use a Canon Lide scanner upside down i.e. place it
on the document rather than the document on it.
Some documents such as bound newspaper volumes would be very difficult
to position on a scanner
I was thinking of buying a Lide 35 to use for copying in libraries etc
but after contacting my local Canon office who told me it wasn't
possible I'm having doubts.
Thoughts anyone?

Ron
Click to expand...

Libraries are picky about bringing in your own equipment. Best to ask first.
Libraries have their own copy machines and may sell you copies.

If the Scanner has two guide rails instead of one, then it may work upside
down.

Check out the HP Scanjet 4670 see-thru vertical scanner. It may be the
scanner for you.
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/ho/WF06b/15179-64195-215155-15202-f25-303640-303642-303643.html
 
Is it possible to use a Canon Lide scanner upside down i.e. place it
on the document rather than the document on it.
Some documents such as bound newspaper volumes would be very difficult
to position on a scanner
I was thinking of buying a Lide 35 to use for copying in libraries etc
but after contacting my local Canon office who told me it wasn't
possible I'm having doubts.
Thoughts anyone?
Click to expand...
Don't know about the Lide. but Epson specifically warn about turning
the scanner upside down and say it will damage it.
 
Hecate said:
Don't know about the Lide. but Epson specifically warn about turning
the scanner upside down and say it will damage it.
Click to expand...

That's because the condensation from the steam engine powering the
scanner's stepping motor would leak out.
 
Fernando said:
I don't know if it would work (maybe the motor could have trouble
working at an angle, plus upside down).
Time ago, I used a digital camera to do a similar job, with good
results.

Fernando
Click to expand...

I have no idea about upside down, but my LIDE20 came with a plastic
gizmo so it could sit at 90 degrees to the table surface, to take
up less space. I've not used it, so I don't know how well it does
at holding the paper in place while scanning at that angle.

Michael
 
I have no idea about upside down, but my LIDE20 came with a plastic
gizmo so it could sit at 90 degrees to the table surface, to take
up less space.
Click to expand...

In that case the odds are the scanner can be turned upside down as
well. One test is to turn it over slowly and see if anything moves. A
distinct "clunk", for example, would be a bad sign... ;-)

These thin LIDE scanners (due to the technology used) have far fewer
moving parts than "conventional" scanners. For example, there is no
lens. So, it looks like a pretty safe bet they can be used upside
down. No guarantees, of course...

On a related tangent, I'm aware of at least one scanner specifically
designed for this purpose (HP or Epson, don't remember which). The
glass frame comes off but remains tethered to the base unit. This
frame can then be placed on top of anything one wishes to scan.

This is actually very clever on at least two counts. One, it makes it
easier to clean both sides of the glass without dismantling the
scanner and, two, the scan can be aligned perfectly. (Right now I'm
wrestling with old curved photos and closing the lid moves them every
time.)

Don.
 
In that case the odds are the scanner can be turned upside down as
well. One test is to turn it over slowly and see if anything moves. A
distinct "clunk", for example, would be a bad sign... ;-)

These thin LIDE scanners (due to the technology used) have far fewer
moving parts than "conventional" scanners. For example, there is no
lens. So, it looks like a pretty safe bet they can be used upside
down. No guarantees, of course...

On a related tangent, I'm aware of at least one scanner specifically
designed for this purpose (HP or Epson, don't remember which). The
glass frame comes off but remains tethered to the base unit. This
frame can then be placed on top of anything one wishes to scan.

This is actually very clever on at least two counts. One, it makes it
easier to clean both sides of the glass without dismantling the
scanner and, two, the scan can be aligned perfectly. (Right now I'm
wrestling with old curved photos and closing the lid moves them every
time.)

Don.
Click to expand...

I made contact with Canon again (a different department) and this time
the reply was "you could damage the sensor if you turn it upside down"
this seems to be a stock answer a pity I couldn't speak to some
technical person who knew what they were talking about.
I took a look at a Lide 35 in a store and found that the top only
rotates 90 degrees and doesn't seem to detach so even if it was
possible as far as the internals go to scan upside down the lid would
prevent you from doing so - unless you could hang the lid over the
edge of a desk which is going to limit scanning maneuverability
considerably.
My choice is moving towards the HP 4600 though I can't make out if it
can be powered from a USB socket, it seems to come with some kind of
DIN plug. Another disadvantage with the HP is it has a very broad >1"
frame around the glass which could cause loss of subject matter if you
were to try scanning half a thick book for instance.

Ron
 
I made contact with Canon again (a different department) and this time
the reply was "you could damage the sensor if you turn it upside down"
this seems to be a stock answer a pity I couldn't speak to some
technical person who knew what they were talking about.
I took a look at a Lide 35 in a store and found that the top only
rotates 90 degrees and doesn't seem to detach so even if it was
possible as far as the internals go to scan upside down the lid would
prevent you from doing so - unless you could hang the lid over the
edge of a desk which is going to limit scanning maneuverability
considerably.
My choice is moving towards the HP 4600 though I can't make out if it
can be powered from a USB socket, it seems to come with some kind of
DIN plug. Another disadvantage with the HP is it has a very broad >1"
frame around the glass which could cause loss of subject matter if you
were to try scanning half a thick book for instance.

Ron
Click to expand...

We have an HP 4600 scanner.
The scanner is not powered thru the USB connection. A separate transformer
unit comes with the scanner.
The scan area is 8.5" X 11". Anything outside of this space is not scanned
very good. There are detents for lining up an 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper on the
base. These detents depress when the scanner body is placed down to scan
thus keeping the sheet flat for good scan results.
To scan a book, you can remove the scanner unit from the base and place it
on top of a book or you can take the scanner unit off the base, turn it
upside down and place your book on the scanner unit. If you place your book
down on the base and the scanner on top of the book, you can see thru the
glass what the scanner will see. This my preferred method.
That 1" outside broad frame covers the ends of the scanner mechanism. Only
the area that shows thru the glass is exposed to the scan.
If you would like any more info, send me an e-mail.
Matt D
 
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