It used to be that there wasn’t any choice – document scanners only produced black and white images but high end scanners, increased processor speeds and cheaper storage have made full colour scanning a reality. So what are the differences between the two image options?
Image size
A typical A4 sheet scanned in black and white uses about 8k of disk space, because a colour image contains far more information than a black and white image the same sheet scanned in full colour will consume about 200k of space.
But this apparent disadvantage has disappeared with the advent of much lower storage costs and cloud storage that allows vast amounts of information to be stored cheaply.
Image detail
Put simply, colour images preserve most of the feel of the original document with changes in ink, notations and highlighting all being perfectly visible…. this is not a trick that black and white scanning can achieve. Indeed some black and white scanners can sometimes lose quite a lot of information that could be vital to someone reviewing the records in the future.
Unfortunately fast colour scanning is still beyond many companies mainly due to the limitations of the equipment being used – not many companies are willing to pay £30,000 for a scanner and software for a single imaging project.
But our complete document imaging service makes it easy
We collect your documents anywhere in the UK and carry out all the document preparation before scanning in either black and white or full colour – whichever best suits your requirements.
Your scanned images are converted into fully searchable colour PDF files that can be integrated into your existing systems or simply used as a standalone digital filing system – no extra software required.
The scanned files are optionally encrypted and returned to you either on USB drive or securely online via SFTP
Your original paper files can either be returned to you or we can have them securely destroyed free of charge when you’re ready.
Contact us for further information about our services and how we might be able to help your company.
