What 12 x 12 scanner would you buy?

Checking into a new one and would love the expertise and knowledge of my Neighbors.

Thanks,
Jill

I would love to know this, too. A 12x12 scanner is on my wish list!

They're still very pricy.

I use a software called AutoStitch. It's free, not a demo. It's maintained and upgraded by the University of British Columbia. They do have commercial versions available on their website.

http://www.autostitch.net

I use this to my 12x12 layouts. I scan all four corners and then let the software put it smoothly together. There's some tricks that I'll share if you decide to go this route. Otherwise, the tricks won't make any sense.

You can do a search for "large flatbed scanners." There's the large kind that literally rolls your paper thru it. You don't want that kind! It seems that these flatbed kind starts at $1,000 and goes way up from there. Avoid brands that aren't well known.

Other than this, I can't help.

Thanks Viv, I'll get back to you if I go your direction - a great suggestion considering how good your layouts look.

I did the whole 12x12 or bigger research last year. There isn't much out there at all!! What's available is either brands I have never heard of (and are kind of old), or VERY expensive.

I use ArcSoft's Scan n Stitch software, probably similar to what VivianR suggested. It does a good job . . . you can't see the seams.

By the way . . . Jill, do you have any pull with the manufacturers? Epson and others have produced 12x12 printers . . . When is the scanner going to be available??!!

thank you so much for sharing the autostitch thing!!! i LOVE it...

the version i saw on their site was just a trial version... is there a free permanent one as well?

thanks a bunch :smile :

There is at least one reasonable large format scanner. I have the Mustek ScanExpress A3 USB, which has a scan bed that's 11" x 17". So it still nips a bit off one side but it's hardly noticeable. You can get them for anywhere in the $100-$200 range depending on how you go about it (ebay usually being cheapest). I'll be honest and say the scan quality isn't that hot, I always have to tweak it in PSE to make it decent enough to use for submissions or posting, but you can look in my gallery and see what the end result is. It's an ok trade-off for scanning in one pass and not having to stitch, which I got tired of. One caveat, the older version of this scanner, which I have, doesn't really work with Windows Vista. There's a patch you can use, but it makes the scan quality even suckier. They have a new version that supposedly works fine with it so I'm looking into that. Sometimes you get lucky on ebay and get one of the other, far more expensive large format scanners for a fab deal, you just have to be patient and vigilant. Anyway, hope that helps a little and good luck in your quest!

I was in the market for a new 4 in 1 (scanner, copier, printer, fax) and wanted one with a flatbed scanner that would handle a 12" x 12" page, too. I couldn't find any--not at Staples, anyway.

However, there are plenty of scanners that accommodate a common European size paper which is 11.7 inches long. So, I got one of those. I'll have to scan twice for width, but will only lose .3" of length. Since I rarely, if ever, use the bottom .3" of the page, I should be okay. I use Photoshop CS2 or CS3, so seaming won't be an issue. It's easy enough to line layers up visually and then merge them. Not sure about Elements, but would expect it to work much the same. Just drag the layer from the 2nd scan into the first document, enlarge the canvas, position it where you want, merge, and voila. Or so I expect. Haven't tried it yet with this but have with many other images, so keeping my fingers crossed that it will work the same way.

I did spring for a large format HP printer. If you watch, they often go on sale for under $300. Also, I recommend choosing one that uses archival quality ink like HP's Vivera.

darn I did not even think about a 12 x 12 scanner when I just got my first 12 x 12 printer Thanks Jill something else to add to my ever growing wish list!

I, too, have been using the autostitch program...it is so easy