Canon CanoScan LiDE220 Coloration Picture Scanner Evaluation

You’ll be able to consider the Canon CanoScan LiDE220 Coloration Picture Scanner ($89.99) as both a low-end picture scanner that may’t scan movie, or as a high-end mannequin for individuals who need not scan movie and do not wish to pay additional for a function they will by no means use. Both means, it gives wonderful output high quality, with a 4,800 pixel-per-inch (ppi) optical decision and extras like computerized coloration restoration for pale photographs. That is sufficient to make it our Editors’ Selection.

The LiDE220 ($389.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a brand new window) is a refresh of, quite than a significant improve from, the Canon CanoScan LiDE 210 Coloration Picture Scanner , one other prime choose. It is also the higher-resolution, higher-priced various to the Canon CanoScan LiDE 120 Coloration Picture Scanner ($259.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a brand new window) , our Editors’ Selection low-cost picture scanner, which delivers almost as high-quality photographs at a lower cost.

One different competitor that wants point out is the Epson Perfection V19 ($252.13 at Amazon)(Opens in a brand new window) , which additionally gives a 4,800ppi optical decision and wonderful picture high quality. Nonetheless, I noticed a slight coloration shift with the Epson V19, which I did not see with the LiDE220, and the Epson mannequin lacks any solution to scan to editable textual content format.

Fundamentals and Setup
The LiDE220 gives little bodily change from the mannequin it is changing, with the identical optical decision and different key specs, together with the identical measurement and weight, at 1.6 by 9.9 by 14.4 inches (HWD) and three kilos 6 ounces. The software program is completely different, but it surely delivers a lot the identical capabilities and limitations because the software program that comes with the Canon LiDE 210.

Canon’s My Picture Backyard serves as a photograph album, full with some photo-enhancement instructions. There is not any picture enhancing program or every other utility included, however the scan utility gives built-in optical character recognition (OCR), so along with with the ability to scan to picture PDF format, you may scan on to searchable PDF information. You can too scan to editable textual content, though that is restricted to scanning to Notepad, which loses all formatting data.

As with the Canon LiDE 120, the LiDE220 bucks the present development of including connector modules to on-line methods, like Evernote or Fb, for direct scanning to the cloud. Nonetheless, in the event you set up, say, the Evernote app in your pc, you may set the scan utility to save lots of information to the listing that the cloud app is monitoring, and let the app ship the scan to the cloud for you.

Setup is typical for a USB mannequin that will get energy over the USB connection. Merely set up the software program and join the provided USB cable. Along with Canon’s My Picture Backyard, the LiDE220 comes with a Fast Menu that serves as a scan utility, a second utility known as Canon IJ Scan Utility, plus Twain and WIA drivers, which between them will allow you to scan from nearly any Home windows program that has a scan command.

Scanning
Scanning with the LiDE220 is simple. Nonetheless, it may be complicated, as a result of Canon offers you many decisions for methods to begin a scan, together with bodily buttons on the entrance of the scanner and selecting from assorted on-screen buttons in its Canon IJ Scan Utility, its Fast menu, and My Picture Backyard. If the buttons matched in every case, going from one set of decisions to a different could be straightforward, however, sadly, they do not.

Solely the entrance panel, for instance, contains buttons for Copy (to print a scanned doc) and Ship (to e-mail a scan). And solely the IJ Scan Utility and My Picture Backyard have a Sew button to allow you to scan originals as much as twice the dimensions of the 8.5-by-11.7-inch platen in two steps, after which mechanically sew the 2 scans collectively into one picture. Even the place the button features match from one strategy to a different, they do not at all times have the identical, and even comparable, names, they usually do not present up in the identical order in every case.

In all probability the most effective technique for studying methods to use the scanner is to get totally acquainted with one strategy earlier than transferring to a different. When you’re acquainted with all of them, you may choose the one you’re feeling most snug with.

That mentioned, to get began scanning, you may merely select the AutoScan button on the entrance of the scanner. AutoScan analyzes the picture and saves the file in both JPG picture format or searchable PDF format. I attempted it with each photographs and textual content pages, and it picked the suitable format every time.

Scan High quality
The AutoScan function does a ok job that it might be all you ever want. You can too change settings for every scan possibility in the event you like. And in the event you want, you may regulate settings within the Twain driver manually earlier than every scan. As with most scanners right this moment, the LiDE220’s driver gives each a Primary mode, with only some settings, and an Superior mode that offers you a number of management.

See How We Check Scanners

Along with adjusting fundamentals like decision, distinction, and brightness, the driving force gives digital enhancements, together with a color-restore possibility that did a superb job in my assessments of bringing pale photographs again to life. The dust- and scratch-removal possibility additionally does a superb job eradicating mud specks. As is typical for software-based scratch removing, nonetheless, it does nearly nothing for fixing scratches.

Past that, the picture high quality for photographs is great. In my assessments, the LiDE220 captured particulars primarily based on coloration high quality, just like the sheen on a satin bridal robe, that many scanners miss, and it retained shadow element (particulars primarily based on shading in darkish areas) higher than most, together with the Canon LiDE 120 and the Epson V19.

Doc Scanning
As with every strictly flatbed scanner, the dearth of an computerized doc feeder makes the LiDE220 a poor alternative for something involving multipage paperwork. Nonetheless, it may possibly deal with occasional light-duty, home-office chores to scan brief paperwork into searchable PDF or editable textual content codecs. In my assessments, it learn our Occasions New Roman textual content web page at 12 factors and Arial web page at 8 factors with out a mistake.

In the event you want an affordable picture scanner that may scan photographic prints nicely sufficient for informal use—like sending digital photographs to family and friends or printing further copies at snapshot high quality—think about the Canon LiDE 120 or the Epson V19. For considerably higher scan high quality, nonetheless, the Canon CanoScan LiDE220 Coloration Picture Scanner is nicely definitely worth the barely increased value, making it our Editors’ Selection reasonably priced flatbed scanner for photographic prints.