The Microtek ScanMaker 3600 USB is a solid, easy-to-use flatbed scanner that delivers high-quality results with very little setup and image tweaking. As such, it's perfect for a home or small office, or for a novice user. With its lightweight, trim design, it fits easily into a small workspace. Setup takes just a few minutes, and the software, consisting of five applications, installs easily.A quick reference guide outlines all of the basic functions of the scanner. More in-depth information is found in the driver software's online help. Besides the Microtek scanning program itself, the additional bundled software takes care of tasks ranging from image enhancement and web preparation (PhotoDeluxe and Photo Impact) to file management (PageKeeper). The latter program is useful for organizing large sets of scanned documents, and lets you easily add annotations to graphic files.
Novice users will want to start using the small range of preset image settings and move on to customization as they gain experience. To use the presets, you select the purpose for which you are making the scan, and each profile has its own default resolution setting. Using the presets, we found the results to be quite professional.
The scanner software lets you view the results on screen, set the print quality, create a fax, or perform text recognition (OCR) scans. Text recognition uses the included OmniPage OCR program to turn pages of text into editable text files.
Although the default settings work well for most needs, more advanced users can also vary the scan quality itself. For example, a very dark original can be lightened before, rather than after, scanning. --David Greenberger
Pros:
- Fast and easy setup
- Good results using presets
