- The main difference between a scanner and a photocopier is the way the device outputs the duplicate image. A scanner creates a digital copy of the original document. A photocopier, however, creates a hard copy of the duplicate image, printing the image on paper, cardstock, transparency or other printable product.
- The way you store the duplicate image created by a scanner and a photocopier differs. Scanned images are stored to a computer or other digital storage device, including an external hard drive, an SD card and a CD or DVD disk. In addition, you can share these images with others via email, social networks and other online means. Photocopied images are stored wherever you store hard copy documents. You cannot share photocopies by email or any other digital forum.
- Because scanned images are digital copies of the original document, you can modify the image using a scanning or photo editing software program. This allows you to adjust, crop and otherwise modify the scanned image. Because photocopies are hard copies of the original document, you cannot modify the image without first modifying the original. This means that if you want to make any changes to the document, you must do so before making the copy.
- Many manufacturers sell printers that provide scanning and copying capabilities in a single, multifunctional device. This offers you the opportunity to take advantage of the benefits of both devices without spending the money on individual machines. These all-in-one devices may not offer the same quality an individual scanner or photocopier may offer. In addition, multifunction devices tend to perform at a slower speed than their individual counterparts do.
Image Output
Image Storage
Image Modification
All-in-One Advantages and Disadvantages
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