Handheld Scanner

What Does Handheld Scanner Mean?

A handheld scanner, as the name suggests, refers to an electronic device that performs the same tasks as that of a flatbed scanner. It is used to scan physical documents into their digital forms that can be stored, edited, transferred and emailed digitally. This device is especially useful when space is a concern, as flatbed scanners tend to take up a large amount of space.

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Techopedia Explains Handheld Scanner

Handheld scanners are small helpful electronic devices that are widely used for digitizing printed documents. Although considered lower quality scanners, they are still very popular because they are small and less expensive than their flatbed counterparts, and they are able to scan items that could not fit in a flatbed scanner due to size or location. Their function includes moving them over the material being captured with the aid of a tray to keep it in a straight line. Experience is required to operate and handle the device since it is very important to keep the scanner straight so that a distortion-free scan is possible.

Some handheld scanners are now available with added features and functionalities such as definitions, translations and reading printed text aloud, as well as storing and sending scanned content to computers and other devices.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…