Use of wide format scanning is becoming more and more important as technology moves towards digital storage and digital printing.

From its inception as a quick and accurate way to copy blueprints and architectural drawings, it’s evolved into a tool for an ever broadening range of technical and creative applications. The technical side includes blueprints, mechanical drawings and other technical documents and creative side includes photographs, posters, paintings, drawings, and fine art applications. Wide format scanning is also useful for working with historically delicate parchments and materials, such as old newspapers.

In general, a large format scanner is a sheet-fed or roll-fed scanner. There are also giant flatbed scanners and a few oversized flatbed scanners. These scanners are light based however, they usually require some room, and so many units come with a stand and have wheels.

Wide format scanners are capable of scanning widths up to 52 inches and documents thickness up to half an inch, such as posters or poster board. This is useful if materials or archival items are mounted on board or are inherently thick.

Wide format scanners come equipped differently. Simplest scanners digitize the originals and send the digitized data to a connected or networked computer. Wide format scanners are also available with their own processors and on-board storage. These work independently, attached to computer workstations, or paired with other devices, such as printers, to provide complete document solutions.