Looking for a good color 11x17 scanner on a budget.

[horror101]

I'm looking for a good 11x17 on a budget of under $200. Something that would be able to scan comic art and different pieces for publication. Any suggestions and honestly the cheaper the better $200 is actually kinda pushing it. I know i'm not asking for much right? LOL!

[YEx2]

http://www.mustek.com/onlinestore/pr...products_id/32

[The DarkMind]

mustek's aren't well known for their color scanning abilities but if you're on that low of a budget and $200 is your max, it may be your only bet. You can also try for a Brother MFC-6490CW. New it will run you around $250-$300. I got mine at Staples for about $160 because of a recycle trade-in promotion they were doing. A few deals are online though.
http://www.amazon.com/Brother-MFC-64.../dp/B001AVPQ48

[Vicmoya]

If you are near an Office Max, they have two 11x 17 scanners on sale for $199.99 right now. They both have 11x17 flatbed scanners and can print 11x17 as well. They handle 3 ply bristol with no problems. I just picked up the MFC-J671 and it handles like a dream. Hope this helps.

Vic

[horror101]

Originally Posted by Vicmoya

If you are near an Office Max, they have two 11x 17 scanners on sale for $199.99 right now. They both have 11x17 flatbed scanners and can print 11x17 as well. They handle 3 ply bristol with no problems. I just picked up the MFC-J671 and it handles like a dream. Hope this helps.

Vic

I will check that out.

[nickmarino]

the bitmap/line art setting on the Mustek is fantastic. the color scanning? meh, but it gets the job done and it's a hell of a value for the price.

[horror101]

Originally Posted by nickmarino

the bitmap/line art setting on the Mustek is fantastic. the color scanning? meh, but it gets the job done and it's a hell of a value for the price.

like how bad is the color scanning? I use to use a hp 4300c scanjet but they stopped updating drivers and since i need to get a scanner i might as well get one that is the right size. Also are most of the scanners 11.7 x 16.5? I'm not finding any true 11x17's yet but i just kinda started looking

[rendergee]

I also have been using the brother mfc-6490cw for over a year and is been a smooth ride. I got it at newegg for 169.99 refurbished, but I think it was a 1 time thing. Amazing stuff, now I scan my layout in a 5x8 pad and print em in a 11x17 to ink them. Life is good.

[nickmarino]

Originally Posted by horror101

like how bad is the color scanning? I use to use a hp 4300c scanjet but they stopped updating drivers and since i need to get a scanner i might as well get one that is the right size. Also are most of the scanners 11.7 x 16.5? I'm not finding any true 11x17's yet but i just kinda started looking

honestly, most of my color scanning has been blue line and not full color. when i've done non-blue line color scans, they're decent. about as good as what i was getting from my 2004 low-end canon scanner.

that's not to say the mustek sucks cause it's been great for the past year-plus i've had it. i think the catch is to scan up from where you normally would. for example, i scan in my grayscale stuff as 24-bit color because the grayscale setting doesn't give me the quality i want. so i think you'd need to use the 48-bit color setting with full color stuff.

i guess my experience has taught me that the mustek is the perfect scanner for inkers -- great value for an over-sized scanner, incredible line art scanning capabilities, and decent with other stuff. also, it's got a really high DPI range, and the higher you're willing to jack that up, the better quality you're gonna get most of the time.

oh and don't worry about the "16.5" thing -- it'll scan 11x17 stuff fine. i dunno why they say that. maybe just to cover their asses in case it clips a few millimeters off the bottom.

[horror101]

Originally Posted by nickmarino

honestly, most of my color scanning has been blue line and not full color. when i've done non-blue line color scans, they're decent. about as good as what i was getting from my 2004 low-end canon scanner.

that's not to say the mustek sucks cause it's been great for the past year-plus i've had it. i think the catch is to scan up from where you normally would. for example, i scan in my grayscale stuff as 24-bit color because the grayscale setting doesn't give me the quality i want. so i think you'd need to use the 48-bit color setting with full color stuff.

i guess my experience has taught me that the mustek is the perfect scanner for inkers -- great value for an over-sized scanner, incredible line art scanning capabilities, and decent with other stuff. also, it's got a really high DPI range, and the higher you're willing to jack that up, the better quality you're gonna get most of the time.

oh and don't worry about the "16.5" thing -- it'll scan 11x17 stuff fine. i dunno why they say that. maybe just to cover their asses in case it clips a few millimeters off the bottom.

ya i had to always bump up stuff and alter some color stuff in photoshop. My old scanner kinda washed out the color a bit. I guess what i really need is just a decent scanner. It doesn't have to be amazing.