Whether you use pastels, watercolors on paper, oils on canvas, or any other “traditional” medium, at some point you will have to digitize your work. Let’s see what the best scanner for art is in 2022!
Whether you want a high-quality reproduction for your portfolio, to post on the internet for online sales, or to make your own beautiful archival prints
How Do You Scan Traditional Art?
A good thing is worth doing right, as the old saying goes.
Today, a great scanner is available regardless of your budget or needs, which will capture the full detail, color, depth – even the feeling and energy – of your original work.
There are hundreds of different types of scanners on the market, but how do you choose the best scanner from a seemingly endless list of options for scanning paintings, watercolors, pastels, oil pencils, pens and ink, charcoal, or any other medium?
Buyers Guide for Artists of All Types
Here’s my guide to the best scanners for artists and artwork of all types.
To find a great scanner choice in any price range – from the best budget scanners to the best high-end scanners, I rely on my own experiences as well as the experiences, reports, and feedback of my friends and other artists.
Regardless of how you create your art, these scanners will be able to capture it, while also offering simplicity, ease of use, handy features, and reliability.
Now let’s find out what the 6 best scanners for artwork will be in 2022.
Overview: 6 Best Scanners for Art in 2022
Epson Perfection V39
Optical resolution 4800, Scan-To-Cloud, Color Photo and Document Scanner
Epson Perfection V600
Scanner for color photos, images, film, negatives, and documents
Plustek A3 Flatbed Scanner
Blueprints and documents are scanned with a large format of 11.7×17 inches. Libraries, schools, and businesses. Fast scan for A3 documents in 9 seconds.
Canon CanoScan 9000F
An image scanner that scans color images
Epson Expression 12000XL-GA Flatbed Scanner
Highlights and shadows are excellently detailed at 3.8 Dmax
A maximum resolution of 2400 x 4800 DPI is available
The maximum size of an image is 12.2 inches by 17.2 inches.
Epson Perfection V850 Pro scanner
4800 x 6400 DPI is the maximum resolution
Bit Depth: Color: 48 bits :: Black and White: 16 bits
12 pixels is the maximum image size. It measures two inches by seventeen inches.
1. The Epson Perfection V39 Flatbed Photo Scanner
Entry level
Epson Perfection V39
Optical resolution 4800, Scan-To-Cloud, Color Photo and Document Scanner
Epson Perfection V39 is my top pick for entry-level scanners for artists, and it offers an almost absurd amount of value as a first scanner or backup!
For this price, you will not get the best image scanning quality, and the build quality is not as excellent as some of the other models on this list of the best scanners for artwork and artists, but it is still an impressive scanner.
While the Epson Perfection V39 cannot match the resolution and color depth specifications of the more expensive scanners above, and while it ultimately does not offer the same depth, detail, color fidelity or subtlety, I still find the scanned images surprisingly good and attractive.
However, I’m not the only one affected. The Epson V-39 captures beautiful colors, and artists and photographers gussy up about the resolution and detail it has.
It also has a removable lid for scanning thick pieces, oversized artwork, and books, and plenty of automatic features to scan directly to the internet for posting or for archiving.
While the Epson Perfection V39 Flatbed Scanner may not be perfect for the most discerning artists and graphic designers, it offers much more than most other scanners – and for the money.
Features of Epson Perfection V39 Scanner
- Technology for CIS scanning
- 4800 x 4800 dots per inch (DPI) Maximum Resolution
- Grayscale: 16 bits internal / 8 bits external: Color: 48 bits internal / 24 bits external
- This scanner can scan up to 8.5 x 11.7 inches
Scanner Epson Perfection V39 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Excellent image quality for the price
- Simple and easy to use
- Thick and oversized pieces as well as books can be protected with a Hi-Rise cover
- Direct scanning to the cloud
- Software for stitching oversized artwork
Cons
- Scanning takes longer
- Poor image quality compared to more expensive scanners
2. Epson Perfection V600 Color Flatbed Scanner
Best value
Epson Perfection V600
Scanner for color photos, images, film, negatives, and documents
I consider the Epson Perfection V600 Color Flatbed Scanner the best step-up scanner for artists and artwork because it offers significantly better image quality than entry-level scanners for not that much more money.
This is a wonderful budget scanner for any photographer – even a professional – since it comes with all of the features and enhancements you might expect from an Epson photo scanner.
The images that it captures from my original artwork are so beautiful that I include it on my list of the best scanners for artists.
The V600 features a full resolution of 6400 x 9600 dots per inch and 48 bits of color depth for an excellent price. Nonetheless, these numbers – impressive as they are – do not do it justice.
I have used this scanner numerous times and am always pleased with its fidelity to the original source material, with excellent colors and shading, lots of detail, and a nice sense of balance and flow.
On the screen you see something more – the scanned image just seems to come alive, capturing whatever it was that made the original so special.
Even if more expensive scanners offer slightly better specifications on paper, they just don’t always deliver.
It is a fantastic deal to buy Epson Perfection V600
Features of Epson Perfection V600 Scanner
- 12 Line MatrixCCD Color Sensor
- LED Warm-up Light for ReadyScan
- 3.4 Dmax provides surprisingly detailed highlights and shadows
- DPI (dots per inch) Maximum: 6400 x 9600
- Bit Depth: Color: 48 bits :: Black and White: 16 bits
- 8.5″ x 11.7″ scanning area
Epson Perfection V600 Scanner Pros and Cons
Pros
- For the price point, the image quality is excellent
- Speedy scanning
- Simple and easy to use
- Results that are reliable and consistent
Cons
- Professional scanners are more durable
3. Plustek OpticSlim A3 Flatbed Scanner OS 1180
Affordable A3 scanner
Plustek A3 Flatbed Scanner
Blueprints and documents should be scanned in 11.7×17 large format. For libraries, schools, and soho. Mac or PC A3 scan takes 9 seconds.
The Plustek OpticSlim A3 Flatbed Scanner is my top choice for the best affordable large format scanner.
In addition to our list of 6 best color scanners for artwork and artists, Plustek has been around for almost 35 years, offering a wide range of scanning, imaging, and other products.
A good example of the value Plustek offers is the OS 1180 Flatbed Color Scanner.
It scans artwork or documents up to 11.7 by 17 inches – a very inexpensive large format scanning solution!
Although the Plustek OpticSlim does not provide the high resolution of other scanners in our buying guide, its 1,200 x 1,200 DPI is enough for accurate and appealing working copies, good display images for computer screens and the Internet, and for creating a decent quality portfolio or archive of your work.
Plus, if you are scanning large pieces, this Plustek scanner may offer even better results than stitching together sections scanned from smaller, more expensive scanners.
A good choice for both PC and Mac users, the Plustek OS flatbed color scanner offers automated image manipulation software and an easy-to-use interface.
Features of Plustek OS 1180 Scanner
- Max. media size of 11.7 x 17 inches with full A3 capability
- CIS (CIS Image Sensor)
- Light source with low heat and fast response time
- DPI (dots per inch) maximum: 1,200 x 1,200
- Input bit depth is 48 bits, output bit depth is 24 bits. Grayscale input bit depth is 16 bits, output bit depth is 8 bits.
Pros & Cons of Plustek OS 1180 Scanner
Pros
- Large format scanner at a great price
- Built to last and reliable
- It is very easy to use
- Image quality that is better than expected based on specs and price
Cons
- Not the best image quality for this price point, but perhaps the best for such an inexpensive A3 scanner
4. Canon CanoScan 9000F Color Image Scanner
User-friendly
Canon CanoScan 9000F
An image scanner that scans color images
Canon’s CanoScan 9000F Color Image Scanner is the best art scanner for ease of use, and for automatic image quality.
CanoScan 9000F, on our list, is probably the most loved scanner among actual users – artists, graphic designers, photographers, etc. – with outstanding reviews on dozens of retail websites.
My experience suggests that this is because it is the easiest scanner to use, and the result is a really wonderful image.
Due to its automatic image optimization algorithms and innovative software, the Canon 9000-F scans very well, and unlike many other scanners, the image looks good and closer to the original.
Its seven EZ buttons also make it incredibly user-friendly.
But this scanner isn’t just for beginners or technophobes.
The quality of the CanoScan scanner’s construction and parts, as well as its impressive specs – 9,600 x 9,600 DPI (dots per inch) resolution and 48 bit color depth – make its scanned images a step above the lower priced scanners among our top picks for artwork and artists, and even better than some of the more expensive scanners.
Features of Canon CanoScan 9000F Scanner
- Buttons that are easy to use
- Fixing documents automatically
- Automatic Scan Mode
- 9600 x 9600 dpi maximum resolution
- Bit Depth: Color: 48 bits :: Black and White: 16 bits
- 8.5 x 11.7 inches is the maximum document size
Pros & Cons of Canon CanoScan 9000F Scanner
Pros
- High-quality images compared to lower-priced scanners
- Enhancing image quality with automatic adjustments
- Easy to use
- Stunningly styled
Cons
- The price is too high
5. Epson Perfection V850 Flatbed Photo Scanner
Best image quality
Epson Perfection V850 Pro scanner
DPI resolution maxes out at 4800 x 6400
Bit Depth: Color: 48 bits :: Black and White: 16 bits
The maximum size of an image is 12.2 inches by 17.2 inches.
The Epson Perfection V850 is the photo scanner I recommend.
The V850’s image quality is superior even to the more expensive 12000XL-GA below. Combining the V850’s high resolution, wide color gamut, and fine gray scale depth with its dual lens scanning mechanism, creates beautiful images, suitable for your professional portfolio, web images, and even art prints.
It is these high-energy, three-dimensional images pulled from the Epson Perfection V850 that really catch my eye – they have a lot of depth and detail, and this translates well to a computer screen for working and editing or for an online store / portfolio.
Together with the Epson Stylus Photo R2880 Wide-Format Color Inkjet Printer and archival art paper – such as Canson Infinity Baryta Prestige Gloss Paper – the Epson Perfection V850 produces a print that I am proud to offer for sale as an excellent representation of my original work.
One limitation of the Epson Perfection V850 flatbed scanner is that it will only scan images up to 8.5 x 11.7 inches – pretty standard for a desktop flatbed scanner, but if you require a larger artwork to be scanned, you will need to scan sections and stitch the images together using software.
Nevertheless, I find the Epson Perfection V850 scanner to be the most satisfying in this regard as its image is among the best here.
Features of Epson Perfection V850 Scanner
- Epson MatrixCCD 6 lines color alternative
- Fast warm-up LED light for ReadyScan
- Higher resolution with Micro Step Drives
- Fine detail in highlights and shadows with 4.0 Dmax
- Optimal scans with dual lenses on a variety of media
- Bit Depth: Color: 48 bit :: B&W: 16 bit Maximum Image Size: 12 Bit Resolution: 4800×6400 DPI (dots per inch) Bit Depth: Color: 48 bit :: B&W: 16 bit 2″ X 17. 2″
- Maximum Resolution 4800 x 6400 DPI (dots per inch) Dual Lens System for best scanning with a variety of media
- Bit Depth: Color: 48 bits :: Black and White: 16 bits
- Image size maximum is 12 pixels. 2″ X 17. 2″
Scanner Epson Perfection V850: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Detail, color, light, and shading are superb
- Construction and material quality are excellent
- Speedy scanning
- Consistent results every time
- User-friendly and simple
Cons
- The price is too high
6. Epson Expression 12000XL-GA Flatbed Scanner
XXL
Epson Expression 12000XL-GA Flatbed Scanner
3.8 Dmax for excellent shadow and highlight detail
A maximum resolution of 2400 x 4800 DPI is available
12 pixels is the maximum image size. It measures two inches by seventeen inches.
My pick for the best large format scanner is the Epson Expression 12000XL-GA Flatbed Scanner, as well as the best professional art scanner for the most discerning artist and graphic designer.
Images up to 12 inches can be scanned by the 12000XL. Two by seventeen can be scanned. There is no need to scan larger artwork in sections and stitch them together with Photoshop or other (sometimes ineffective) software.
… but you should keep in mind that several technologies come together with Dmax capability (the scanner’s ability to capture subtle details in shadows and highlights) and excellent mechanical stability and accuracy to produce beautifully detailed scans that are as close as possible to the original artwork, no matter how detailed or subtle it may be.
If you plan on selling art prints of your originals, if you want to create the best portfolio, or even if you just wish to reproduce your work as precisely as possible, this scanner will feel like a bargain, and one of the best investments you have ever made.
Highly Recommended!
Features of Epson Expression 12000XL-GA Scanner
- Stepper motors with microstepping technology
- A Colorful Imaging System II
- Shadow and highlight detail are excellent with 3.8 Dmax
- Technology Epson MatrixCCD
- LED Warm-up Light for ReadyScan
- The maximum resolution is 2400 x 4800 DPI
- Image size maximum: 12 pixels 2″ X 17. 2″
Pros & Cons of Epson Expression 12000XL-GA Scanner
Pros
- High-quality images
- Detailed and precise
- Shades and gradations with accurate colors
- Comparatively better results than stitched images with larger artwork
- Construction and materials of professional quality
- Results that are reliable and consistent
- Excellent value for the image and build quality
Cons
- Pricey
FAQs
Which Scanner is Best for Artwork?
I prefer to digitize artwork with the Epson Perfection V850 Professional Scanner, which offers excellent image quality. Epson’s other scanner, the Epson Perfection V39, comes with excellent image quality at an affordable price, and the Canon CanoScan 9000F offers excellent image quality comparable to that of the Epson V850 and is the easiest to use scanner I’ve seen.
How Do I Digitize My Artwork?
Scanning artwork can be done in a number of different ways, but probably the two most popular options are flatbed scanners and cameras. A camera is difficult to scan flat, undistorted, even on a stand, and uniform lighting is also a challenge, but flatbed scanners – such as the affordable Epson Perfection V39 or the professional quality Canon CanoScan 9000F, reliably produce excellent scans with ease of use.
How Do You Scan Original Artwork?
Original artwork can be scanned most efficiently and consistently with a flatbed scanner, which will provide flat, undistorted images and uniform lighting. There are also flatbed scanners that are relatively inexpensive, like the Epson Perfection V39, while the Canon CanoScan 9000F provides superb image quality at an affordable price.
Do you think 4800 DPI is a good resolution for artwork?
It is typically sufficient for scanning artwork and printing high quality reproductions from scanned files to have a resolution of four thousand dots per inch. In many cases, low resolution is fine for screen display, such as when sharing your art online or illustrating a website. However, it is always better to scan your original at a high resolution, then adjust the file size and resolution down afterwards.
Can art be scanned in the best way possible?
Using a flatbed scanner to scan flat images, like drawings, paintings or collages, is the best and easiest way to go. They deliver great results consistently and are easy to use. A great entry level scanner with great image quality is the Epson Perfection V39, while an affordable and easy to use professional scanner is the Canon CanoScan 9000F.
Final Thoughts: The Best Scanners for Artworks
Scanners are often regarded as very personal pieces of equipment – they hold the great responsibility of not just scanning, but also truly representing your artwork.
Scanners that don’t properly capture the beauty, energy, or other features of your creations can be profoundly disappointing.
This is why I created this guide to the best scanners for artwork, which reflects the experience of real artists and their picky taste, and so you can rest easy knowing that each and every one of these scanners is worthy of the title of best scanner for artwork, and will satisfy even the most protective parents. children proud!
While some scanners are not as good as others – a $100 scanner won’t perform as well as a $1,000 one – each model I’ve included can be considered one of the best scanners you can afford.
Don’t be afraid to buy.
Any of these scanners will perform well and will be a truly useful tool on your desktop, and you will be able to see your artwork – exactly as you originally imagined it – on the screen.
