Exploring concepts: glassless, sliding frames as platen?
Posted: 03 Jul 2015, 08:47
Hi, long time no-scan!
While I try to catch up with what I've been missing since my last visit, I'd like to get some comments on several ideas I've been considering. In the end, they all could be integrated in some kind of modular scanner support or easel, which would have different interchangeable parts and would be quickly reassembled depending on the kind of book that's to be scanned. First things first, though, and the first thing I've been pondering about is a 'glassless platen'.
The platen does two things: it flattens pages, while letting light through. But it can give problems too: reflections, keeping it spotlessly clean (unless you don't mind fixed motes on all pages of your scan), etc.
I think a hollow frame applied to the borders of the open book, say from 1cm inwards of its borders, would keep the pages as flat while avoiding any of the problems. Two such frames at an angle would form a 'regular platen', and to deal with different book sizes, the upper inner angle of each frame would be solid, and its other two sides would slide, so as to be fixed at the right position (i.e. matching the page size) before scanning.
Your thoughts? Also, please don't hesitate to ask anything if I haven't been clear enough.
Note: of course the glassless platen wouldn't work for books or pages which don't have a margin by all their borders. Since I feel the lack of reflections is still a huge improvement, this would fit very well with the bigger 'interchangeable parts' concept.
While I try to catch up with what I've been missing since my last visit, I'd like to get some comments on several ideas I've been considering. In the end, they all could be integrated in some kind of modular scanner support or easel, which would have different interchangeable parts and would be quickly reassembled depending on the kind of book that's to be scanned. First things first, though, and the first thing I've been pondering about is a 'glassless platen'.
The platen does two things: it flattens pages, while letting light through. But it can give problems too: reflections, keeping it spotlessly clean (unless you don't mind fixed motes on all pages of your scan), etc.
I think a hollow frame applied to the borders of the open book, say from 1cm inwards of its borders, would keep the pages as flat while avoiding any of the problems. Two such frames at an angle would form a 'regular platen', and to deal with different book sizes, the upper inner angle of each frame would be solid, and its other two sides would slide, so as to be fixed at the right position (i.e. matching the page size) before scanning.
Your thoughts? Also, please don't hesitate to ask anything if I haven't been clear enough.
Note: of course the glassless platen wouldn't work for books or pages which don't have a margin by all their borders. Since I feel the lack of reflections is still a huge improvement, this would fit very well with the bigger 'interchangeable parts' concept.