What is the primary purpose of using a flatbed scanner?

The primary purpose of using a flatbed scanner is to digitize photographs and documents. Flatbed scanners are designed to take physical items, such as paper documents, photographs, and other materials, and convert them into digital formats. This allows users to create electronic copies that can be stored, edited, or shared easily, thereby facilitating the preservation of important documents and images in a digital format. The versatility of flatbed scanners in handling different sizes and types of media makes them particularly effective for this digitization process.

While printing documents quickly may involve other devices, such as printers, that function differently from scanners, flatbed scanners are specifically tailored for the scanning process. Additionally, while scanning in color is one feature of many flatbed scanners, it is not the primary purpose; rather, the core function remains focused on the overall digitization of physical media. Improving home office productivity can be a benefit of using a flatbed scanner, but again, it is a secondary effect rather than the main intent of the device.