Crappy art documentation

I’m venting here… I have another finished portrait. Again, I can’t help but complain about my scanner. This scanner of mine doesn’t quite show the detail and all the ranges of tone and depth that I work so hard to capture that is present in the original portrait. I have the large oversized drawing scanned and copied at the UPS Store then I bring it home and scan the smaller version on my basic Epson scanner. …Between the two processes, I loose an awful lot of the original portrait in this final JPG image.

I used to use my mother's HP scanner printer because of its larger scan bed. I really liked it a little better than my current Epson scanner printer. My current model Epson printer/scanner doesn’t capture the true detail of my work. I end up with a very pixelled scan, no matter what setting (photo, grey scale, etc.) or resolution depth I use. The scan is just not true. And after ALL that work, I’d really like to have it perfectly and accurately documented before it is sent out forever. So, I’d like to find not only a printer that prints accurate and true, but I would like to find one with the same in a scanner with a very large bed, to boot!!!! Impossible?

How hard it is to find a scanner & printer with an exceptionally large scan bed? Most artists know that not all your work is under an 8×10. And it is just as difficult to photograph your work and have it accurate than it is to have a crappy scanner. 

Also, my third pet peeve of Epson is not just that the ink is expensive and doesn’t seem to last, but if ANY of the color cartridges run out, you can’t print anything!!! Not even black and white! …Not until you buy that color cartridge and replace it!


I've done a little research with the help of some kind folks. This is a little of what I've found out. It's better to buy your scanner separate from your printer. Look for a large format scanner that specializes in Photo or Graphic Arts scanning. These will be pricey but I'm told, well worth the money. You have to remember that if you have a high quality scan of your work and you haven't sold the artist's copyright, then you can still make money from that scan!!  You're customers may want to order products made for the scanned image (note cards, t-shirts, canvas prints, posters, etc.) And if it's not personalized the general public may be interested in buying these products. 
Until I purchase a quality scanner, I will opt to have my work scanned in town by a professional.