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Widecom Wide Format Scanners - An Overview

On paper, the Widecom SLC1036C large format scanner product range is old by comparison to devices from today's leading suppliers, like Colortrac, Contex and Graphtec. All three have released, or are about to release, new or significantly updated wide format scanners in 2008. Compare that to Widecom's last releases from 2000!

We decided to see if we could buy the 36" model. After contacting Widecom by email twice and getting no reply, (we are in the UK), we phoned their Canadian head office. We finally received a quote from Widecom Inc, Buffalo NY. Curiously, the correspondent gave the address as Widescan Inc, Mississauga Canada. For some hard to define gut-feeling, we are not entirely sure that Widecom still run an office in Buffalo NY.

The model we were offered was the Widecom SLC936C model which was introduced in late 1998. Other Widecom SLC scanners include the SLC1036C, SLC972C and SLC954C models which were introduced in 1999 and 2000 respectively. My calcluations show that the newest Widecom devices are already over eight years old!

Widecom Large Format PDF file
Widecom Scanned Image.
Photo credit: The Widecom Group Inc.
To view this image as a 300 dpi PDF, click here.

First, lets be clear. We have NOT reviewed a Widecom scanner. We are working purely from Widecom's supplied data. So, what do you get in a ten year-old scanner?

The SLC936C, SLC1036C, SLC954C and SLC972C are wide format 24 bit, 8 bit or 4 bit colour and monochrome scanners available in 36", 41", 54" and 72" widths scanning media on board or card up to 0.6" (15 mm) thick. Few scanners scan thicker media. When they do there is a premiun to pay. Generally, however, this is not a feature CAD users want. However, the scan width of the 72" model is exceptional.

The quoted optical resolution of these Widecom scanners is an acceptable 400 dpi and a remarkable 9600 interpolated. It is only recently that 9600 dpi interpolated resolution has become standard. However, interpolated resolution is a sales gimmick which adds nothing to scanned image quality. (This is true for all makes of wide format scanner). Optical resolution is the only resolution that matters.

Most technical drawing scans are made at 200 - 400 dpi. Modern scanners offer 600 or 1200 dpi optical, thus providing more resolution than you need or can practically use but nice to have in case you need it. Our tests indicate that the lower the optical resolution, the less sharp a scanner is at low resolutions; conversely, the higher the optical resolution, the sharper a scanner is at lower resolutions. On this basis, we would guess that a 400 dpi Widecom scanning at 400 dpi is less sharp than a 600 dpi Colortrac, Graphtec or 1200 dpi Contex wide format scanner scanning at 400 dpi. However, in all fairness, the Widecom's 400 dpi optical resolution should be enough for CAD.

Speedwise, the SLC936 can scan grayscale and monochrome images at 2 ips, while the SLC1036, "the world's fastest large-format scanner", will scan at 4 ips at 400 dpi. The SLC1036 scans full 24-bit color at 2.5 ips at 100 dpi. These speeds are practical but no longer the fastest, as you would expect 10 years on. Further, manufacturers' published scan speeds are not directly comparable, and pure scan speed is meaningless if the scanning software is poorly conceived and unproductive to use. Without testing the scanners' speed on the same PC as we have tested other scanners and without using Widecom's Colscan software first hand, it is impossible to tell how fast / productive Widecom scanners really are.

To be fair, so far we have not seen anything in the Widecom's specifications that says that its large format scanners are unsuitable for scanning technical drawings today.


The SCSI card,
from Mauritius

By far the worst feature of a Widecom scanner today is its reliance on SCSI (scuzzy) support - it has no USB or Ethernet connection. But SCSI is exactly how scanners and other devices were connected 10 years ago! Today, SCSI is a feature of modern drawing offices every bit as much as the dodo is a bird from Mauritius! Widecom charge USD $140 for an Adaptec SCSI card. You have to ask if any discount on a Widecom today is worth the potential hassle of plugging in a SCSI card!

It seems some minor changes have been made to Widecom's Colscan scanning software. It now supports PDF. In November 2007 we asked Widecom to submit a PDF file created by their scanners for testing with Scan2CAD's then new ability to open raster PDF files and convert them to CAD DXF. We received a PDF file from Widecom which passed our test. Widecom said this had been created in their Colscan scanning software. Unfortunately, as of August 2008 Widecom's website still does not state that PDF is among the supported raster file formats Colscan saves.

Widecom's communication with us says that Colscan will run on XP and Win2000. Widecom provide print drivers for plotting direct to your favourite inkjet plotter for colour and monochrome copying - provided, of course, that they are supported.

The Widecom promises that "compatibility with a wide range of color and monochrome applications is key to delivering value. And with WIDECOM, you will have the highest number of third party software solutions no matter what your application!" This is a reference to the Widecom's TWAIN support.

We were offered a one-year parts and labour warranty on the Widecom SLC936C Color scanner. We asked if this was return to base but we never received an answer. This was typical of our dealings with Widecom - they would respond to some but not all our questions. We would only get a reply after emailing them two or more times! While we have to give them the benefit of the doubt - email communications do sometimes get lost - we do wonder what level of support we would get?

How much does it cost?

We were quoted a Widecom SLC936C Color Scanner for US $6750 (list price $9000).

With a One Year Parts and Labor Warranty, Accessories (User Manual, Power Cable, SCSI Cable, cleaning sheets), ColSCAN Scan to File / Scan to Print software (for Win 98, ME, NT, 2000 and or XP), the necessary Adaptec SCSI Card (for $140 - list price $400), Stand with Catch Tray and Castors (for $290 - optional extra at $400) plus Shipping and Handling Charge of US $700 to the UK, the grand total was US $7,880.

The Widecom SLC936C is competitively priced but its hardware specifications - 400 dpi optical, SCSI card, no apparent Vista support - show its age. We cannot recommend it as we have not seen it nor have we experience of Widecom's after sales support. Anyone wanting to take advantage of its low price should ask Widecom if they can speak to some happy users first.

Commonly Asked Widecom Scanner Questions

Here are a few selected Frequently Asked Questions taken from Widecom's web site. These questions were first published in Imaging Magazine (June/1996). We think that they deserve some answers of our own.

Q: How long is your warranty?

A: A 90 day on-site warranty is included with the original price of the system.

Editors Note: Compare this to Graphtec's two or even three year on-site warranty! This says much about the self-belief Graphtec have in the inherent engineering quality of their large format CIS scanners. Also, Widecom offered us a one year parts and labor warranty. Most large format scanner manufacturers offer two years.

Q: Does the Interface look like other Window Applications?

A: Yes. Widecom offers a TWAIN driver, which .... allows the Widecom scanner to be universally compatible with many off-the-shelf software packages for wide format scanners. And what's impressive is that Widecom is the only wide format scanner to offer this compatibility.

Editors Note: This might have been true in 1996 but it is certainly not true in 2008! All Colortrac, Contex and Graphtec large format scanner models support TWAIN.

Q: Is the scanner upgradeable?

A: Yes. This is the most outstanding feature of our black and white scanner. You can upgrade the unit from monochrome to color. The SLC936 is the only scanner on the market with the ability to do so.

Editors Note: Not any longer. Colortrac SmartLF monochrome scanners, first released in 2004, can be upgraded to colour on site, by email.

Q: How easy is maintenance?

A: It's very easy! Simple wipe downs of the machine and quick cleaning of the glass is sufficient. No regular alignment or other checks are required.

Editors Note: Those concerned about their investment are advised to perform regular maintenance. Reading Widecom's Concepts of Color, they advise that "As environmental conditions for your scanner change, it is important to re-calibrate the scanner for optimum results." Keeping a wide format scanner in tip-top condition is not just a simple matter of a quick clean of the glass with a cloth!

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