Scan2CAD raster to vector conversion software

Softcover - 17th January 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cambridge, England.

Softcover announce new Graphtec ScanPrint scan, print copy solution

Softcover have announced the release of the Graphtec ScanPrint SP200W, an aggressively priced entry-level, large format colour scan, copy and print system.

Aimed at the CAD and GIS markets it combines two standalone devices, an A0 600 dpi optical colour scanner with a high resolution A1 thermal inkjet colour printer, within one compact, space-saving footprint.

When the Graphtec ScanPrint ships in March 2007 it will have a UK list price of GBP £4750 (excl). This price includes both the scanner and printer, Graphtec Scanning Arts scan, copy and print software, a desktop scanner stand, Scan2CAD and a two year (UK) on-site warranty covering both printer and scanner.

The new ScanPrint SP200W is notable for being:

  • the smallest 36" scanner,
  • the lightest 36" large format scanner,
  • the fastest monochrome CIS scanner,
  • the lowest priced 36" A0 colour scanner (at £4765 excl. including printer),
  • the first entry-level scan, copy and print system (A0 scanner, A1 printer),
  • the first with Two Year On-Site Warranty as standard in the UK.

The new ScanPrint SP200W will also be notable for having:

  • high 4800 x 1200 dpi graphics quality colour print resolution,
  • fast A1 monochrome and colour A1 print speeds.

By itself the the ScanPrint scanner offers cost-conscious CAD and GIS users the lowest price yet on a professional quality A0 colour scanner. That this price includes the added bonus of a high resolution A1 colour printer is a testament to Graphtec's determination to expand its share of the large format scanner market by addressing the needs of a new market of cost-conscious CAD, GIS, document management and graphics professionals.

The ScanPrint's low price, high performance and exceptionally small footprint make it particularly suitable for cost-conscious CAD and GIS users, architects and engineers, etc, working in cramped drawing offices, design studios and small office / home office (SOHO) environments. The ScanPrint is designed to meet their need for a compact, transportable (back of family car) solution offering high quality colour scanning, copying and printing.

ScanPrint SP200W-06 Scanner

A Japanese product, the ScanPrint scanner is well designed, superbly engineered, compact and lightweight.

The ScanPrint is the smallest of all large format scanners. It is 30cm shorter than a Colortrac SmartLF Cx and over 40cm shorter than any Contex 36" scanner. Weighing just 27kg with its supplied stand, the ScanPrint is lighter than Colortrac or Contex scanners which with their stands weigh 36kg and 60kg respectively. The ScanPrint's size and weight makes it the most transportable of all wide format scanners.

The ScanPrint uses Graphtec's tried-and-tested CIS (contact image sensor) technology. It uses five CIS sensor arrays capable of 600 dpi optical resolution up to 1200 dpi interpolated. It scans drawings up to 965mm (38") wide with an image width of 932mm (36”), enough for scanning A0 drawings in portrait mode.

A centre-justified paper feed with two sliding guides makes it easy to square and feed drawings straight into the ScanPrint which will accept a maximum paper thickness of 0.8mm, well within the range of most technical drawings.

Two hidden catches on the underside of the hood allow easy access for cleaning. Once opened, the hood is held upright by a neat push-to-close latch. A discrete display panel shows Power On / Off, Backward / Forward, Stop, Paper Ready and System Error.

The ScanPrint is an unpretentious yet effective 24-bit (16.7m) colour scanner . A Softcover comparison of its scan speed with the top-of-the-range Colortrac SmartLF Cx 40e (fast monochrome, fast colour) scanner showed that the ScanPrint is 1/3rd faster when scanning black and white drawings. (Both scanners use CIS technology).

For colour work, the ScanPrint is the equivalent of the popular Colortrac SmartLF Cx 40e (fast monochrome, fast colour) scanner. It saves colour, greyscale and monochrome files in popular file formats, including TIFF G4, JPEG and PDF.

A two year on-site warranty is supplied as standard.

ScanPrint SP200W-06 Printer

The printer is Graphtec's new JW220 MasterJet, a fast standalone A1 colour thermal inkjet with a proposed UK RRP of £1100 (excl). This printer was still under wraps and described by Graphtec as "secret" at the time of this release.

Similar to the HP Designjet 110, the MasterJet is the more complete product, offering a higher print resolution of 2400 x 1200 dpi monochrome and 4800 x 1200 dpi colour. It includes an A1 paper roll feed and an A4 – A2 sheet guide table as standard. An A4 - A2 automatic cut-sheet cassette tray and a waist-high printer stand are optional extras.

With three available speeds - Fast, Standard and High Quality (slow) - the Graphtec printer is capable of fast, high resolution printing. In tests the older and slower prototype MasterJet JK200 printed an A1 colour DWG file as a greyscale in Normal mode in 93 seconds and the same drawing as monochrome in 105 seconds. The new MasterJet JW220 which will ship with the ScanPrint is claimed to print an A1 sheet in 81 seconds and a full-screen colour drawing in 210 seconds, substantially faster than comparable devices.

The workmanlike MasterJet will prints to a variety of papers - plain, recycled, matte, coated, tracing, glossy - suitable for CAD drawings, facsimile copying and filing. It will allow print margins to within 5mm of either side of any drawing sheet. It uses an integrated black and colour print head with 100ml Black and 50ml Cyan, Magenta and Yellow proprietary Graphtec ink cartridges. Graphtec claim that the cost of ownership is "restrained, making it highly cost-effective to operate".

A two year on-site warranty is supplied as standard.

Softcover International Limited are exclusive UK distributors of the Graphtec ScanPrint SP200W-06.

For further information contact:
Tel# +44 (0)1223 424342

About Softcover ...
Softcover develop Scan2CAD, professional raster to vector conversion software that turns scanned drawings, maps, etc, into DXF vector files for editing in any PC CAD program. With more than 20,000+ users worldwide Scan2CAD has a very impressive user base that includes governments, their agencies, military organisations, the United Nations and NASA. Founded in 1991, Softcover is based in Cambridge, England, a centre of British excellence in science and technology.

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