Image Access WideTEK CIS scanner Contex large format scanners

About us

Scanners4CAD is owned by Softcover International Limited, previously a publisher of CAD and raster to vector conversion software for over 20 years. Softcover is based in Cambridge, England, a region of British excellence in science and technology.

As a result of its involvement in CAD and raster to vector conversion software, Softcover began selling scanners in late 2004 after the Colortrac SmartLF 4080 was released. It was the first wide format scanner to break established price and performance barriers. The SmartLF 4080 was the first large format scanner to be priced at a level infrequent users could justify.

Our sales of Colortrac scanners caused us to take notice of the wider scanner market. We were surprised at the extent of the misinformation and low sales tactics we encountered, especially the claims made for scanned image quality so vital to succesful raster to vector conversion. We thought it necessary to counter these claims. No bull Scanners4CAD was born.

As a result of the uniquely objective Scanners4CAD web site, Softcover was by the end of May 2007 being offered UK agencies from four large format scanner suppliers. It was attractive - but not that attractive! As our core business has always been software, we decided we simply didn't want to make the lifestyle changes that becoming a major large format scanner distributor would have entailed. We made the decision to stop selling wide format scanners in order to be truly independent and objective.

Everything we have learned about large format scanners and scanned image quality in the years since we bought our first scanner is presented here. Our understanding of scanned image quality is based on the demanding needs of raster to vector conversion software which, incidentally, we no longer sell. Today, our focus is entirely on the Scanners4CAD and Raster To Vector web sites as a source of news and informed opinionm and buying advice. Our aim with this web site is to be a repository for large format scanner information which will help CAD users ignore the bull and buy the scanner that's best for them.

See also: www.rastertovector.com