There's a pretty big computer store over in Columbus that specializes in helping people build their own computers, but deals in both new and used components, and such. We went there a couple years back when my old monitor died but were planning on upgrading the computer as a whole in a year or so and didn't want to spring for a new monitor. We weren't looking for a scanner at the time, but I noticed they had some then. I am hoping to be able to take a trip out there while my wife is on vacation in a few weeks to nose around and see if I can find something there or talk to them about options, but a few other things are taking priority during that week, so I am not sure I will get down there just yet. I'm hoping to talk to some of the other local creators about it when I do the autumn con circuit around here too, but at this point we are just in a gathering info mode rather than looking to definitely make a purchase. If I do get a little money form culling the collection though, a scanner is one of the things I am likely to use the money on. I will update if I get any solid info though.

I also need to find a good desktop publishing software, possibly a shareware one to use on the new computer we bought that I haven't started loading with software yet. Something I can use to set up pages of text with illustrations that aren't comic pages mixed with some comic pages in the same "publication" as it were.


-M

A friend of mine who's in the business would never consider life without InDesign.

Of course, it's not shareware... and it's too bad that Adobe now insists on people getting a subscription service instead of selling them programs. However, perhaps someone has an old InDesign CD-ROM to sell on eBay somewhere?

I used InDesign for the Mac back when I was teaching high school and was the yearbook adviser. It was expensive as all get out then, but it was functional. I thought the learning curve was a bit steep for me (and that was in my pre-Luddite days when I was the tech guy at the school for teaching aides and using tech in the classroom), but it certainly did what all needed to be done. I was just hoping not to invest the kind of money InDesign was going for then and going through the learning curve all over again as it's been 14 years since I used it last.

-M

I've been doing a little research on these large bed scanners today and trying to price some options. Not much is affordable. I am seeing them go for $3-5K with possibly a refurbished one for just under $2K. Everything is 11 x 17 as you said, 14 x 17 capability skyrockets the price. That's a little more than I want to invest at this point as a dabbler. I was looking to spend somewhere in the $500 range knowing they were more than the typical scanner, but not realizing the price increase was that dramatic.

Still seeking info and possible solutions, but so far results have not been too encouraging but I have only sipped my toe into the task so far. I need to remember to ask around artist alley next time I go to a con.

-M

PS I guess one of the perks of creating the art digitally is that you can skip the scanner, thus lowering demand for these and thus raising the price for those who still would use them and aren't moving into the digital age. I could still impose on the guys from t he studio who have one, but it is an imposition and I would rather have access to my own.

I would also add that it is a good idea to clean the platen from time to time. I realised yesterday as I was cleaning up a page, that what I thought were stray unerased pencil marks were in fact marks on the glass of the scanner.

Yes, I've had two scanners conk out unexpectedly. 

What's infuriating is that my old 8 1/2 x 14 UMAX scanner probably still functions like a charm... but its SCSI connection doesn't fit anywhere anymore, and the company stopped upgrading its driver for new Operating Systems more than a decade and a half ago.