Best Graded Comic Book Scanner

The Beginning
It all started back in 2013 when I received my first wave of CGC and CBCS-graded comics in the mail. Excited to scan and share them with the world, I used my trusty HP scanner on top of my printer. Little did I know, it was a disaster in the making. The image was fuzzier than the Beast's fur, unclear as Professor X's intentions, and cropped like Wolverine's sideburns. It was time to investigate.

Mistakes Were Made
After some research, I discovered the magic behind CCD (Charge Coupled Device) technology built into scanners. I went on a scavenger hunt on eBay for an affordable scanner with a CCD sensor and settled on a massive, loud, and slow MICROTEK 9800XL with a USB port. The images were much better, but it was more cumbersome than Colossus in his metal form. I sold it to a local friend and comic artist and ended up having to buy another scanner from eBay. Rookie mistake.

Finally, The Perfect Scanner
After learning from my mistakes and returning with some of my money from the FedEx claims department, I decided to find a brand-new, affordable CCD scanner. It took hours of research and YouTube vlogs, but I finally found the holy grail of scanners. The Plustek OpticPro A320E! This scanner is like Thor's hammer, it scans with almost no light bleeding or reflections. The blacks are as deep as the Abyss, and the colors pop like fireworks on the 4th of July. It's worth every penny of its under $600 price tag.

The Conclusion
So there you have it, folks. My scanning journey from a fuzzy mess to picture-perfect quality. To summarize, the HP 8200 is a decent option for those on a tight budget. If you want something better, go for the MICROTEK 9800XL, but be prepared for its size and noise. And if you want the best of the best, go for the Plustek OpticPro A320E, it's a game-changer. Keep scanning and keep laughing, true believers!

Let's review the scanners I recommend:
Basic: HP 8200 (see scan example) - scanning bed size 8.5x11
Better: MICROTEK 9800XL (see scan example) - scanning bed size 12x17
Best: Plustek OpticPro A320E (see scan example) - scanning bed size 12x17*

*Side note, if you use Windows 10 or 11 and you want my example settings for color accurate correction. I use the Photos app   and my settings are here!

Happy scanning! 😃