Well, I took the plunge. Thanks to all who gave input on the handheld scanner
question. I decided that perhaps Hewlett Packard by now would have moved the
technology along a bit, so I invested in a low-end battery operated version
called HP CapShare 950 ($299), which allows the files to be "sent" to a PC,
printer, MAC, and other receivers in .PDF (Acrobat) or .TIF file formats. It
sends the image either by infared signal or through serial cable.

Having just tested the unit, I found that the "stitching" problem has been
eliminated -- the stitching is done automatically, as long as you overlap
1/2". You can scan a ribbon up to 23" long (or pass the scanner back and
forth for that length). A slight discrepancy was noted when I did not scan at
a uniform speed, but it didn't seem to be overly sensitive. The scan was done
at 300 dpi, which is enough to get reasonably good image. It was also very
easy to take it (as a .TIF) into Photoshop. I think it will be a useful tool.

Thanks all.

Mary Krugman
___________________________________
Mary Delaney Krugman Associates, Inc.
Historic Preservation Consultants
36 Park Street
Montclair, New Jersey 07042
(973) 746-2810
(973) 746-2599 (fax)
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