Purup-Eskofot is best known for its development of copy-dot technology.

As a result scanners from Purup-Eskofot are highly regarded in the prepress world. If you are looking for a scanner strictly for prepress use, consider checking out purup-eskofot.com. However at DRUPA 2004 we did not notice any scanners in their booth. If they were present, they were not easy to find.

At Seybold 99 it was possible to visit the Purup-Eskofot scanner booth, see their new "Vincent" flatbed scanner, and generally get to know these products.

Purup-Eskofot has abundant experience in knowing what prepress professionals want and need in terms of workflow and software. The advertising for the Purup-Eskofot flatbed scanners are directed almost exclusively to the prepress world, sort of neglecting many other market niches for high end scanners.

Unfortunately, the Purup-Eskofot 1318 did not fare well in an exhaustive Seybold test of high-end scanners. The Fuji and Heidelberg Topaz scored considerably higher. Purup-Eskofot's "Vincent" model is most likely their current version of the earlier 1318.

For more general high-end scanning, especially for photographers, photo archives, and museums, I would recommend the Fuji C-550 Lanovia or the wider (favorable price and impressive performance range) of Creo EverSmart flatbed scanners. The Fuji is better constructed than the Purup-Eskofot. It is possible to make these product comparisons because I have had an opportunity to test the Fuji in action and inspect the Creo scanners at the recent GraphExpo trade show in Chicago. We know more about the Creo scanners because Creo has provided scanners for long-range evaluation both in our office in Germany as well as at the university in Ohio.

What the Purup-Eskofot Vincent might be good at, however, is scanning old engravings such as the drawings published in 19th century books. Yet the Creo EverSmart Supreme would certainly be capable of handling such a task as well.

Most prepress companies are phasing out their flatbed scanners. They are really only selling the ones they still have in stock. Hardly any scanner companies are actively developing new models or updating their software any more.

If you need to scan your backlog of slides and negatives, you better buy a scanner now, because by DRUPA 2008 I doubt if there will be more than one scanner company still manufacturing a high-quality product.

To check out the range of what good quality scanners are available today, you might consider contacting people who know scanners from experience, namely Parrot Digigraphic. They work with universities, libraries, museums, prepress shops, print shops, giclee ateliers, and photographers: contact e-mail imaging@parrotcolor.com, fax (978) 670-7744, Tel (978) 670-7766.