Just got a new HP Photosmart all-in-one (scanner/printer/copier) etc. Kudos to HP for producing the powerful open-source tools that let Linux users get the most out of their hardware (HPLIP). For years I have used flatbed scanners for all sorts of microscopy and measurement applications in my lab; applications that have lots of folks scratching their heads when they see the results that a few hundred bucks of hardware can produce if you let it.
Consider this. At 4800 dpi (what xsane lets me do with the new scanner), that works out to 189 dots per mm. Or a pixel size of 1/189 mm, which is 5 microns! To measure something small, just scan it and count the number of pixels. The 'n' pictured is from from e pluribus unum on a US dime. The image is 159 pixels across, so at 4800 dpi, that is .84 mm wide. Not bad for something you can pick up at the corner big-box for a lot less than $200.
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