Selecting A Flatbed Scanner

Dynamic range (DR) is also complicated by the fact that some manufacturers don't actually give the 'dynamic range' specification, but rather refer to what they call "maximum density," which is going to be a couple points higher than DR.

For instance, to give a good example of how specifications should be published, a Heidelberg site states that its older high-end Topaz model has a "maximum density" of 4.0, while its "resolvable density range" is 3.7, a significant 0.3 difference. "Resolvable" here suggests that it is actually achievable in production. Some marketing literature mentions only 'maximum density,' presumably in the hopes that potential buyers will read it as density 'range' due to ignorance or inattention.