# Repair vs. replace scratched scanner glass?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-vs-replace-scratched-scanner-glass/404264>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 16, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-vs-replace-scratched-scanner-glass/404264 "2007-05-16T01:04:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-vs-replace-scratched-scanner-glass/404264/1 "2007-05-16T01:04:31Z")

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I have a nasty scratch on my scanner glass. I am at an utter loss for how this could have happened. If it had happened to my car, I would have said someone keyed it. The scratch is visible on scans, which isn’t too much of a problem for documents but unacceptable for photo work.

Is it possible to repair scratched glass to restore it to a practical level of optical quality? If so, is the effort/expense worth it? Or should I just think about replacing it?

If it matters, it’s an Epson Pefection 4490 Photo, a desktop flatbed scanner.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-vs-replace-scratched-scanner-glass/404264/2 "2007-05-16T04:53:33Z")

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I was about to say that desktop scanners have gotten almost disposably cheap, but then I saw it’s a 4490. Ow…

You can’t be the first person to scratch up a scanner. Hopefully at this price range, Epson sells replacement glass, or if you’re brave, you could try taking it apart to get the glass out and get a replacement cut at the hardware store.

I’m assuming you’ve tried using Digital ICE to take out the scratch from scans and were unsuccessful.

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**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-vs-replace-scratched-scanner-glass/404264/3 "2007-05-16T05:15:24Z")

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If you wear a diamond ring you might remove it when placing copy on the scanner.

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-vs-replace-scratched-scanner-glass/404264/4 "2007-05-16T14:39:06Z")

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[QUOTE=gotpasswords]  
I’m assuming you’ve tried using Digital ICE to take out the scratch from scans and were unsuccessful.  
[/QUOTE]  
I haven’t, because I haven’t tried to scan an image since I noticed the scratch. Even if it works I would rather have as clean a scan as possible before the digital cleanup kicks in. I will have to see if the slide attachment places slides over the scratch; if so, the effect would be hugely magnified. But I don’t scan slides as much since I got a digital SLR.

> [@David Simmons](#):
>
> If you wear a diamond ring you might remove it when placing copy on the scanner.

No smiley here so maybe you’re serious. This is a single deep scratch and it does not look like a casual accident, like the swipe of a ring. The only ring I wear is a gold wedding band, and this scratch would require sustained pressure over a range of 4-6 inches. OTOH it’s in my home, so doesn’t seem like anybody could have done it on purpose, and the kids don’t even know how it works, so I don’t think they could have done something by accident (kids have knack for getting into the most bizarre accidents). I haven’t pissed my wife off lately 🙂 , so I have no idea what happened.

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-vs-replace-scratched-scanner-glass/404264/5 "2007-05-16T15:50:27Z")

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[QUOTE=CookingWithGas]  
… I have no idea what happened.  
[/QUOTE]

Maybe you should stop scanning sheets of sandpaper.

Kidding, kidding.