Autokon

Autokon

Autokon 1000/DE
Manufacturer	ECRM, Inc.
Introduced	1975 (1975)
Type	Image scanner (flatbed)
Connection	SCSI (some models, aftermarket)
Dots per inch	1000–2000 (lines per inch)

Autokon is a discontinued line of image scanners sold by ECRM Inc., a subsidiary of AM International, from the 1970s to the 1990s. The inaugural Autokon 8400, introduced in 1975, was the first flatbed scanner used for digital image processing.¹²³ In the print industry, the Autokon was considered a milestone in the transition to from manual to electronic pagination.⁴ Numerous models were released over the span of two decades, and the Autokon line as a whole enjoyed widespread use in the newspapers and prepress industries, becoming a de facto standard for image scanners in the time before the desktop publishing revolution of the mid-1980s.⁵

The Autokon 8400, introduced in 1975, used a laser beam to scan pages up to 11 by 14 inches at a maximum resolution of 1000 lines per inch. Although it was only capable of scanning in 1-bit monochrome, the on-board processor was capable of halftoning, unsharp masking, contrast adjustment, and anamorphic distortions, among other features.^36: 53 The Autokon 8400 could either be connected to a film recorder to create a negative for producing plates or connected to a mainframe or minicomputer for further image processing and digital storage.^6: 53 7 The Autokon 8400 enjoyed widespread use in newspapers—ECRM shipped 1,000 units to newspaper publishers by 1985²—but its limited resolution and maximum scan size made it unsuitable for commercial printing.¹

In 1982, ECRM introduced the Autokon 8500, capable of scanning up to 1200 lines per inch. Four of ECRM's competitors introduced commercial flatbed scanners that year, including Scitex, Agfa-Gevaert, and Linotype-Hell, all of which were capable of scanning larger prints at higher resolutions.¹ The Autokon 1000, introduced in 1984, came to support scanning up to 2000 lines per inch as well as the ability to scan in color with hardware enhancements.⁸⁹¹⁰ The Autokon 1000 gained support for connecting to personal computers in 1988 when ECRM announced a kit for the Macintosh II, comprising a SCSI buffer expansion board and software, that allowed the Macintosh II to control and ingest image data (formatted as TIFFs) from the Autokon 1000; it supported monochrome data only. ECRM simultaneously announced an add-on raster image processor for the Autokon 1000, allowing it to output PostScript-compliant image data to computers and to printers such as the LaserJet.¹⁰¹¹

In 1988, ECRM introduced the 1000/DE (digital enhancement),¹² which used a microprocessor to produce the sharpening effect as against the 8400 which used analog electronics and an optical method to create sharpening. The Autokon 1000/DE had a touchpad rather than analogue rotary controls. The Autokon 1000/DE had applications in both commercial and newspaper environments where only a single halftone was required, i.e. black and white. While typically the Autokon 8400 was a standalone output device that scanned and then output to either photosensitive, roll format bromide paper or film, the Autokon 1000/DE was often connected to Macintoshes or IBM PC compatibles via a dedicated interface such as those from HighWater Designs. The last Autokon was a wider format, online-only device which utilized both a red and green laser to improve the response to the scanning of color photographs.

ECRM continued selling Autokons into 1995.¹³ The line disappeared from the company's catalog between then and 1998.¹⁴ After selling its remaining platesetter assets to Kodak in 2021, ECRM quietly dissolved.⁴¹⁵