"I am not a graphic designer, nor have I ever tried my hand at scrapbooking, but thanks to TikTok, I suddenly care about capturing the texture of my travels. It all began when I watched @studiocloclo on TikTok slide a portable scanner across various flat surfaces in Italy, revealing a treasure trove of train tickets, bar menus, book covers, and food packages, each expressing its own grainy, vintage feel."
"Search "portable scanner" on TikTok and you'll see a number of users scanning Subway signs in New York City, or vending machines in Tokyo, showcasing the delightful works of art that can be created with such snapshots, from the TikTok collages themselves to diptychs with analog photos. There's something very real that comes across in the scans, whether it's the up-closeness of vibrant typography or the wrinkles, cracks, and stains that signify the passage of time."
Portable wand scanners capture the tactile details of travel ephemera—train tickets, bar menus, book covers, food packages—preserving grainy typography, wrinkles, cracks, and stains. TikTok users scan urban signage and vending machines to create collages, diptychs with analog photos, and other artful compilations. A common consumer model, the iScan wand, is compact, lightweight, and pocketable, often sold with a protective drawstring pocket. Typical use involves powering the device, pressing the scan button, and gliding the wand slowly across flat surfaces while maintaining a green indicator light. Scans reproduce up-close textures and vintage character that standard photos can miss, elevating mundane souvenirs.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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