OPTICAL SCANNER

An optical scanner device for producing machine-readable data representative of a color image of scanned objects including a narrow width, elongate light slit for enabling transmission of an imaging light beam from a narrow band portion of an object which is scanned; a lens for focusing the imaging light beam; a beam splitter for separating the imaging light beam into a plurality of color component beams; a purality of parallel, linear photosensor arrays located on a common sensor plane and spaced apart at equal intervals for accepting color component images; the light slit and lens being constructed and arranged whereby the width of each color component image on the common sensor plane is no more than about the interval spacing of the photosensor arrays and no less than about one-half the interval spacing of the pohotsensor arrays.