The present invention is a scanning method and system in which the colored information as well as the black & white information appearing on the individual page or upon multiple pages of a document are initially scanned in a full color, 24-bit per pixel, mode; after which, the black & white wording and/or images are then selectively identified and electronically downsized to a single bit per pixel value. This sequence of selective identification and electronic downsizing of the black & white scanned contents effectively preserves the original printed information, while retaining the accuracy and integrity of the characters forming the colored written text and illustration portions of the scanned page or document in their original 24-bit per pixel format. Via this method and system, the entirety of the scanned image is maintained as a single electronic file of markedly reduced size.