Systems and techniques for improved imaging scanning. An imaging bar code scanner provides indicia to a user indicating areas for placement of a bar code so as to provide for efficient imaging scanning. The indicia may define the boundaries of the field of view of an imager, and may also indicate areas of an image that are more intensively processed. The indicia may be projected so as to illuminate an object with a projected pattern, or may alternatively be projected onto or otherwise placed on one or more scan windows of a scanner. At least some of the indicia may change appearance depending on whether an object to be scanned is within a prescribed distance from an imager.