1. A method of echo planar imaging comprising the steps of: operating a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit with an echo planar imaging sequence having an excitation phase followed by a readout phase; in said excitation phase, applying a radiofrequency pulse and a slice selection gradient to a subject and thereafter, in said readout phase, applying continuous readout gradients to the subject alternating between positive and negative and applying a phase encoding gradient to the subject in the readout phase before starting each readout gradient in the readout phase; applying a slice selection gradient to the subject in the readout phase at the same time as applying a phase encoding gradient during said readout phase; collecting echo planar scanning signals from the subject during the duration of the readout gradients; and in a processor, reconstructing a planar image of the subject from said echo planar scanning signals in order to obtain a scanned planar image of the subject, and making the planar image available at an output of the processor in electronic form, as a data file.