These include: automatic blank page removal, handwriting detection, and automatic skew adjustment. Almost all document scanners available allow for wireless connections over Wi-Fi so you can send documents and images to your email, smartphone, or laptop without the need for a USB connection. You can also send digitized documents to cloud storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive to create off-site backup copies. If your office handles many different types of documents, you’ll want to invest in a model that can handle everything from traditional letter-sized paper to business cards and receipts. Many brands also make mobile versions that are incredibly lightweight and compact for easier travel to off-site client meetings; they’re especially useful for contractors and estimators who need to quickly create digital copies of invoices and payment receipts. Take a look at our top picks below to see which document scanner is right for your office. It does require a manual feed and has a slow scanning speed of 10 seconds per page, but it’s perfect for offices and home-based professionals that need to only scan things occasionally or need finely detailed digital copies of things. The bed lid has a floating hinge that lets it sit up to 21mm over the glass, allowing you to scan bulky items like books, magazines, and framed photos. The front of the scanner has four, intuitive buttons for creating searchable PDFs, automatically detecting and scanning items, and sending files to PC or network locations. It also has a very affordable price point, making it a perfect entry-level scanner for home offices and very small businesses. The scanner is built to handle everything from plastic laminated employee ID cards to receipts and standard documents. It comes bundled with a suite of software that makes it easy to create PDF and Microsoft Word documents that can be searched and cross-referenced later. To keep your new scanner safe from unauthorized use, you can set up user authentication functions to make sure only your employees can use it. It comes with an original character recognition function that detects, parses, and digitizes handwriting to create clean, legible text. The free Raven Cloud subscription lets you upload copies of your scans to cloud storage services like their own Raven Cloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Quickbooks Online. You can also create searchable PDF files to organize and cross reference client files, employee expense reports, and internal memos. The 50 page capacity automatic document feeder has an anti-jam feature to alert you to any problems and protect original copies from damage. With Wi-Fi connectivity, you can also wirelessly scan to your computer, mobile device, or cloud storage service. The 100-page capacity ADF lets you load multiple documents at once, and duplex scanning lets you process up to 35 pages (70 images) per minute so you can tackle large documents quickly. It comes with a suite of software for recognizing and digitizing handwriting or creating searchable PDFs. The scanner is compatible with both Windows and macOS computers, so no matter what you use in your home office or shared workspace, you won’t have any compatibility issues. It’s powered by a micro USB 3.0 cable that doubles as the data transfer cable, so you can power the scanner with your laptop even when there aren’t any outlets available. You can scan documents to PC or network locations, cloud storage services, and even email. It works with PC, Mac, and Linux computers.
What to Look For in a Document Scanner
Load capacity
Whether you’re looking at a flatbed or automatic feed scanner, you’ll want to see how many pages you can fit into it at any one time. Automatic feed style scanners can hold upwards of 100 pages at once, letting you quickly scan large documents or multiple documents without needing to stand around and wait for the machine to be done so you can change out sheets of paper.
Scanning speed
A scanner’s online store description or box in a brick-and-mortar store should tell you how many pages or images per minute it can scan. This will give you an idea of how fast you’ll be able to digitize photos and documents.
Color vs B&W
If you’re dealing primarily with text documents without graphs, a black and white scanner will be fine for your home or office. However, if you need to scan images or documents with charts and tables, a color scanner is better for capturing a true-to-life facsimile.
What is the best way to scan documents?
That really depends on the document. If it’s just a page or two, a flatbed style scanner would be perfectly fine. If it is printed on oversized paper or has more than 5 pages, you’ll want to use a scanner with a loading tray and automatic page feeder to quickly digitize your text. Springing for a scanner that is capable of duplex (double-sided), single-pass scanning is another way to quickly digitize large documents since it can read both sides of a page at the same time.
Why should I scan my documents?
Redundancy is a safety and security measure for both home and traditional offices. Having digitized copies of everything from receipts and invoices to client contracts protects you against bookkeeping errors and helps keep everything organized. You can easily compile digitized documents into a searchable database to quickly pull up monthly sales reports, client information, or contracts. And digital copies can’t get accidentally shredded or tossed in the recycling bin.
How much does it cost to scan documents?
If you invest in a standalone scanner or all-in-one printer with a scan function, you’ll have to consider costs of operation such as toner, paper, electricity, and maintenance on top of the price of the unit. Fortunately, scanners are sold at a variety of price points so even very small businesses with meager budgets can find a model that works for them. If you don’t need to scan things very often, places like Staples and Office Depot offer document scanning services, but these can cost at least $0.25 per page, which can add up quickly if scanning a large document, so you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of each option to see which is right for your home or office.
