There are so many various options available these days for scanning any hard copies. We often need a photocopy of documents for different purposes in our daily life. When we go through any legal or official tasks , we go through a lengthy documentation process. To get photocopies of documents, we go to a public library, and the attendant copies the documents with the help of a scanner or a printer. You will get many scanning mobile apps in the app store, which let you effortlessly scan a physical paper. But, mobile apps are not a convenient way to scan a large volume of documents. For this, you will have to buy a scanning machine.
Scanning vs. Copying
Scanning and Copying are the two different things, but in all cases, you get a copy of the document. When you copy a physical document, you get an exact image on a sheet of physical paper. While scanning a document, you get a high quality digital or soft copy that can be sent digitally to anyone or stored in a computer. You can also get a print out of the scan docs, which will be more transparent and visible from a copied one. The technical definition can be "A scanner or an optical scanner is an electronic computer peripheral, used to produce an exact digital replica of a text written documents, photo or even an object."
Types of Scanner
When one finds yourself in need of a scanner, it cannot be easy to choose the right one from this vast world of scanners. This is the only way to digitize your documents or photos. Before starting your shopping for a specific model, you should learn about the different scanners that best suit your purposes and save your time from hours of research. Most importantly, you don't have to buy a random scanner just with the name scanning. You need to know your actual need, which type of scanning you will perform with your scanner.
Scanners are of many shapes and sizes. Some of the most popular choices are here. The first one is a Flatbed scanner that can sit on your desk with a flip-up top. These scanners are great for scanning books, news articles, and even DVD cases who want to digitize a movie library. The second one is Sheet-fed scanners, which are built to scan large volumes of documents. The third one is the Photo scanner, which lets you digitize large quantities of photographs and negatives. It can be more expensive from other scanners. The fourth one is Portable scanners which allow you to scan anything, anywhere at any time. The fifth one is Specialty scanners, which are used for particular purposes, like scanning a business card and a receipt.
Top 10 Scanners to Choose From
Are you confused about which scanner to get for your home and office? Don’t fret, and go through the list of the 10 best scanners available right now. Read the comprehensive buying guide if you want to buy the right scanner in your budget.
Flatbed scanner
Starting price $90
Contact image sensor
Three-color LED
Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux
One cable of data and power
Energy star certified
Color depth:48 bit
Vertical stand
If you are budget-conscious and don't want to spend several hundred dollars, go for this Canon scanner. It offers you an auto-scan feature with 4800x4800 dpi resolution, dust removal, color restore, and built-in PDF buttons. The CanoScan allows you to store the scan copies on cloud storage such as Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive. In terms of speed, this scanner is faster than earlier canon scanners but still not the speediest for the people who want to scan multiple pages. However, it offers automated features that make scanning jobs more convenient, such as identification options to detect the type of digitized documents and quick scan button to make larger PDF projects. It is the company's entry-level software rich flatbed photo scanner that handles text documents with ease. Overall, a quite versatile scanner for those who want to use at home and office desk or in a private study room.
Wireless document scanner
Price $498
Single and double-sided scanning
Advanced security features
Image optimization feature
PDF editing and OCR
Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux
Brother solution interface integration
Up to 6000 scans per day
This Brother model is best for any assignment and demanding scanning tasks in a busy office. Ther Brother ImageCenter comes with settings for various documents, including plastic cards, multiple options for storing scanned pages on separate file locations, and scanning directly to places like Google Drive. It is speedy and durable and handles up to 40 single or double-sided pages every minute in continuous scanning mode. This scanner comes with a 3.7-inch touchscreen display that allows direct scanning to Evernote, Box, Gigabit Ethernet, and Wi-Fi networking. You will get a wealth of options on the touchscreen control panel, including a lot of essential image functions such as automatically cleaning up and de-speckling pages and removing more substantial flaws if required. It is backpacked with a full set of driver options for more sophisticated business scanning steps and enterprise-level security protection. You can make it your professional scanner as it will keep going for years. The last thing to keep in mind is that it doesn't handle large documents and maps.
Price $110
Windows and Mac compatible
USB powered
Duplex printing
Lightweight, portable scanner
Visioneer One Touch Technology
This Visioneer scanner is one of the best portable scanners, weighing just only 1.1 pounds. This scanner has the same capabilities as an expensive office scanner, including scanning both sides of the page at one time, allowing to share scans and a continuous feed mode for fast performance. You have to sacrifice something for portability. It scans a page at 300 dpi around 8 seconds. This small scanner also offers a manual feed, top-tier applications for document management, OCR and handling PDF files. You should have a USB portable device to use this. It will help your organizations to bring disparate information and disconnected mobile workers together. You can make it the best solution to scan receipts and other home items with a device that is excellent for casual use and can be moved around easily if needed.
Price $739
Dual lens system
Quickstart
Dynamic range
Flatbed type
LED light source
Compatible with USB 2.0
Digital ICE
Zero warm uptime
Energy star certified
Compatible with Mac and Windows
Although the Epson Perfection is a flatbed scanner that scans photographic prints. It works best as a film scanner. This printer handles both positive and negative films, including slides in sizes between 35mm to as large as eight by 10 inches. It is built to keep in mind serious photographers who look for high-quality scans. This V800 is the next-generation version of V700. It allows you to scan up to 6400 dpi scanning resolution to capture every detail and some excellent color replication. You get an option to choose from two different lenses with high-resolution lens quality. No warm-up time is required and also waiting times to boot up. If someone wants to upgrade the look of black and white photos, you may have to purchase a proprietary fluid mount tray separately. This model offers several additional features like a software to adjust the results, smart dust and scratch removal to eliminate defects from physical photos. Here, you will not get a feeder option.
Fast scanning
Flatbed scanner
3-color LED
Auto document and photo fix
4 EZ operations buttons
Auto-scan
Scan to cloud
10-second scanning speed
Compatible with Mac and Windows
300dpi color scan
The Canon CanoScan is an exclusive photograph and document scanner, and the flatbed CanoScan LiDE sibling is best to buy. It comes in small and light design. It works with a single USB 2.0 cable for both power and communication purposes. The control panel has four different ways to process a scan. This scanner makes it hard to reach pages scan easy as it allows you to extend its hinges to accommodate thicker media. The scan gear lets you differentiate each object and enables you to edit and save them as an individual item. The scan gear includes significant productivity and creativity apps like Adobe Photoshop. It comes with a built-in PDF button, which lets you make PDFs of scan files.
Sheetfed scanner
Ultrasonic sensor
Contact image sensor
Wireless and USB connectivity
Compatible with Mac and Windows
If you deal with photo archiving or work in a creative field, then the Epson FastFoto is an excellent option. This Epson scanner allows you to scan both 8x10 inch and 4x6 inch photos as well as Polaroids, postcards, and panoramic shots together or individually. It is packed with Epson's FastFoto software, enabling you to do simple edits such as red-eye reduction, color correction, and cropping without relying on additional programs. It also allows you to upload scans directly to Google Drive and Dropbox for easier archiving and organization. You can scan up to 45 pages of the document per minute with a scanning speed of one photo per second. The scanner is built with a safe touch setting to protect old photographs and documents from damage. It can be used wirelessly and also using USB.
Rechargeable battery
Wi-Fi
ABBYY OCR technology
Wireless scanning
600 dpi resolution
No computer required
Scan anywhere
Send to local and cloud apps
Expandable memory
Works with all devices
If you are looking for a scanner that can be used anywhere irrespective of your location, then Doxie Go is one of the best options. The most significant part of this scanner is that you can fold it and stash it in your bag when you have to move from one place to another. It also comes with a rechargeable battery that can perform up to 400 scans in a single charge. This smart scanner scans papers, pictures, and receipts, and most importantly, it doesn't need a computer to share the scanned files. You have to push the power button to turn it on, insert your documents, and get a digital copy of your documents in very few seconds. It allows you to archive and share the files via Mac or Windows, and also you can save as PDF, JPEG, PNG to a cloud app like Dropbox, Evernote, OneNote, and iCloud Drive. This scanner might appear small but performs better than most big scanners and operates at 600 dpi to produce crystal clear digital copies.
Automatic Document Feeder
three colors LED light source
600 dpi optical resolution
Auto standby mode
Energy star rated
Top class OCR
Compatible with Windows and Mac
Automatic duplexing
The Fujitsu ScanSnap is a compact scanner and also a valid choice that fits perfectly in home, study rooms, and offices. Being a duplex scanner, it scans 12 pages per minute on both sides, and a 10-page automatic feed makes it a great option as a lightweight scanner. This smart scanner fixes documents to ensure a proper, clean, and professional look. You can create multipage PDFs to make everything confident in one place. It scans a variety of papers, such as business cards and legal documents. This portable scanner scans documents directly into the cloud to access them from anywhere. It works well with Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote. This scanner requires a simultaneous connection for two active powered USB ports on the computer.
Desktop sheet-fed scanner
Auto sheet feeding
LED light source
OCR technology
The Canon image formula is a top contender for some of the best scanners on the market. You can make a digital PDF of the scan documents and scans directly to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, Evernote, Share point, and more. You can use it anywhere, whether it is an office, classroom, or any other location. It supports Windows and Mac. Being a one-pass duplex scanner, the Canon image FORMULA can scan documents from front and back. It provides hassle-free plug and scan capabilities and doesn't require any application installed on Windows and Mac OS. The Canon's CaptureOnTouch Lite application instruction automatically appears on the screen to guide users through easy steps.
Powered by USB connection
Compact and lightweight
High precision scanning
OCR
One-touch scanning
The DS-620 is a perfect mobile scanner for the people who need a powerful scanner that will fit into a briefcase or a business bag. It is the best option for capturing business documents, receipts, business cards, laminated identification cards, photographs, and more. It offers resolution up to 1200x1200 dpi and 600x600 (optical) dpi with fast color. It scans up to 8 pages per minute in both color and black/white. It supports Linux, Mac, and Windows.
This concludes the list of 10 best scanners for you. Read the comprehensive buying guide given above and pick the right one.