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#1tried
and got nice results?.Hi, this is my first post. I need some advise on a portable or handheld scanner for textbooks. You see, I have a 10 volume set of math textbooks which are hardcover, the paper size is A4. I have used a flatbed EPSON model in the past and it had good image quality in all their modes from color, grayscale and black and white.However, I am looking for something portable which can be swept or rubbed over the surface of the textbook without putting much strain on the spine. Do you know any brand or model which I could use for this purpose? I am intending to get a reasonable quality as the content has some graphics as it has geometry as part of the set and that the document can be digitalized as pdf.I did some research and found Iris 3 Book scan seems to be what I look for, but I don't know if it would work well with GIMP and which other models comparable to this you guys haveand got nice results?.I don't know if GIMP can create pdf files. My current version is 2.10.6 so can you guys help me here?. Please guide me with some recommendations because I don't know which to choose from as sites like amazon reviews have mixed opinions. Please don't say to use my android or phone device with some app installed. I am specifically asking for an advise on an actual scanner and the image quality of a phone will not provide enough resolution to letters and equations found in mathematics. So, can you guys help me?
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PixLabGimper extraordinaire
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#2Quote:I have a 10 volume set of math textbooks
Yes GIMP can import and export to PDFNow about the scanner, just my 2 cents, although I don't use those.On the screenshot below, on the left side is the type of scanner you want to use => you will ALWAYS move your hand in the wrong direction or shaking slightly without noticing it > at one point or another, thus your math formula, will be distorted or wrongly interpreted or any other type of error due to human handling factor.So yes it's cheap, but at which cost? is it worth it?On the other hand, on the right side of the screenshot I see something very stable with the scanner on an arm, thus not/less prone to error while scanning.Yes it can be way more expansive (I saw quickly on amazon some at around $250 on the cheapest side), same problem as the handled scanner, is it worth it? IMHO it seems so as it a "stable" scanner.Just my 2 cents, but it's your call, reading the reviews, the one with a picture of the result can help as wellDo you feel ok to manually slowly scan with your hand each page of those volume handling the hand scanner perfectly straight while moving down?
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Ofnuts
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#3(05-01-2022, 07:51 AM)
PixLab Wrote: Yes GIMP can import and export to PDF
Now about the scanner, just my 2 cents, although I don't use those.
On the screenshot below, on the left side is the type of scanner you want to use => you will ALWAYS move your hand in the wrong direction or shaking slightly without noticing it > at one point or another, thus your math formula, will be distorted or wrongly interpreted or any other type of error due to human handling factor.
So yes it's cheap, but at which cost? is it worth it?
On the other hand, on the right side of the screenshot I see something very stable with the scanner on an arm, thus not/less prone to error while scanning.
Yes it can be way more expansive (I saw quickly on amazon some at around $250 on the cheapest side), same problem as the handled scanner, is it worth it? IMHO it seems so as it a "stable" scanner.
Just my 2 cents, but it's your call, reading the reviews, the one with a picture of the result can help as well
Quote:I have a 10 volume set of math textbooks
Do you feel ok to manually slowly scan with your hand each page of those volume handling the hand scanner perfectly straight while moving down?
The thing on the right can be replaced by a smartphone or a small camera on a makeshift stand.
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PixLabGimper extraordinaire
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#4(05-01-2022, 09:53 PM)
Ofnuts Wrote: The thing on the right can be replaced by a smartphone or a small camera on a makeshift stand.
Quote:Please don't say to use my android or phone device
with some app installed.
Indeed, I also thought about it, but the OP will not be happy
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Ofnuts
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#5(05-02-2022, 02:32 PM)
PixLab Wrote:(05-01-2022, 09:53 PM)
Ofnuts Wrote: The thing on the right can be replaced by a smartphone or a small camera on a makeshift stand.
Indeed, I also thought about it, but the OP will not be happy
Quote:Please don't say to use my android or phone device
with some app installed.
Yes,but the image quality of modern smartphones is better than what you get with a hand-held scanner. And the other option on a stand is not going to be so cheap if the camera is as good as in a recent smartphone.
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Chemist116Newbie
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#6PixLab Wrote:Now about the scanner, just my 2 cents, although I don't use those.
PixLab Wrote:Do you feel ok to manually slowly scan with your hand each page of those volume handling the hand scanner perfectly straight while moving down?
Thank you for inserting that nice image showing those models. I do feel that you understand my needs here.I kept doing more research on my own and I found this list of recommendations on PC Magazine for which I suggest you to take a look to those models that also feature the one mentioned earlier. Yes I mean the wand type.The thing with those is that the majority is fed with a single document which rolls into the device and isn't something that you can use in a book which is binded.There is also this list which if you take a look all models there are of the arm kind you shown in the right.I guess more or less the quality will vary I don't know by how much between manufacters but due my needs I don't think it will matter much.The thing is, and this is where Gimp comes in, how do I get rid off the rounded effect or groove you see when you take a picture of a book pages?Near the edge where the page meets the spine of the book there is a curve. Some of those models come with a propietary software which will modify the image to flatten that surface so in the end there is a nice straight page.Can I do the same with Gimp?.Yes, I am disregarding the earlier comment about using a camera or an android device on a tripod as I do not have those available and I don't think it will produce the image which I am aiming at.My second doubt is, does it exist some filter to make a color image to be black and white?. No I don't mean to make it grayscale I mean a black and white image like the one you get with a xerox copy so that the letters and formulas and sketches like found in geometry can be seen more clearly or have more contrast and can be later reprinted.There is also the option of using a flatbed scanner, however I don't like this idea because it will cause strain in the spine when pressing in the reader surface and it could also damage the unit due the weight of the book. Although my collection isn't that heavy.Since you mentioned if it does worth about trying the one which is a wand. It seems that there isn't much distortion but the only way to say is by actually trying it. At this point the reason which makes me to prefer these kind over the others is that with the wand you avoid that curve or round distortion near the spine of the book. This is because you can sweep over the surface.Regarding the 10 volume set and the thing of doing it one by one. Yes I know it can sound tedious and time consuming but I don't intend to do it in one batch.I haven't took a picture of my collection, but it just happens that a guy who owns another copy has. So you can see how it looks below.As you can see it isn't really that beefy like the Encyclopedia Britannica. Its really brief and succinct and that why I want to digitalize it.All and all, what do you think?. Should I give it a try?. Can you please attend my questions as well?.
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PixLabGimper extraordinaire
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#7(05-02-2022, 06:39 PM)
Chemist116 Wrote:PixLab Wrote:Now about the scanner, just my 2 cents, although I don't use those.
Thank you for inserting that nice image showing those models. I do feel that you understand my needs here.
I kept doing more research on my own and I found this list of recommendations on PC Magazine for which I suggest you to take a look to those models that also feature the one mentioned earlier. Yes I mean the wand type.
The thing with those is that the majority is fed with a single document which rolls into the device and isn't something that you can use in a book which is binded.
There is also this list which if you take a look all models there are of the arm kind you shown in the right.
I guess more or less the quality will vary I don't know by how much between manufacters but due my needs I don't think it will matter much.
EVEN the highlight on the top edge and the shadows underneath are the very-same!
, So lazy people in those website ➤ just manufacturing pseudo articles by thousands....(05-02-2022, 06:39 PM)
Chemist116 Wrote: The thing is, and this is where Gimp comes in, how do I get rid off the rounded effect or groove you see when you take a picture of a book pages?
Near the edge where the page meets the spine of the book there is a curve. Some of those models come with a propietary software which will modify the image to flatten that surface so in the end there is a nice straight page.
Can I do the same with Gimp?.
curve bend
tool orlens distortion
tool comes to my mind, but I never tried them for that specific purpose, it also depend of the angle of view you will scan your book, I would NOT recommend to put the book on a flat surface but on something like the image below.(05-02-2022, 06:39 PM)
Chemist116 Wrote: Yes, I am disregarding the earlier comment about using a camera or an android device on a tripod as I do not have those available and I don't think it will produce the image which I am aiming at.
My second doubt is, does it exist some filter to make a color image to be black and white?. No I don't mean to make it grayscale I mean a black and white image like the one you get with a xerox copy so that the letters and formulas and sketches like found in geometry can be seen more clearly or have more contrast and can be later reprinted.
Colors ➤ Threshold
play with the 2 cursors to fine tune which should be more black or more white (yes in the B&W example below I just tried a very quick flatten on a book with thecurve bend
this can be a good tool with a lot more care and a way bigger image )(05-02-2022, 06:39 PM)
Chemist116 Wrote: There is also the option of using a flatbed scanner, however I don't like this idea because it will cause strain in the spine when pressing in the reader surface and it could also damage the unit due the weight of the book. Although my collection isn't that heavy.
Since you mentioned if it does worth about trying the one which is a wand. It seems that there isn't much distortion but the only way to say is by actually trying it. At this point the reason which makes me to prefer these kind over the othersis that with the wand you avoid that curve or round distortion near the spine of the book.
This is because you can sweep over the surface.
(05-02-2022, 06:39 PM)
Chemist116 Wrote:PixLab Wrote:Do you feel ok to manually slowly scan with your hand each page of those volume handling the hand scanner perfectly straight while moving down?
Regarding the 10 volume set and the thing of doing it one by one. Yes I know it can sound tedious and time consuming but I don't intend to do it in one batch.
I haven't took a picture of my collection, but it just happens that a guy who owns another copy has. So you can see how it looks below.
As you can see it isn't really that beefy like the Encyclopedia Britannica. Its really brief and succinct and that why I want to digitalize it.
All and all, what do you think?. Should I give it a try?. Can you please attend my questions as well?.
(05-02-2022, 05:14 PM)
Ofnuts Wrote: Yes,but the image quality of modern smartphones is better than what you get with a hand-held scanner. And the other option on a stand is not going to be so cheap if the camera is as good as in a recent smartphone.
Um... I feel that you do need a wake up call, those pseudo review's website want to sell product only, they never tried the product they are supposedly to review, look at the product's picture on their website, they are all from the manufacturer website or stock photo/video, plus ALL their links to buy a product are with an affiliated ID, that's how they made a living, PC magazine, techradar and so on have content writers to write article were they need to put a certain amount of key word for SEO purpose, etc... I won't get in as it's not the purpose of this thread.Look the screenshot below, 4 different websites, same point of view of the same product,, So lazy people in those website ➤ just manufacturing pseudo articles by thousands....If you want a more reliable reviews, check the 1 to 3 star reviews of buyers on amazon for example and check why they don't like itFor example the model using your hand, they mostly said that you cannot scan in the middle of the book as the edge of the scanner is too large (and there are many more complains about how to use it)Money wise...The different ones with a stand are basically just camera (I won't be surprised if they are webcam camera/sensor)! Yes you read well they are 18 to 20 Mega pixels camera on average, thus my smartphone which is an oppo A92 (it's a "free" smartphone, as every 2 years my provider give me a new phone with my plan, just to tell how cheap my smartphone is) can do a 48MP picture ➤ way way better than those "webcam" camera on those scanner with a stand for $500.Theoretically, yes ➤ thetool ortool comes to my mind, but I never tried them for that specific purpose, it also depend of the angle of view you will scan your book, I would NOT recommend to put the book on a flat surface but on something like the image below.pure black and white Yes! Go toplay with the 2 cursors to fine tune which should be more black or more white (yes in the B&W example below I just tried a very quick flatten on a book with thethis can be a good tool with a lot more care and a way bigger imageAvoiding distortion near the spineThat's a lot to scan...About what I think, you might not like itas I would go with my phone or DSLR on a tripodA question remain, did you search for a PDF version on the internet? https://www.google.com/search?q=Matemati...ntu&hs=98n In the end I can be wrong, all above are just my thoughtsI couldn't agree more
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Ofnuts
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Posts: 6,029Threads: 259Joined: Oct 2016Reputation: 538 Operating system(s):Gimp version: 2.10
#8(05-02-2022, 06:39 PM)
Chemist116 Wrote: My second doubt is, does it exist some filter to make a color image to be black and white?. No I don't mean to make it grayscale I mean a black and white image like the one you get with a xerox copy so that the letters and formulas and sketches like found in geometry can be seen more clearly or have more contrast and can be later reprinted.
Otherwise, as they say: cheap, fast, good quality: pick any two...
Actually a bad idea. You can definitely increase contrast to make the page background white, perhaps after equalizing the lighting over it, and the characters black. But a pure threshold is going to make pixellated edges and specks all over.Btw, this is what you get with at scanner app on an Android phone (Xiaomi Note7). Metal ruler included so you can ascertain how small some characters are (like the exponent "θ").
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Chemist116Newbie
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#9PixLab Wrote:Um... I feel that you do need a wake up call, those pseudo review's website want to sell product only
PixLab Wrote:Money wise...
The different ones with a stand are basically just camera (I won't be surprised if they are webcam camera/sensor)! Yes you read well they are 18 to 20 Mega pixels camera on average, thus my smartphone which is an oppo A92 (it's a "free" smartphone, as every 2 years my provider give me a new phone with my plan, just to tell how cheap my smartphone is) can do a 48MP picture ➤ way way better than those "webcam" camera on those scanner with a stand for $500.
PixLab Wrote:A question remain, did you search for a PDF version on the internet?
Ofnuts Wrote:Actually a bad idea. You can definitely increase contrast to make the page background white, perhaps after equalizing the lighting over it, and the characters black. But a pure threshold is going to make pixellated edges and specks all over.
Btw, this is what you get with at scanner app on an Android phone (Xiaomi Note7). Metal ruler included so you can ascertain how small some characters are (like the exponent "θ").
Actually the purpose of the "review" was to say that I noticed that the choices for dedicated book scanners aren't too diverse in terms of models. I mean for the characteristics I've been looking. But yes I agree with you about what it is intended with those.Regarding your suggestion about Amazon, I've been doing exactly that for other products but since I am not very familiar with scanners I just wanted to ask people who have used these the most.I didn't know about that complain about the problem which arises due the edge of the wand type scanner. In the previews and examples shown it appears to be that it is slim enough to sweep covering a little bit of larger portion of the middle as when you rub through the surface you can travel tangentially to the rounded corner. For that specific reason I thought that such distortion could be minimized but it appears not. So thanks for that advise.Yes. I've seen those open book stands before. In fact there is a DIY instructable here which comes with directions on how to take pictures of the book and use it as a scanner.I took a closer look at your example and this shows a little bit my concern. How to reduce that "rounded distortion" near the middle. It appears to be that when you use the black and white filter this is aggravated. Perhaps that if you use that wedge style book stand and take a picture parallel to one page it might produce a better result?.Thank for that information, actually I didn't thought much about it. But you have a point here. But there are some aspects during postprocessing which do concern me. How do you deal with the lightning and consistency?. In a flatbed scanner there is a sensor I believe that travels through the surface and gets the image maybe this same optical principle is used in the wand type of scanner. But in the others which are the arm type and the professional model which you posted above it appears that there is something more that is done to the image so that in the end it looks nicely.I mean in the flatbed scanner and the wand type the sensor is closer to the surface rather than the camera based ones. So this "might" produce a more consistent and better result. The same as those roll based which scan a single page models. Again, I am not sure if in terms of accuracy from the megapixel aspect it would matter much. Because when you take a picture there is some separation between the source and the camera you have to control other variables as mentioned above. These have to be processed later processed.At this point, I can tell you that I might want to try the camera thing to see the result. Which app do you think will yield the better results for this?Actually there isn't a pdf version of that collection. There is a digitalized version of a compiled book from that collection but it isn't the same and the quality is not good. Probably lesser nice than your example, there are even chapters which are difficult to distinguish from some formulas.Well that speaks for itself. What app did you used for getting that image?. Actually the ruler kind of blocks certain characters and might be what I want to avoid.At this point I think in terms of quality for this is. How can I reduce the background color so it is presented as "pure" white so when it is later reprinted doesn't cause some unwanted noise?.Is there a smart filter in Gimp for that or something that you guys know?Btw, I've already uploaded my avatar but it is not displaying correctly. Why is that in the forum?. It is shown the icons of not loaded picture. Can this be fixed?. I tried to delete my picture and upload it again but the problem persists. What can I do?.
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PixLabGimper extraordinaire
Posts: 1,328Threads: 55Joined: May 2021Reputation: 151 Operating system(s):Gimp version: 2.10
#10(05-04-2022, 06:40 PM)
Chemist116 Wrote: Regarding your suggestion about Amazon, I've been doing exactly that for other products but since I am not very familiar with scanners I just wanted to ask people who have used these the most.
I didn't know about that complain about the problem which arises due the edge of the wand type scanner. In the previews and examples shown it appears to be that it is slim enough to sweep covering a little bit of larger portion of the middle as when you rub through the surface you can travel tangentially to the rounded corner. For that specific reason I thought that such distortion could be minimized but it appears not. So thanks for that advise.
Yes. I've seen those open book stands before. In fact there is a DIY instructable here which comes with directions on how to take pictures of the book and use it as a scanner.
I took a closer look at your example and this shows a little bit my concern. How to reduce that "rounded distortion" near the middle. It appears to be that when you use the black and white filter this is aggravated. Perhaps that if you use that wedge style book stand and take a picture parallel to one page it might produce a better result?.
(05-04-2022, 06:40 PM)
Chemist116 Wrote: At this point, I can tell you that I might want to try the camera thing to see the result. Which app do you think will yield the better results for this?
very stable
tripod/place, or on a pile of DVD/BR/Books and youdon't move the book
as you do/scan/take picture of all the same side of the book's page first, you just have to crop/rotate at once in GIMP(05-04-2022, 06:40 PM)
Chemist116 Wrote:Ofnuts Wrote:Actually a bad idea. You can definitely increase contrast to make the page background white, perhaps after equalizing the lighting over it, and the characters black. But a pure threshold is going to make pixellated edges and specks all over.
Btw, this is what you get with at scanner app on an Android phone (Xiaomi Note7). Metal ruler included so you can ascertain how small some characters are (like the exponent "θ").
Well that speaks for itself. What app did you used for getting that image?. Actually the ruler kind of blocks certain characters and might be what I want to avoid.
At this point I think in terms of quality for this is. How can I reduce the background color so it is presented as "pure" white so when it is later reprinted doesn't cause some unwanted noise?.
Is there a smart filter in Gimp for that or something that you guys know?
Threshold
tool because you asked if GIMP has it, but know that @Ofnuts is absolutely right, and yes there are "filters" like the curves, levels, brightness contrast and many-many more options and ways, all natural GIMP' tools or with G'MIC to apply in many layers at once in GIMPInterleave layers
from Ofnuts to regroup the pages in proper order. Yes all that in GIMPI'm not familiar either, but that's the way I think I'll do itThis DIY is good, I would follow it. The most important is the light, a well lit page with a constant light = a better, easier and faster post processingThe cheap/desktop light one on this image is good enough with a good bulb, or use some LEDYou can put a thin white paper in front of the light or a frosted plastic book cover, you know the thing for the school, it will diffuse the light to not have a brighter spot on the page if ever you got a bright spot.Give it a try, after you like it or not, but at least you triedI don't have any particular app, I would just take pictures, then transfer all images to my computer and use GIMP ➤ with the use of the G'MIC plugin first (for example for the contrast) as it can process a thousand layers at once, thus giving you time to drink a nice earl grey tea while processingThe other advantage of layers is the GIMP's crop and rotate tool, if your phone/camera is on atripod/place, or on a pile of DVD/BR/Books and youas you do/scan/take picture of all the same side of the book's page first, you just have to crop/rotate at once in GIMPI gave you thetool because you asked if GIMP has it, but know that @Ofnuts is absolutely right, and yes there are "filters" like the curves, levels, brightness contrast and many-many more options and ways, all natural GIMP' tools or with G'MIC to apply in many layers at once in GIMPIn the end, have a stable tripod, don't move the camera, don't move the light, don't move the book, just turn the pages, take picture of all the page on the same side, next, next, next, and you would be able to "mass" process in GIMPThen do the same on the other side of the book, then use the magicalfrom Ofnuts to regroup the pages in proper order. Yes all that in GIMP
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OVERALL
SCORE
REASONS TO BUY
Easy to use and super convenient app
Can queue up a lot of papers to be scanned
REASONS TO AVOID
Has to be plugged into a computer to transmit
17 |50
If you are looking for the best scanner on the market and wouldn't mind saving a hundred bucks without giving up much in performance, check out the Canon ImageFORMULA R40. Compared to the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600, it had better optical character recognition. It also performed better in terms of software quality and ease of use. While Canon calls this an entry-level device, they have continually upgraded its performance. Due to firmware updates and hardware upgrades, the latest iteration has faster scanning speeds, better text recognition software, and improved image quality.
On the negative side, it doesn't support wireless scanning, and it simply can't compete with the incredible 67-page-per-minute speed exhibited by Fujitsu products like the ScanSnap iX1600. The good news is you can have equal scanning performance, better OCR, and a more user-friendly experience at a lower price. If 17 pages per minute is fast enough for your needs, the ImageFORMULA R40 is perfect.
Read more: Canon ImageFORMULA R40 review
An example of how fast the ImageFORMULA R40 can scan a page.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
OVERALL
SCORE
REASONS TO BUY
Great scan quality
Very small and portable
Simple operation
Good OCR
REASONS TO AVOID
Not great for long (10+ page) documents
4 |N/A
For most, the ideal scanner can quickly and conveniently digitize a short document or receipt whenever needed and then easily be stored. If you're one of these users, it's hard to beat the Brother DS-640. In our tests, this model consistently produced high-quality PDFs that looked nearly identical to the originals, almost perfectly used optical character recognition that made documents completely text searchable, and offered simple and easy-to-use document management. The most important and impressive feature is its size. The scanner is about the size of a standard power strip, weighs just over one pound, and powers over USB. All this means you can quickly plug it into your laptop when needed and then easily hide it away when not in use. You can even toss it in your backpack next to your laptop if you need to scan documents on the go. It's an ultra-compact and robust scanner at a relatively low price. This product was released in 2019 and has not changed much physically. However, it has had several driver and software updates and now supports Linux.
The only real downside to this model is its speed. Because you must manually feed each page, digitizing page after page of a document can be a slow and cumbersome process. The process gets even more time-consuming due to the lack of a duplex scanning feature, meaning you must feed every double-sided page twice. For reference, it took us two and a half minutes to digitize five double-sided pages with the Brother DS-640. This task takes 30 seconds with automatic document feeders. If you consistently scan documents over ten pages, this won't be the model for you. Still, for many people, the Brother DS-640 offers the convenience of size and simplicity at a price that won't gouge your wallet. If you want more speed and scanning performance, check out the Epson Perfection V39. It scored only a few points lower and is often available at a much lower price. For a truly low price, check out the Scanner Pro App — it's free.
Read more: Brother DS-640 review
Showing how to scan a smaller photo with the DS-640.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
OVERALL
SCORE
REASONS TO BUY
Extremely fast
Superb-quality scans
Easy operation
Touch screen interface
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Imperfect character recognition
67 |50 pages
The Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600 is our top recommendation for those who have any job or small business that demands high quality, speed, and ease of use. Thanks to a large automatic document feeder and fast pace, this model turns a 50-page document into a PDF in a flash with a single push of a button. The resulting PDF looks great because this machine can accurately and crisply render everything from tiny text to detailed graphics. The user experience is also simple, as the iX1600 offers a large LCD touchscreen with an intuitive interface that makes both setup and daily use a breeze. Fujitsu has dominated the high-speed scanning game for years and kept updating the iX1600. While the scanning speeds have not dramatically changed, and it's not clear that anyone needs it to scan faster, the software and driver updates have allowed higher scanning resolutions and improved text recognition.
This model suffered from some errors in optical character recognition, but this is a common problem for many scanners. With that in mind, the only serious downside is the premium price. Some users may not scan enough to justify the hefty price tag. However, if scanning is a major part of your workflow, the investment is well worth the time and effort you'll save and the superior-quality scans you'll receive. For a high-speed, easy-to-use, high-quality machine, look no further than the iX1600. If you scan less frequently and just want an affordable option that you can tuck away in a drawer when not in use, look to the Brother DS-640.
Read more: Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600 review
The iX1600 can scan a variety of paper sizes, including receipts.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
OVERALL
SCORE
REASONS TO BUY
100-page automatic document feeder
Fast
Excellent quality of scans
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Barcode Reader Oem. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Somewhat complicated installation
21 |100 pages
Among the scanners our team has tested, the Fujitsu Fi-8170 stands out as one of the top performers. Its impressive speed sets it apart, making it an excellent choice for efficient scanning. Additionally, a high-capacity design that can handle 100-page documents means it will easily handle large volumes and make short work of big tasks. Moreover, its overall scanning quality and user-friendly interface make it well-suited for demanding scanning tasks requiring dialing in scanner settings.
Unfortunately, the Fujitsu Fi-8170 isn't perfect. It is best suited for business tasks, like text documents and receipts, and its photo scanning performance could have yielded better results. It's also many times more expensive than others in the field. Nonetheless, the Fi-8170 is a great scanner for those who require the ability to scan large documents quickly and easily. If you want a better balance of great performance and price, our top recommendation is the Canon ImageFORMULA R40, which has a 60-page document feeder and scores high across all our test metrics.
Read more: Fujitsu Fi-8170 Sheetfed review
The Fujitsu is an exceptionally fast scanner that can handle large documents quickly and easily with its 100-page document feeder.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
OVERALL
SCORE
REASONS TO BUY
Great for portability
Can go up to 1200 dpi
Wireless
REASONS TO AVOID
Slow
No feed tray or output tray
8 |N/A
Epson hit it out of the park with the Epson WorkForce ES-60W. It is light, fast, compact, incredibly mobile, and easy to use. Not only is it amazing for those who need scanning on the go, wireless scanning, or scanning to the cloud, but its performance also rivals some of the best desktop and flatbed-style scanners on the market today.
Unfortunately, the Workforce ES-60W is slower to operate without a feed or output tray. Larger stacks of documents can be a lengthy and even tedious chore, requiring manually feeding each sheet into the device. If you don't typically need to digitize multi-page documents and want great performance and robust features on the go, there is no better choice than the ES-60W. If you scan infrequently, the Brother DS-640 is an even more affordable portable scanner with above average scan quality.
Read more: Epson WorkForce ES-60W review
Scanning an individual photo with the ES-60W.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
OVERALL
SCORE
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
High-quality scans
Great text recognition
REASONS TO AVOID
Slow and laborious for multi-page documents
N/A |N/A
For only a few bucks, the Scanner Pro App provides all the firepower needed if your scanning needs are ordinarily just a few receipts or a 1-2 page document per week. This app uses powerful software to turn your smartphone's camera into a high-quality scanner. If you have a flat, relatively monochrome surface against which to snap an image, the scans are automatically cropped and appear surprisingly crisp. Since the resulting files end up on your phone, it is effortless to attach them to emails or texts or upload them to the cloud storage service of your choice. It even offers optical character recognition, rivaling the software's accuracy on dedicated scanning devices.
Relying on your phone's camera to scan documents has some inherent drawbacks. The process is relatively slow due to the need to frame each shot. It's not a big deal when working with one or two pages, but it can quickly become a time-consuming task when scanning multiple-page documents. You must also be careful not to cast shadows on the materials you're scanning, or the result may look smudged. Still, the Scanner Pro App is an incredibly inexpensive way to scan receipts and short documents on the go and can likely replace a dedicated model for many people.
Read more: Scanner Pro App review
It takes about 20 seconds to scan and save a document using the Scanner Pro App.
Credit: Chris McNamara
89
87
79
77
70
$31066
64
$12063
60
$35051
$199
We used speed tests and side-by-side comparisons to help us determine which scanner had the best overall performance.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
To bring honest and unbiased results, we buy and hands-on test each product in this list. Our review process comprises over 150 hours of setup, software installation, file management, spot-checking optical character recognition, and scanning paper documents, IDs, and passports. We put each model through more than 20 different tests and used each one in just about every way possible. The most important metric here is Scanning Performance, which accounts for 35% of the overall score. To gauge performance, we divide it into two main sections: Black and White Scanning (text) and Color Photo Scanning. Whether you're seeking a powerhouse to turn giant stacks of paper into text-searchable PDFs or need an efficient way to digitize your receipts, we can help you find the perfect device.
We use four rating metrics in our hands-on tests:We usein our hands-on tests:
Steven Tata and Max Mutter began testing home office products in 2016. In the intervening years, they've used and analyzed hundreds of scanners, printers, shredders, and Chromebooks. That experience has given them a unique understanding of evaluating the quality of printed and digital text and images and the common pitfalls of software controls for common desktop devices. Their knowledge allows them to accurately assess whether a scanning device can do everything it needs without creating too many complications or annoyances for the user. Matt Spencer, who has a background in engineering and has tested hundreds of household items, also assisted in testing these devices.
We've tested dozens of scanners over the years of all shapes and sizes to help you find the best fit for your needs.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Despite an increasingly digitized world, some institutions still use paper documents to communicate important information. That's where a scanner comes in, allowing you to digitize the vital information on those scattered scraps into an easily organizable, searchable, and savable format. Since scanning is an essential and annoying task, we focused most of our scoring on how well and quickly each model can digitize documents. If you're not sure how to narrow down the options here, we outline the most important features to look for and how to ensure a scanner aligns with your daily usage expectations.
When it comes to digitizing documents, you're mostly paying for two things: speed and scan quality. High-priced models like the Fujitsu iX1600 ScanSnap or Fujitsu Fi-8170 get crystal clear text and can tear through pages in a flash. A more inexpensive model like the Canon ImageFormula R40 or the Brother DS-640 can still provide impressive scan quality at slower speeds. The Epson Perfection V39 offers a reasonable value for scanning photos, but you again sacrifice the ability to scan long documents.
A scan is useless if it isn't legible, making scanning performance the most important metric in our tests, weighing 35% of the overall scores. Our first step in finding the best model is to assess the quality of each model's scans. Our testing focuses on printed type, handwritten notes, and receipts. In this round of tests, we found that every model could generally produce great-looking text, with a few exceptions. However, differences were apparent regarding how well each model could render color documents. These days, it is more common to want to print a digital photo, but occasionally, you need to digitize a printed photograph. Document scanners haven't traditionally been ideal for photos, but we still test their capabilities by scanning some images to see how well each model performs in that capacity. We then grade each model based on the scan clarity and color accuracy.
The Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600 shared the top ranking in our scan quality tests. It produces crystal clear characters on an entirely white background, renders text documents and graphs to near perfection, and does a surprisingly good job scanning photos and maintaining accurate colors and composition. It didn't earn a perfect score because it can occasionally make some images look oversaturated.
The Canon ImageFORMULA R40 shared the highest ranking for near-perfect black-and-white scanning and above-average color scanning performance. Although the sharpness of the digitized photos was nearly as good as the original, there was some minor over-darkening of dark areas and overly brightened light areas. In contrast, other models maintained more true light and dark distinctions.
The iX1600 produced the highest quality scans in our testing.
Credit: Steven Tata
The above-average Workforce ES-60W and the Brother DS-640 challenge other top models. The scanning performance from the compact and portable ES-60W was surprisingly good and challenged the notion that only traditional desktop or flatbed style scanners can offer premium performance.
The Brother DS-640, despite its relatively low price tag, also earned high scores on our scan quality scoreboard. Throughout our tests, it rendered PDFs with clear text and accurate colors. It even did a decent job of scanning photographs (though we wouldn't feed treasured old photos through it for fear they'd be bent — a flatbed model is still best for this application).
Even as a budget model, the Brother DS-640 produced some of the most quality scans of our test group.
The two Epson flatbed models that we tested ranked slightly lower. Although they did not score as high, both produce excellent-quality photo scans and are more than up to the task of digitizing your family albums. The V600 can even scan film negatives, something the V39 cannot do. They both create great-looking digital copies of text documents, but much more slowly than the dedicated document models.
The Epson Perfection V39 creates great scans of everything from photos to book pages.The Epson Perfection V600 also creates great photo scans with a slightly higher resolution than those from the V39.The Scanner Pro App performed impressively in our scan quality testing, much better than expected. This app allows you to create high-quality and text-searchable PDFs with no extra hardware by turning the camera on your phone into a scanner. The resulting scans are nearly flawless if you find the perfect lighting. However, it is easy to get shadows on the corners of the document. While this doesn't detract from the scan's usefulness, it can look odd.
The Scanner Pro App, which uses your smartphone's camera to create PDFs, created the best some of the best color scans in our testing.
Let's face it: nobody likes the scanning process, so the faster you can get it over with, the better. We scanned a double-sided, 10-page document on each model to test speed and timed how long it took from loading the first page to opening a complete PDF and gave the results a 30% weighting in the overall scores of each product. We then converted these times into page-per-minute (ppm) figures. Models with automatic document feeders were much faster than those that required loading each page individually.
The Fujitsu is an exceptionally speedy scanner.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Fujitsu iX1600 ScanSnap is the fastest model we tested; it blew through our 10-page duplex document in seconds. Its automatic document feeder aided this speed, which can handle up to 50 pages, allowing you to buzz through mid-length documents quickly.
Whether big or small, black-and-white or color, the Fujitsu Fi-8170 makes swift work of any task.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Fujitsu Fi-8170 performed slightly slower than its iX1600 sibling. While its page-per-minute average speed of 21 is slightly behind its sibling's speed, it has a much larger 100-page automatic document feeder. The automatic feeder allows you to blaze through a 100-page document in just a few minutes, a feat that would require slowing down to reload the document feeder of the iX1600 and nearly all other scanners we tested. The capacity of the Fi-8170 earned it recognition for being one of the best high-volume scanning devices you can put in your home office.
Large document capacity and speed are key features of the Fi-8170.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Canon ImageFORMULA R40, while not nearly as fast as the ScanSnap scanners, is a very fast model. It was able to handle an average of 17 pages per minute, and with a large feed tray, it can make quick work of larger tasks with no compromises in scanning quality.
The DS-640 is great for individual documents. The need to hand-feed it makes it slow for larger documents.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
One of the lower-scoring scanners, the Scanner Pro App, requires that you place each page you want to scan onto a monochrome surface, frame it within the camera on your phone, and snap a picture. This process takes more time than feeding a piece of paper into a machine, but with that said, we were surprised by how quickly the app could scan a document. It can automatically recognize the edges of the paper, so you don't have to fuss too much about perfect framing. Combining these features allowed us to scan three double-sided pages in a minute.
The Xerox Duplex Combo, although only an average to above-average model, is a flatbed style scanner that also incorporates a feed tray and is reasonably fast. It is an interesting hybrid that is fairly run-of-the-mill but might be an okay option for those seeking a more versatile device.
The manually-fed Brother DS-640 is slower, but quite affordable and much more portable.
Credit: Laura Casner
The painfully slow scanning speed of the Plustek ePhoto Z300 is a real let down.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
A device's software can easily make or break your scanning experience. Ideally, you want software that makes installation simple, offers intuitive file management, and can make scanned documents text-searchable using Optical Character Recognition (OCR). We installed our scanners' software packages onto multiple Macs and PCs, managed thousands of files with each OS, objectively rated OCR accuracy to find the best software, and gave this metric a 20% weighting in the overall scores.
Regarding optical character recognition, there are two new contenders in town, and neither is our overall top-rated model. The Canon ImageFORMULA R40 and the Epson WorkForce ES-60W outperformed every other device we've tested to date, giving the manufacturer of the most premium scanners a wake-up call.
The ES-60W is great for scanning individual receipts.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
We were surprised by the software capabilities offered by the simple Scanner Pro App. It spits out PDF files that you can easily manage within your phone's native file system and transfer directly into an email or text message or save to cloud services like Google Drive. It also has optical character recognition that is about 95% accurate. Finally, you can change all of its various options via a familiar mobile touchscreen interface, which is much easier than sifting through the PC-based software packages of the other models we reviewed.
Thanks to great optical character recognition, the Brother DS-640 also ranked highly in our software tests. The OCR is backed up with easy installation, operation, and file management, whether using a PC or Mac.
Some of the models we tested offered a range of software packages from just good to great.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Although it is the all-around best scanner in our product lineup, the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX600 does a less than stellar job when it comes to accurate and reliable character recognition and has a significant amount of room for improvement.
The Epson Perfection V600 performed poorly for its included software. We feel like we spent more time than necessary wading through clunky menus before getting the scan settings we wanted. The software also did not seem to run well on any of our Mac devices, often freezing or crashing. The Epson Perfection V39 has very similar software, with a couple of extra features, like automatically recognizing that you're scanning two photos at once and creating two separate files.
In addition to incredible speed and a large capacity, the Fujitsu Fi-8170 software package is well-designed and a good interface makes it easy to operate.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
User-friendliness is the last metric we test for, and it has a 15% weighting in the overall scores. Initial setup, including unboxing, calibrating, and getting a scanner to communicate to its associated software, can either be a simple and straightforward task or one so frustrating that it makes even the slickest model not worth buying. Additionally, small touches like how easy it is to load and unload paper and a clean user interface can make a model feel user-friendly or like it's been sent to turn your office chores into a never-ending purgatory. We connected each of our models with multiple different devices. We spent hours scanning various documents, receipts, ID cards, and more to uncover all the minor annoyances that might leave you wishing you'd bought a different model.
Luckily, most of our models were relatively easy to use, with multiple models sharing some great scores for the ease of use test metric. No model is perfect, but these top-performing models generally provide an easy setup and good user experience. The Canon ImageFORMULA R40 is one of those models. It took less than 10 minutes to set up and is incredibly easy and intuitive to use. It ranks slightly higher than the overall top model in this regard, giving the top model a serious run for its money.
Scanning receipts with the Canon ImageFORMULA is easy due to its intuitive design that's built for all kinds of paper materials.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Another notably easy-to-set-up, easy-to-use, and incredibly convenient model we tested is the Epson WorkForce ES-60W. It took only 10 minutes to set up. Still, other factors like IOS compatibility, a compact format, wireless scanning, and battery-powered operation make it stand out. Its user-friendliness does suffer a little due to the requirement of manual feeding, as it lacks a feed tray, but that is an understandable trade-off for a scanner you can fit into a laptop case.
The Epson is quick and compact.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Fujitsu iX1600 ScanSnap took us 15 minutes to get up and running, including a firmware update, and it was easy to get it to communicate with both Mac and PC devices. The automatic document feeder is easy to load, and the single-button interface keeps everything simple. Finally, the relatively large touchscreen controls provide a much more intuitive interface than any other model.
A good document feeder and paper tray, like on the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i pictured here, can make life much easier.The slim and portable Brother DS-640 offers a generally good overall user experience.Both the Epson V600 and V39 flatbed models have easy-to-understand controls and talk to both Macs and PCs without any fuss. However, they do lack some of the convenient features of the document-oriented models, namely an automatic document feeder, which can make scanning long text documents quite cumbersome.
The Canon ImageFORMULA is highly adjustable.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Features like loading trays, a cumbersome interface, or overly advanced settings can add a lot of complication to a scanner. The Plustek ePhoto Z300 has none of those complications, and while it is underwhelming overall, it is a fairly easy model to use and deserves mention for its straightforward design.
No trays, duplex features, manual feeding, and no interface to speak of, make this one of the simplest scanners to operate.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
They may not be the most exciting devices, but finding the right scanner can improve organization in your life, help preserve memories, and even increase productivity. Even if your job doesn't explicitly require one, having a quick and easy way to digitize documents, photos, and receipts can keep things tidy, permanently preserved, and more organized. We hope that our detailed testing results will help you choose the model that is best for your home or small office needs
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