Today, ubiquitous digitization has already touched almost every aspect of our lives both at work and in our private lives. In education, we use all sorts of platforms to learn, such as foreign languages, and we are increasingly moving our shopping online, taking advantage of the benefits of e-commerce. Mobile apps, such as Uber, Bolt and Google Maps, help us find our way to our destinations avoid traffic jams or simply allow us to be more efficient. Digital life also means digital ID cards, passports, and even vehicle registration, which is already available in many countries. Digitalization is taking our lives to new levels of productivity and convenience, but it also presents us with new challenges such as privacy, data protection and security.
Digitization of documents is becoming more common, both in private and professional life. Institutions are increasingly introducing systems such as EZD, or Electronic Document Management, which increases the demand for good quality document scanners. Choosing the right scanner is crucial to be able to efficiently scan documents, receipts, business cards or notes in PDF or JPEG format and share them on a computer. The free Adobe Scan app and other scanning tools available for Android platforms make it easy to edit, organize and search scanned files within these apps. And even the simplest free document scanner allows users to convert paper documents into digital scans that can be easily edited and organized.
Scanned documents can also be shared, making document management more efficient. Functionalities such as automatic text recognition (OCR) and the ability to save scans in various formats (PDF, JPEG) strengthen the appeal of this tool for mobile users. When choosing a scanner, consider features such as an automatic document feeder (ADF) to speed up scanning more pages, and whether the scanner supports scanning photos, magazines or multi-page documents in PDF format. This will avoid the frustration and unnecessary costs of having to purchase additional hardware or software. Later in this article, we'll discuss the most common mistakes you can make when choosing a document scanner and what to look for in order to choose the best solution to fit your needs.
Technical specifications - automatic document feeder: what is important, and what is just a "fab"
When choosing a document scanner, we often look at the specifications and do not know which values are most important to us. Worse, some of us bypass the specifications altogether, buying only with our eyes or suggesting the opinions of others. As a result, the purchase may turn out to be wrong, and we waste time and money. Here are some important sub-points we should think about before buying:
Flatbed scanner or with ADF - automatic document feeder
- If we scan little like this from time to time then a flatbed scanner will be OK, but on a desk it can take up a lot of space. However, when the scanner is to serve us for digitizing, archiving e.g. receipts, invoices, bills we will need something more efficient and easier to use, like an ADF feeder, where in modern scanners we can start scanning documents even when they are unsorted. We put them in the feeder, and save the PDF or .jpeg files to the computer.
Software
- Here we often take a zero-one approach. That is, if there is a free application - it is good. And yet the difference depending on the manufacturer or version can be big. It may turn out that our latest scanner and its free application doesn't work with our Windows XP, or we can't easily and seamlessly put digitized files where we want them. Even more we may find that we need some sort of paid version to make the scanner work the way we want it to. The PDF scanner offers features such as automatic text recognition (OCR), scan editing and brightness adjustment, making it a useful tool for students and professionals. In addition, the photo scanner makes it easy to scan various documents and photos and convert them to PDF and JPEG formats.
Resolution, scanning speed, connectivity
- All these parameters matter. If we will be scanning only documents, we will get a very good quality result already at 300 dpi and it will be quite sufficient. However, when it comes to graphic elements 600 dpi is already the minimum we should look for in a scanner. The speed of scanning is important for large volumes, for the average user 20-30 pages per minute will be just right. But for a law office in an office 50 pages is such a minimum. Well, and the connection - that is, how we are going to connect the scanner with the computer. The easiest way is to integrate it over a USB cable or over Wi-Fi when we want the scanner to be in a different place than our desk. For many users, the LAN connector will also be valuable - with it we can plug the scanner into a network, making it available to other users.
Utility costs - document scanning: how much does it cost?
Exploitation is an important factor in the use of a scanner. The fact that scanners don't have fast-wearing inks like printers doesn't mean that they don't have consumable parts that you replace after 100 or 200 thousand scanned sheets. It is important to pay attention to how much a new set of rolls costs, and how long they will last. It is also important for us to know whether the scanner comes with rolls. I do not mean that they will not be there, but it may be that in the pledge there is only a starter pack whose life is shorter, and then we need to buy a new set of rolls sooner. As for the replacement itself - let's verify whether we can do it ourselves or external interference is needed, such as service.
Warranty - a very important point. Here the matter seems to be simple. Let's check what kind of warranty the scanner has. Often manufacturers offer an extra year or two to encourage us to buy the device. All you have to do is register on the site and leave your email address. This is the case, for example, with Scansnap scanners from PFU Ricoh. When looking for a document scanner that has a shorter warranty? and we know that we will scan a lot and fast on it? Then it is worth asking the seller about the additional warranty. Manufacturers are aware that such a service is an additional source of revenue for them, and for the buyer is the assurance of peace of mind for a longer period of time. Is it worth using them? This is a decision for each individual and budget is of great importance.
Special tasks - that is, useful features you'll think about long after the purchase
Scanners equipped with a lot of different functions. Often, depending on the manufacturer, the name may differ, but the functionality will be the same. Then it is not easy to compare two similar scanner models. Careful attention here should be paid to the details! So, for example, two brands boast that they have OCR or character recognition. This allows us to get even a searchable pdf.
But it is worth asking whether it is Polish? Does it recognize Polish characters? Scanners can scan business cards and have, for example, a special attachment for this - for a merchant who hands out and receives a lot of them, this is a valuable addition. Features like punch-hole removal and fold smoothing are other features that can, for example, 'restore' a document to near-perfect form in a digital scan.
d.murawski@stovaris.pl
tel: +48 691 701 175
Daniel joined the Stovaris Team in 2020. He has many years of experience in coordinating sales projects. He is distinguished by his commitment and interpersonal skills, which facilitates his networking and negotiation skills. At Stovaris, he is responsible for the brands: Fujitsu, Panasonic, Kofax, Fujifilm, Proget and Silex.