Document Scanner: Digital, Portable, OCR, Sheetfed

Is a Document Scanner Right for Your Organization?

Introduction

If your organization needs a digital scanner but you are not sure if a document scanner is the right type of digital scanner to get, the information below will help you decide. A document scanner is an excellent choice if your organization’s professionals need to scan large amounts of papers such as records, forms, letters, receipts, and similar items. Below, NeweggBusiness will detail the strengths and features of document scanners that make them so well suited for paper media.

Scanning one side of a page

Scanning one side of a page is possible with both a sheet fed document scanner and a flatbed scanner, but using a sheetfed scanner can be more time-efficient. With a traditional flatbed scanner, a user will need to lift the cover, carefully position the paper on the scanning surface, and then close the cover to begin scanning. With a sheetfed scanner, a user will just need to make sure that the page is properly placed on the feeder tray.

Scanning both sides of a page

Duplex scanners can make scanning both sides of a document easier for your staff by automating much of the process. A duplex scanner can work in one of two ways. The first method is that the scanner scans one side of a paper, and instead of ejecting the paper, the scanner flips the paper to scan the other side. The second method is that the scanner has two cameras to scan both sides in one pass.

Multiple pages

A document scanner with an automatic document feeder (ADF) can take several pages and automatically feed them one at a time into the scanner, thereby allowing the user to scan all pages without having to manually insert each page. A document scanner equipped with an ADF may also be called an ADF scanner.

Text recognition

Some document scanners include software called optical character recognition software (OCR) that can convert scanned text into a format that is editable in word processing software. An OCR scanner can be used to enter editable form data, import contact information from business cards, make lengthy documents searchable in word processing software, and more.

Network connectivity

A network document scanner can allow multiple computers on a network to have access to the scanner. Typically on a scanner without network connectivity, all scanned content would be saved onto one computer. With a network scanner, your staff can save scanned content to their own computers directly.

Conclusion

There is no single best type of scanner that is fit for all situations, because each type is fine-tuned for different purposes. So you should know what your organization’s professionals will be scanning, whether it will be documents, photos, business cards, or books. If they will be scanning only papers, then a document scanner is an excellent choice.

By NeweggBusiness Staff

Document Scanners

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