How do you choose a document scanner?
Choosing a document scanner
Document scanners are similar in appearance. The main differences are in the specifications. Ask yourself the following questions in order to choose the right document scanner:
- What are you going to scan?
- How much are you going to scan?
- How do you want to save and/or share documents?
- What's the maximum amount that you want to spend on the maintenance of your scanner?
What are you going to scan?
Each document scanner scans A4 paper. Depending on the model, you can also scan the following formats and documents: A3, A5, A6, A8, B5, business cards, 8x13, 10x15, 13x18, negatives, and photos. Not all models can scan on both sides. If you want that option, pay close attention to the specifications during your purchase. OCR is also a useful property of document scanners. With this function, the scanning software recognizes text in files. This makes the scan file searchable, and you can easily select the text.
How much are you going to scan?
If you plan to scan multiple sheets in a row, an ADF function is very useful. The ADF input capacity determines how many sheets you can feed at once. With a stack of 100 sheets and an ADF capacity of 25 sheets, you need to feed the paper 4 times. Another important factor is the scan speed. If you scan 600 pages at a speed of 10 pages per minute, it will take you at least an hour.
How do you want to save or share documents?
How scans are processed is important when you store and share multiple documents. There are often several ways in which a document scanner sends documents. Documents can be sent to your PC or laptop, but also to your cloud, or email. Decide in advance which options are important to you. A network scanner is required for online processing. A big advantage of a network scanner is that multiple users can use it at the same time.
How much do you want to spend on maintenance?
It makes sense that you're careful with an expensive purchase, and this also involves maintenance. Document scanners have feed rollers that slowly wear. To keep the rollers in good condition for as long as possible, you can occasionally clean them yourself with a slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Most rollers need to be replaced after 10,000 to 50,000 scans. You can purchase the feed rollers separately. It differs per model how long a roller lasts.
