For most businesses, document management is an unglamorous but crucial component of their operations. A well-organized and efficient system for creating, storing, accessing, sharing, and protecting your documents will increase your productivity, streamline your workflow, and often boost staff morale. However, the opposite is also true – a badly organized system can cause disruptions and inefficiencies, and even impact the bottom line. In the modern office, scanners are a central component of any document management system. These handy devices essentially allow you to make digital copies of your physical documents (and other objects). These days, scanners can do a whole lot more too, such as converting images to text and providing security. But with so many scanners to choose from, it can be tricky to work out which one is right for your business. There’s much to consider in addition to the cost.

Key Considerations Around Scanners

Here are some of the main factors to consider when looking into new scanners:

Standalone Scanner vs. Multifunction Printer

Scanners come in two main types: standalone scanners, and scanners which are included with multifunction printers (MFPs). An MFP will generally include a printer, copier, fax machine, and even binding and hole-punching features – alongside a scanner. Meanwhile, standalone scanners, as the name suggests, are machines dedicated solely to scanning.

Many businesses only need to scan documents irregularly, for example when a hard copy document needs to be emailed to a client. In this case, an MFP scanner is likely to be able to adequately meet your needs, especially if you’re only scanning a page or two at a time, and/or if much of what you’re scanning is in standard A4 paper size.

However, if you need to scan often – particularly multi-page documents or items that are in non-standard sizes or require high-resolution quality – then you’re probably going to need one of the more specialized scanners.

Flatbed, Sheet-Fed, or Portable

Assuming you need a standalone scanner (as opposed to an MFP), the next question is which type of scanner best fits your needs. There are various types to choose from. And as with any type of equipment you may be looking to purchase, the most important consideration is what you’ll actually need to use the scanner for.

Flatbed Scanner

These are the scanners most commonly in use today. They’re suitable for most types of scanning and are available in a wide variety of resolutions, sizes, and price points. They’re generally easy to use – simply open the lid, place the document you want to scan face-down on the glass, close the lid, and then scan using the hardware or software interface.

However, if you regularly need to scan multi-page documents, or boxes full of documents, it can quickly become tedious and time-consuming to stand for hours in front of the scanner, opening and closing it manually to feed in each new page one at a time.

Sheet-Fed Scanners

For multi-page documents, or if you are undergoing the process of digitizing your archives of paper documents, a sheet-fed scanner is likely to be a far more cost- and time-effective choice than a flatbed. These scanners utilize a mechanism whereby piles of paper are fed into the scanner and scanned automatically.

Although they can be substantially bulkier, and often scan at lower resolutions than flatbed scanners considering the price, size and scan quality aren’t the most important features of sheet-fed scanners. More important here are the scanning speed, scanning volume, and reliability of the machine.

Portable Scanners

If the bulk of your scanning is going to be done outside the office, a portable or handheld scanner might be the best solution. With these scanners, you physically move the scanner over the document you want to scan, and the scanner methodically captures a digital image of it.

Generally, portable scanners offer lower resolution and fewer bells and whistles than flatbed or sheet-fed scanners. However, it’s the convenience of being able to scan from anywhere that’s the salient feature here. Most portable scanners feature Wi-Fi connectivity, and they come in both wired and battery-operated varieties.

Duplex Scanning

Some scanners have the ability to handle duplex, or double-sided, scanning. If you need to scan large quantities of documents printed on both sides, the time- and cost-savings offered by duplex scanners can be enormous.

There are three main methods for performing duplex scanning. The quickest and most efficient duplex scanners are those that have two scan elements and are thus able to scan both sides of the page at the same time. However, this convenience often comes at a substantial extra cost.

Some sheet-fed scanners offer semi-automated duplexing, where the scanner essentially scans the first side, then mechanically flips the page and scans the other side. These are generally cheaper than dual-element scanners, but scanning obviously takes longer.

Resolution and Paper Size

The type of documents you’ll be scanning will also determine the resolution you need from your scanner. Needless to say, the higher the resolution you require, the more the scanner is likely to cost.

A dpi of 200 is likely to be a high enough resolution for most typical documents printed in black ink on standard paper. Fortunately, it’s rare these days to find a new scanner that maxes out at less than 600 dpi, so most new scanners should be able to handle typical business scanning needs.

It’s when you need super-high quality that you need to ensure that the scanner you buy can deliver the resolutions you need. If you’re scanning small items in great detail, such as 35mm slides, negatives, or postage stamps, you may need at least 4,800 dpi.

Scanner Software

Almost all new scanners come bundled with scanning software. These can differ greatly in terms of functionality. So, depending on what you’ll be scanning, it’s worth making sure that the bundled software can deliver what you need.

Alternatively, if the machine is perfect but the software isn’t up to scratch, consider investing in specialized third-party scanning software, which can do what the bundled software can’t. Advanced features may include optical character recognition (OCR), photo editing, text indexing, and/or creating searchable PDFs – all of which can add significant value depending on your use case.

Also, if you intend to scan images to use with image-editing software, look for scanners with TWAIN drivers, which will enable you to scan directly into these apps.

A Trusted Supplier of Scanners

When researching new scanners, it’s one thing trying to wade through the myriad of specs and reviews on your own. But it’s another thing entirely when you have a trusted, reliable partner to guide you through the process.

If you’re in the Mill Creek area, Copiers Etcetera is the go-to choice for copiers, printers, scanners, and all your IT and office equipment and service needs. Contact us today to discuss your needs and get a quote.