Scanner for PC
- Thread starter stevec67
- Start date
AndrewM
pfm Member
For the occasional A4 document - pretty much any will do, buy any reputable make such as canon, HP, Lexmark etc on price.
If you have more than that to do, you may want to consider at least getting a fairly quick model, and may be even one with auto feed, though they tend to be expensive and inclined to jam anyway unless you get into the professional office units.
Try at the minimum DPI setting eg 300, to start with unless you need the fine detail, as that will make copying faster.
In my experience, usb powered models aren’t quite as fast as units with a separate wall wart, but that may just be my prejudice.
If you have more than that to do, you may want to consider at least getting a fairly quick model, and may be even one with auto feed, though they tend to be expensive and inclined to jam anyway unless you get into the professional office units.
Try at the minimum DPI setting eg 300, to start with unless you need the fine detail, as that will make copying faster.
In my experience, usb powered models aren’t quite as fast as units with a separate wall wart, but that may just be my prejudice.
Cheese
Bitter lover
My vertical Canon DR-C125 (discontinued) cost me £350ish and it has truthfully scanned all my documents in the last 5 years, including the initial scan of thousands of old documents when I decided to go (nearly) paperless. Paper jams countable on two hands and always my fault (type of paper, or sticking together). Great scanning software, easy accessible templates, Etc.
The OCR works rather well and it’s definitly a help if you have to dig out a long-forgotten document.
The OCR works rather well and it’s definitly a help if you have to dig out a long-forgotten document.
JensenHealey
pfm Member
Most printers that act as copiers will also 'scan' and are fine for occasional use. My cheap Brother all in one works just fine - but you MUST use the dedicated driver rather than a generic offer that your PC might try and use. Or use an Iphone to take a picture - surprising how well that can work. My kids do that for school work all the time. They take pictures of the whiteboard in class too.
Dedicated scanners can be great but are probably the flakiest of all devices to add to a home computer environment. Cant comment on MACs but I have endured lots of hell with PCs and scanners - especially when the next operating system upgrade comes along!
Dedicated scanners can be great but are probably the flakiest of all devices to add to a home computer environment. Cant comment on MACs but I have endured lots of hell with PCs and scanners - especially when the next operating system upgrade comes along!
Joe P
Memory Alpha incarnate | mod; Shatner number = 2
Steve,
Epson. V550. Scans documents. Scans photos. Scans film.
https://www.epson.co.uk/products/scanners/consumer-scanners/perfection-v550-photo
Joe
Epson. V550. Scans documents. Scans photos. Scans film.
https://www.epson.co.uk/products/scanners/consumer-scanners/perfection-v550-photo
Joe
yeah, tried this when I've had to, it's a PITFA.
gintonic
50 shades of grey pussy cats
I got a predecessor of one of these on my desk at work
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...tSTR5hUlc8TZojuS_NRoCnOQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
very reliable. Rarely use it these days as for short docs, I photograph them with my phone. For longer docs I use our corporate MFDs
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...tSTR5hUlc8TZojuS_NRoCnOQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
very reliable. Rarely use it these days as for short docs, I photograph them with my phone. For longer docs I use our corporate MFDs
Thanks Joe, that looks like just the job. Cheap too. The business can pay for it, so the taxman pays his bit. It's for work after all.
garyi
leave blank
Very surprised by this. For documents, scanner pro has been my goto and obviously very quick to use, much quicker than a scanner. Stright to dropbox or icloud and its right there on your desktop ready for printing or storing.
Thanow gt, that's cheaper than writing it out in pencil.
Bear in mind that I am shxt with IT. Bloody hate it, thief of time. I walk around factories talking to people and making phone calls, then things happen. When I dick with computers time passes and FA happens.
Joe P
Memory Alpha incarnate | mod; Shatner number = 2
Steve,
Keep in mind that you can scan only one page at a time. The Epson scanning software lets you create a multi-page PDF file, but each page is scanned individually then stitched together afterward.
If you are scanning big documents you'll want something with a paper feeder.
Joe
Keep in mind that you can scan only one page at a time. The Epson scanning software lets you create a multi-page PDF file, but each page is scanned individually then stitched together afterward.
If you are scanning big documents you'll want something with a paper feeder.
Joe
I use an app on my phone called Office Lens. It’s from Microsoft, so take that into account, but for me it copes with documents, whiteboards, photos at very good res. It can do multi-page docs to pdf, and integrates well with other systems: I can scan a document, turn it into a pdf and email it, or store it in Dropbox, or folders that synch from my phone to computer. As a result of it I haven’t used my scanner in a year or two...
Oh, and it’s free.
Oh, and it’s free.
Stunsworth
pfm Member
There are scanning apps for iPhone - and I assume Android. The ones I have - Scannable and Scanner Pro - work well.
Also if you have a Mac you can use the iPhone camera to automatically insert a scan into a Pages document.
Also if you have a Mac you can use the iPhone camera to automatically insert a scan into a Pages document.
Derek Wright
pfm Member
You said no to OCR - however if you have a problem with the scanner driver due to MS software problems, then VueScan is a very good sccanning software and it includes OCR as part of the paid for product.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Not sure if this does the same, but I have an Epsom 4490 Photo with all the gubbins, unused for years. Bought to transfer my old photos and slides but never had the time to do it, nor ever shall. It's just wasting away in my spare bedroom.