Despite businesses getting digitized, certain documentation and procedures simply cannot forego the need to scan documents. In fact, how is the world supposed to go paperless without old records to be scanned and saved for digital use. This makes the demand for a scanner in an office premise or a work-from-home setup even more essential.
What is a Scanner?
A scanner is one of the most valuable and underutilized office equipment. Scanners help businesses to scan documents and convert them into digital form. In today’s times, most printers come with built-in scanners, but many people in small businesses, shops or homes don’t have the right know-how on how to effectively use them. Thus, it is essential to understand their features, advantages and benefits to utilize them to their fullest.
What are the advantages of using a Scanner?
Whether it is scanning office documents or kids’ homework, the increasing need for a scanner at homes and offices cannot be overlooked. But if you are still hesitant to buy a scanner for sale, take a look at these advantages of owning and using a scanner:
- You can access a scanned document anywhere, anytime. Simply scan it and save a copy on your laptop or computer and access it on the go.
- Scanners help you go paperless and become more environmentally conscious. Scanning and sending multiple soft copies of a single document does not damage the environment, but printing them and distributing them does.
- You can experience a higher sense of security and confidentiality by password protecting your saved scanned file in a digital space rather than keeping a physical copy behind lock and keys.
What are the types of Scanners?
To choose a document scanner that best fits your needs, you must first know what different scanners are available in the market and what are their different applications. Read on to explore the different types of scanners, their uses and their benefits.
FLATBED SCANNERS:
A flatbed scanner can scan a single document at a time with just the click of a button. Commonly used in homes and offices, it can scan the material for thin and thick paper sheets, whether it is a single sheet, thick book, or magazine. For scanning the paper, all you need to do is place it on the glass plate and press the right button!
PHOTO SCANNERS:
Professional Photo scanners are essentially high-resolution photo scanners that can archive photo negatives; photo quality prints and create superb photograph enlargements.
SHEET FEED SCANNERS:
A sheetfed scanner works quite similar to a flatbed scanner, except it can scan multiple sheets in quick succession for bulk archiving of documents. It can process loose sheets at a greater speed but cannot be used to scan books or magazines.
PORTABLE SCANNERS:
Powered by batteries, portable scanners are designed to scan documents on the go. Upon scanning, the file is stored in the scanner itself. Then, you can quickly transfer the data to your computer with a cable or wireless connection once you reach your home or office.
DRUM SCANNERS:
Drum scanners are mainly used to capture a picture and convert it at a high-resolution rate. Primarily used by illustration experts, the printing business, and instructive organizations, these scanners are considered a tremendous upgrade to a regular flatbed scanner.
How do I choose a good Scanner?
Now that you know the different types of scanners, let us look at the different features to keep in mind when you select your next scanner.
FORMAT:
Format refers to the document specifications, the size you want to scan it in and the output file format. So, first, determine what different types of documents you will need to scan and then select a scanner that can cater to that document format.
RESOLUTION:
If the image resolution of the scanner is high, you can capture more details from the documents and pictures in seconds. While 200dpi (dots per inch) is adequate for the text and other content, a 600dpi scanner is considered standard for photos.
CAPACITY:
The scanner’s ADF capacity is one of the fundamental requirements you should focus on. If the higher the scanner ADF capacity and scan speed, the more documents you can scan in less time.
SPEED:
The scanner’s speed are measure by pages per minute (ppm). Therefore, always make sure to check that the scanner has a higher scan speed (number of scanned pages per minute) to increase your overall productivity.
DUPLEX SCANNING:
Scanning both sides of the sheet simultaneously is call as a double-sided scanning. It is the basic feature of any desktop scanner and a must-have feature for small business users.
DUTY CYCLE:
A duty cycle is a count of how many pages per day a scanner is design to handle. So buy the one that has more duty cycles to increase the number of scanned images you can process per day.
COMPATIBILITY:
Regardless of what features a scanner may or may not have, it is vital that it is compatible with your computer system and its operating software. Without that, all of this is moot.
Conclusion
Before buying a scanner for sale, you must equip yourself with the right information to ensure that the scanner addresses all your needs. If you need help choosing the best scanner that fits your personal preferences and budget, you can contact the experts at National Printing Centre (NPC) LLC.
Established in 1969, NPC is one of the leading office equipment & printing solution provider in the Middle East. To learn more about NPC and its complete range of products offerings, you can call +971-4-2545074, 971 26222911, email sales.auh@npc-me.com.
