If you need to digitize a lot of paperwork, then you’ll want to look into document scanners. These devices can transform physical documents into digital files in seconds, helping you save, sort, and safeguard your valuable records. Still, finding the right document scanner requires a little research. From simple home scanners to complex enterprise models, there are many capable devices on the market.

Which document scanner features do you need? That depends on what you want to accomplish. If you’re gathering financial documents for personal tax prep, a small and straightforward scanner might be a good fit. If you need to digitize decades’ worth of records for a big office, a high volume scanner can get the job done.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through a variety of document scanners and use-cases for each one. Once you have a feature set and price range in mind, you’ll be able to find the best document scanner for your home or office.

Key Features for Document Scanners

There are hundreds of different document scanners out there, and no two are exactly alike. Home document scanners, for example, tend to be small and inexpensive, but they can only scan a handful of documents at a time. Enterprise scanners are larger and more costly, but they can easily digitize tens of thousands of documents per day. Handheld portable document scanners take just one document at a time, but their small size and wireless capabilities make them ideal for both work and personal travel.

No matter what kind of scanner you’re looking for, there are a few key features you’ll want to keep in mind:

1. Scanning speed: Every scanner can handle a certain number of pages per minute, or PPM. For home use, 40 PPM or less is generally fine. Large offices may need models with 100 PPM or more.
2. Scanning resolution: As scanners capture images, they measure image resolution in dots per inch, or DPI. While 300 DPI is good for everyday use, you might need 600 DPI for documents with fine print.
3. Scanning software: Most modern scanners come with scanning software suites that can enhance, tag, and sort files. Look for software with optical character recognition (OCR) features to help you digitize and index scanned text.

Our blog post The Best Scanner for Documents: Finding the Perfect Fit for Your Needs has more information on scanning basics.

What Do You Need in a Home Document Scanner?

If you work remotely or wrangle a lot of paperwork in your personal life, you could probably use a home document scanner. These devices are optimized for home use rather than offices. Home scanners are generally smaller and easier to use than business models, with streamlined feature sets and intuitive interfaces.

You should get a home document scanner if:

• You’re setting up a home office and need a desk scanner to digitize important files.
• You don’t need to scan dozens or hundreds of documents every day.
• You typically scan standard letter-sized (8.5” x 11”) sheets of paper.

Top 3 features for home document scanners

1. Compact size: If you have a dedicated computer desk, it probably has a variety of gadgets and accessories on top of it already. Look for scanners with small footprints (about 12 inches across) so that you won’t have to completely reorganize your home office.
2. Simple interface: Buying a scanner should simplify your digital life. Locking basic functions behind complicated software defeats the purpose. Look for scanners with intuitive software and physical controls. Some scanners even let you capture documents with a single button press.
3. Quiet operation: A quiet document scanner lets you work in the same room as other people without distracting them. It also means you can scan papers late at night or early in the morning without waking up your household.

Read more about finding the best home document scanner in Home Document Scanners: How to Make the Right Choice For Your Household.

Find a Network Document Scanner for Your Office

The amount of data stored in the cloud may soon exceed 200 zettabytes. That’s about 200 billion terabytes. If cloud storage is an important part of your business strategy, then you need a quick, easy way to upload new documents. That’s where a network document scanner can come in handy. These devices let you upload scanned paperwork directly to the cloud without using a computer or smartphone as a go-between. Network document scanners can speed up your workflows by sending newly digitized documents exactly where they need to go.

You should consider a network document scanner if:

• Your business relies on cloud storage, such as Dropbox or Google Drive, for day-to-day operations.
• Multiple employees need to digitize documents regularly.
• Your industry requires secure digital copies of records for compliance purposes.

Top 3 features for network document scanners

1. Direct cloud storage uploads: If you store documents in the cloud (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.), you’ll want a scanner that can send files directly there. A good network scanner can route files to the appropriate cloud storage folder, tag their metadata, and name them appropriately.
2. Support for multiple users: One major advantage of a network scanner is that you don’t have to physically connect a computer to it. Anyone on your office network can scan documents and access the files afterward. That means no wired connections for either digitizing or retrieving data.
3. Strong cybersecurity: Good network scanners, when used alongside other cyber security measures, have safeguards in place to prevent common cyber threats, including unauthorized user access and man-in-the-middle attacks. These features reduce the chances of your scanner being a vector for cyberattacks

Learn about more useful cloud storage features in Network Document Scanners: 7 Things to Look For in a Standalone Imaging Device.

What to Look for in an Affordable Document Scanner

While you could easily spend thousands of dollars on a high-quality documents scanner, you may not have to. Depending on the kind of work you do, an affordable document scanner might be the ideal choice. These devices cost only a few hundred dollars, but they can still digitize documents quickly and easily. If you have a hybrid work setup, or scanning paperwork is an infrequent part of your job, affordable document scanners can fit both your needs and your budget.

You should buy an affordable document scanner if:

• You have to work within a limited budget.
• You’re building a home office, hybrid work setup, or startup company.
• Scanning documents is an occasional job, not an everyday necessity.

Top 3 features for affordable document scanners

1. Mix of price and purpose: Consider how you will use your scanner, paying special attention to document size and quantity of pages. Set your budget accordingly, and look for models that focus on your business needs.
2. Software and hardware compatibility: Check that your scanner is compatible with your current computers, mobile devices, and wireless network protocols. Also consider where you want to store your digitized documents, whether it’s a local server or a cloud storage service.
3. Image quality: Determine the level of image quality you’ll need from scans. 300 DPI is good for everyday use, but 600 DPI might work better if you need crystal-clear scans of small text.

Check out Affordable Document Scanners: How to Find Value Without Compromise to make smart financial choices when picking a device.

How a High Volume Scanner Streamlines Digitization

If your business needs to digitize massive amounts of paperwork, you’ll probably want a high volume scanner. With fast scanning speeds and high-capacity automatic document feeders (ADFs), these devices can handle hundreds of documents at a time, or thousands per day. High volume scanners are heavy-duty machines that minimize human input while maximizing digital output.

You should think about a high volume scanner if:

1. You need to scan hundreds or thousands of documents regularly.
2. You want to minimize the amount of time employees spend on digitization.
3. You work with a wide range of different document sizes.

Top 3 features for high volume scanners

• Large average job size: A good high volume scanner should be able to handle more than 100 pages per minute, with an ADF that stores hundreds of sheets. (The term “sheetfed document scanners,” which deals with ADF capabilities, may come up during your research.) Double-sided scanning is also useful.
• Self-correction: Look for scanners that put measures in place to prevent paper jams and misscans. Image correction and color accuracy are also important considerations.
• Industry compliance: Industries that store sensitive digital information often must meet specific regulatory guidelines. Look for scanners with certifications or recommendations from relevant organizations.

For more information on digitizing large quantities of paperwork,read High Volume Scanners: 3 Features to Prioritize for Big Jobs.

Should You Get a Wireless Document Scanner?

Over the past decade, mobility has become a big trend in the workplace. You may work from a central office, or a trade show floor, or your kitchen table. A wireless document scanner doesn’t need a hardwired network connection, letting you move it from place to place easily. Scanners that work over Wi-Fi are also convenient in big offices, where multiple workers may need to upload files directly to cloud storage.

You may want a wireless document scanner if:

• You have a reliable wireless network connection in your home or office.
• You want to be able to easily reposition the scanner in different locations.
• You have multiple employees who need to scan documents directly to cloud storage.

Top 3 features for wireless document scanners

1. Cloud storage support: Digitizing documents and uploading them directly to the cloud makes a big difference for efficiency. Look for scanners that are compatible with major cloud storage services, such as Google Drive and Dropbox.
2. Intuitive interface: Employees should be able to operate a wireless scanner by using a computer, a mobile device, or the scanner’s own built-in interface.Scanning documents should take only a few clicks or button presses.
3. Small form factor: One major advantage of a wireless document scanner is that you can reposition it anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection. A smaller scanner is easier to move from room to room, or from building to building.

If you travel frequently for work, portable document scanners that run on battery power are also worth considering.

For more information on wireless scanning, check out Choosing a Wireless Document Scanner: What to Know When Cutting the Cord.

When to Consider a High Speed Document Scanner

If you have lots of documents to scan and only a little time to do it, a high speed document scanner can help. These devices can digitize hundreds of documents per minute, or thousands per hour. With rapid scanning speeds and large ADFs, high speed document scanners put as little distance as possible between a paper record and a digitized file.

You could benefit from a high speed document scanner if:

• You receive lots of paper documents on a regular basis.
• You want to minimize the time employees spend on scanning.
• You have enough room in your workspace for a large-footprint scanner.

Top 3 features for high speed document scanners

1. High PPM rating: High speed document scanners are fast, ranging from 50 PPM to 150 PPM. Look for models that can store hundreds of documents in an ADF so that you don’t have to refill the tray constantly.
2. Advanced paper handling: Your business may need to scan thousands of documents each day. These papers come in many different sizes and materials, from standard letter paper to skinny strips of thermal paper. Advanced paper handling ensures that every document gets scanned properly while avoiding paper jams.
3. Image enhancement: Look for document scanner apps and software with image enhancement features, such as straightening pages and clarifying text. Software with OCR features can also extract and index text for easy access.

There’s more information on high speed scanning in High Speed Scanners: 9 Key Features and Advantages.

Our Recommendation: RICOH ScanSnap and fi Series Scanners

Whether you’re looking for a home office scanner, an enterprise business scanner, or anything in-between, Ricoh has a model to suit your needs. Our high-quality document scanners feature rapid scanning speeds, intuitive interfaces, and powerful software. From tax prep to digital transformation, RICOH ScanSnap and fi Series scanners can help digitize the documents you need and make them easily accessible on your network.

For home offices, the ScanSnap iX2500 is a great place to start. This device can digitize up to 45 pages per minute, with a 100-page ADF and a simple touchscreen interface. The iX2500 also offers Wi-Fi connectivity, so you can scan documents directly to the cloud, even if you don’t have a computer or smartphone handy.

Businesses should consider the RICOH fi-8170, which has a heavy-duty design to support frequent use. This device can scan up to 70 pages per minute, with a 100-sheet ADF and automatic detection for multiple paper sizes. With 600 DPI resolution and the powerful PaperStream software, you can expect clear captures and accurate information extraction.

You can also check out our full lineup of ScanSnap and fi Series scanners to find the right hardware for your particular setup.

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