How to Choose the Right Photo Scanner

Find a photo scanner to help you preserve your treasured memories and make your photos more accessible in the digital age.

A photo scanner can be used for professional or personal reasons, in offices or home workspaces, or even as part of a hobby or crafty pastime. Some people use photo scanners specifically to archive family memories so they can last in digital form for many years to come. But finding the best scanners for photos and documents takes careful selection and some consideration about your specific needs. This article will help you sort through the most important features to find the best photo scanner for you.

Need help picking the right scanner for your needs? Check out our guide, How to Choose the Right Scanner for Your Computer.

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What is a photo scanner?

A photo scanner is a machine that creates digital versions of printed photographs. Although photography was originally a very tactile and physical practice, the artform has evolved since the early 1800s to become increasingly technological. Luckily, scanning technology has advanced over the years to allow for the easy conversion of physical photographs into digital images. A picture scanner can help professionals and individuals digitize important collections including magazines, newspapers, historical documents, printed photos, baseball cards, artwork and book covers.

Top benefits of using a photo scanner

No printed photograph is immune to the effects of time. Whether the photo was created manually using chemicals in a dark room or professionally printed using high-tech equipment, physical copies of images are subject to all sorts of wear and tear. Improper storage and handling can lead to image quality decay over time, and family treasures can get lost or tarnished in attics, basements, or garages. Using a photo scanner means those images can be saved, backed up using cloud storage, and revisited anytime. And a photo scanner can be useful for more than just archiving family portraits.

Artists can create digital reproductions of their artwork, which they can use to populate an online gallery or send to prospective buyers. Archivists and historians can digitize photos and fragile documents which may be dozens or hundreds of years old, digitally preserving them for ages to come. They can also use scanning software packages to enhance these images, making faded text readable and degraded photos sharper.

In short, photo scanners aren’t just office tools; they’re also for families, entrepreneurs, hobbyists, and researchers.

What to consider when buying a photo scanner

When considering a photo scanner, it's essential to evaluate your specific needs to find the best device. Understanding the key features that impact image quality, compatibility, and convenience will help ensure you choose the right scanner for your projects:

Resolution

To reprint at a larger or poster size, you will need a very high-resolution device, 4800 or 9600 dots per inch (DPI). To reprint at the same size, 1200 to 2400 DPI would work best. Note that these high-resolution scanners are typically in flatbed form as any jitter can cause printing issues. Also keep in mind that high-resolution images require a large amount of storage, sometimes gigabytes per image. For the most common type of photo scanning, such as sharing, personal viewing, general archiving, or web page building, a much lower DPI can be used; 150 to 600 DPI is standard.

Photo scanner software

No matter what kind of photo scanning you’ll be doing, image quality is sure to be a top priority. Look for a photo scanner that includes image enhancement and optimization software. These can make your photographs look better through features such as automatic face detection, color enhancement, red-eye removal, and fade correction.

It’s not just about how good the image looks – usability matters, too. The best photo scanning software packages will include intuitive interfaces, compatibility for multiple file types, and automatic file naming, to name a few important features.

Size of photo scanner project

Take a moment to consider how many photos you expect to process at once. If you’re working through stacks of photos from a personal or professional collection, for example, you’ll want to select a scanner that can process photos in batches with an automatic document feeder (ADF). Otherwise, you’ll need to process each photo one at a time single sheet feeder or a flatbed — which may be more appropriate for lighter scanning needs. If you’re working with very old or highly delicate printed photographs, you might prefer a scanner that will keep them flat instead of passing them through a document feeder.

Did You Know? The ScanSnap family of scanners specializes in versatility and ease-of-use at an affordable price. Click here to learn more.

Compatible photo scanner tools

It’s important to make sure the tech and digital tools you already use will work in conjunction with your photo scanner. First of all, you’ll want a scanner that is compatible with your computer’s operating system, whether you use a MacOS laptop or a desktop PC. Some devices can even scan photos directly to your mobile phone or email application.

You should also take stock of the digital tools you use to organize, and store, and share your files, as certain scanners can connect directly to Evernote, Dropbox, SugarSync, or even Google Drive. If you’re using a photo scanner for business purposes, it helps to have a device that integrates directly to your business software environments.

Photo scanner location

Think about where you’re going to keep your photo scanner. Will it sit in one place on your desk? Is there a shelf in your home office where it will sit side by side with a printer and computer? Or will you need to carry it around with you, perhaps up to an attic, down to a basement, or through a hallway to a closet where you store shoe boxes full of family photos? Anticipating where you’ll use your photo scanner will help you pick the perfect one.

Some scanners have larger footprints than others, some have lids that lift up and others have feeding trays, some need to be connected directly to power while others can connect via USB. Make sure the photo scanner you select will fit in the area where you want to use it and also meet your portability needs.

Did You Know? PCMagazine called the ScanSnap iX1600 as "easy to use, fast, accurate, well built, and quiet." Click here to read the full review.

Photo scanner vs. document scanner

Unless you have the desk space and budget for multiple scanners, you’ll probably want a device that can handle both photos and documents. However, the best photo scanner for home use is not necessarily optimized for text documents and vice versa. There are a few features that set photo scanners apart, such as:

Physical design

Where document scanners might use an automatic document feeder (ADF) in order to quickly scan a stack of papers, photo scanners often use flatbed or even overhead designs which don’t need to touch the photo at all. This helps reduce the amount of physical stress on the picture, keeping it safer, longer. Similarly, photo scanners may have their own light sources, which can be instrumental in preserving vibrant colors and fine details.

Image enhancement tools

Many photo scanners come with built-in software that offers features like color correction, red-eye removal, and fade restoration to enhance old or degraded photos. Document scanners, while efficient for processing text and graphics, don’t typically offer such advanced photo-editing features.

Color accuracy

Photo scanners prioritize color depth and accuracy, often providing 48-bit color scanning to reproduce rich, vibrant colors in photos. Document scanners, on the other hand, focus more on speed and text clarity, which requires less attention to color precision.

ScanSnap photo scanners compared

The ScanSnap family of devices includes many models that are ideal for scanning photographs. Whether you’re in the market for more affordable photo scanners, top-of-the line hardware, or something in between, there’s a ScanSnap model to suit your preferences. The following chart compares some of our most popular models:

ScanSnap iX1600

  • Scans 4 x 6” photos in less than a second
  • Intuitive touchscreen interface
  • WiFi connectivity and direct scan-to-cloud functionality

ScanSnap iX1400

  • Single-button scanning process
  • Automatic facial orientation and red-eye reduction for photos
  • Streak Reduction produces clean, consistent images

ScanSnap iX1300

  • Compact, lightweight design
  • Wireless functionality for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and ChromeOS
  • Front-facing scan option for large or thick documents

ScanSnap iX100

  • Portable, battery-powered scanner that you can take anywhere
  • Scans photos in approximately five seconds
  • Continuous document feeding detects where one scan ends and the next begins

ScanSnap SV600

  • Overhead design optimized for fragile or oversized photos
  • Up to 1,200 DPI resolution
  • Page-turning detection for scanning photo albums

Our suggestion for the best photo scanner: ScanSnap iX1600

We know that you have no shortage of options when it comes to choosing the best photo scanners. At Ricoh, we pride ourselves on having spent the last 50+ years designing and developing some of the most beloved electronics in the world, including our line of award-winning, easy to use, one touch ScanSnap scanners. Now, what is the best scanner for photos?

The ScanSnap iX1600, for example, is one of the most advanced ADF photo scanners on the market. Focused on efficiency and productivity, it’s easy to use the ScanSnap iX1600 to scan photos at home, in the office, or virtually anywhere. With an intuitive and customizable touch screen, Wi-Fi connectivity, and multiple user profiles, it’s an ideal scanner for teams, families, or even roommates.

The 50-sheet automatic document feeder enables a higher capacity, and supports high-speed scanning at 40 pages per minute. Automatic image correction capabilities adjust each hi-resolution photo scan to maximize quality. We believe the ScanSnap iX1600 is the perfect choice for anyone searching for a photo scanner that is reliable, fast, and efficient. Click here to learn more and shop the full line of ScanSnap scanners.

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