When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
Capture documents and photos and convert them into pixels and bits.
Below is the list of scanner deals Ive found, neatly arranged in four categories.
I published my first scanner review back in March 2002, almost 23 years ago. It was a Primax Colorado 1200P, a brand that no longer exists.
How did I prepare this article?
Ive also spearheaded a digitization project that included scanning (and categorizing) tens of thousands of newspaper cuttings.
My latest venture is trying batch-scanning thousands of old photos to build a visual, interactive family tree.
I published my first scanner review back in March 2002, almost 23 years ago. It was a Primax Colorado 1200P, a brand that no longer exists.
Incredibly, the Lide 300 launched at $69.99 and can still be found for the same price atAmazon.comandAdorama.
My choice would be the OpticSlim 1680 from Plustek.
It can scan a sheet in three seconds and up to a resolution of 1,200 x 1,200dpi.
Two things as well worth noting; A3 scanners are big.
The 1680 is almost the size of two A3 reams of paper placed next to each other.
They are also noisy animals due to their nature.
A big motor is needed to pull the scanning mechanism.
The former sells for just under $350 and the latter for almost $1,300.
Scanning at higher resolutions will take time, theres no way around that.
I reviewed theV550, a now-discontinued model similar to the V600 a few years ago.
Best scanner deals: FAQs
Remind me, what is a scanner?
It is an electronic machine that captures text and images from physical documents and converts them to digital formats.
I published my first scanner review back in March 2002, almost 23 years ago. It was a Primax Colorado 1200P, a brand that no longer exists.
A scanner can be handheld, sheet-fed, overhead and flatbed.
It can either be stand-alone or combined with a printer and exist as an all-in-one printer.
Do you need a scanner?
Likewise, if your scanning needs are basic, then consider using your smartphone instead.
For objects, an overhead scanner should do the job.
Theyre similar to the imaging sensor of a smartphone, perched on a stationary stand.
What resolution should I use for my scanner?
Consider sticking to 200dpi if you intend to do optical character recognition.
A 600dpi scan has 16 times more details than a 150dpi one.
You get far better color fidelity as a result.
But the process takes much longer and the resulting files are far bigger.
Having this flexibility is, in my view, important.
Note that I am using dpi, not ppi (pixels per inch).
DPI, not PPI, is what manufacturers use and we will stick to this.
Should I buy a sheet-fed scanner for photos?
A few of my peers recommend using sheet-fed scanners for your photos and vehemently disagree with them.
Call me old school but I dont like photos - especially old fragile ones - being machine-handled.
They are also more prone to getting dusty due to their open design andwill require regular cleaning.
Dont get me wrong, I think they work great for other types of media but not for photos.
Where to find the best scanner deals?
True scanner deals are rare because they are a niche, shrinking market.
Every retailer usually aligns with Amazon, the trillion-dollar gorilla of online retailers, down to the nickel.
What about scanners in all-in-one printers?
What about using scanner apps on smartphones?
For more office essentials, we’ve reviewed and rounded up thebest home printersaround.
