Need to scan multipage documents in a hurry? A sheetfed scanner will do the trick. Here are our favorites among the many we’ve tested, plus some tips for finding a fast document scanner that’s right for you.
Need to scan one- and/or two-sided multipage documents in a hurry? Sheetfed scanners are designed to do just that.
I’ve covered the document scanner industry for well over 20 years, and each year I find myself more impressed with the sheer number of machines. You’ll find everything from tiny single-sheet portables capable of processing just a few pages per minute (ppm) to high-volume workhorses that can handle hundreds of pages per minute. Today’s sheetfed document scanners are true workhorses; if you’ve only used the relatively slow scanner of an all-in-one printer, you’ll be amazed at how a dedicated scanner can make short work of the stacks of hardcopy documents cluttering up you and your team’s work area.
Every multi-sheet scanner—except combination sheetfed/flatbed machines—has a relatively compact build and an automatic document feeder (ADF) for sending page after page to the scanning sensors. Unlike a flatbed scanner, a sheetfed model processes only individual pages and can’t be used to scan objects such as books or magazines. Most sheetfed scanners have two sensors for simultaneously reading both sides of a page. These top-notch, high-speed document scanners, the best we’ve tested, are optimized for processing plenty of text quickly and efficiently.
This roundup focuses primarily on desktop document scanners, but to keep it comprehensive, we’ve also included PCMag’s favorite sheetfed portable document scanner and our top pick for a flatbed scanner with an ADF attachment (or a from-the-ground-up combination sheetfed/flatbed such as the HP ScanJet). Our goal is to help you choose the best possible scanner for your needs, and there are plenty of factors to consider. Let’s start by going over the pros and cons of each of our top picks, followed by a detailed guide that explains how to choose the best sheetfed scanner for your needs.
Read the entire review at PCMag.