The best scanner is the one that can create a high-quality digital copy in a fast and easy-to-use manner. We divided our testing into four different metrics that focused on the quality of scans produced and the inherent difficulty of the process of creating them. In addition to testing each scanner, we offer advice on how to select the one that will work best for your scanning needs, whether at home or in the office.
Scan Quality
As most photography has become digital, the primary use for scanners is the home or office space where high-quality scanning of stacks of documents is the typical task. We scanned the same stacks of documents with every model, and analyzed how faithfully the digital versions reproduced the originals.
We scrutinized document text, receipt scans, and handwritten text under magnification, evaluating edge fidelity and precision, fill, and how well each model handled gradients as well as subtleties in ink pressure from a ballpoint pen, and even how well sensors were able to handle the glare produced by low-quality receipt paper.
Speed
To test speed, we used a few stacks of documents, but primarily focused on scanning a 10-page, double-sided black-and-white text document. We ran the entire document through each of our scanners, on a 600dpi setting, starting a stopwatch the second we started scanning and stopping it the second a PDF document appeared on our hard drive. We recorded times for every model, then calculated the average pages per minute figure. The pages per minute figures clearly illustrate the differences in performance better than elapsed times in seconds do. The contrast between these two real results, 3.9 PPM and 40 PPM couldn't be more stark or telling of a difference of capabilities between two models in our testing.
File Management
We split our File Management testing into two subcategories. The first is optical character recognition (OCR) and data integrity with copied and pasted data. To test the OCR aspect of the software, we scanned the same test document on each scanner, then searched for the same set of keywords within each resulting PDF, noting when words were missed. We then checked for the preservation of formatting by copying text and pasting it into a Google Doc, and seeing what sort of loss and degradation occurred.
Finally, in our second subcategory, we evaluated the file destination and post-scan handling options within each model's software.
Photo Scanning
Our photo scanning evaluations start by scanning three photos, each with unique challenges. The first photo incorporates subtle but challenging details of color and light gradients in skies with clouds, shining light, and fields of flowers. The second focuses on contrast and grayscale, while the third highlights the challenges of natural skin tones, reflected light, and finer detail. Every scan is evaluated, then scrutinized under magnification, and scored by our expert team.
