Scanners: The Complete Buying Guide

How does a scanner work?

A document scanner is an electronic device that creates and stores a digital copy of the content from just about any printed material. The result of either document scanning or image scanning is a computer file, with document files containing text and color photo files rendering as an image. As a result, the format of that file can be a PDF or image file. Scanners are often used to process and store receipts for tax purposes, legal documents, business cards, letters and other kinds of paperwork.

Why do I need a scanner?

Scanners can be stationary or portable. Image scanners take your prints and turn them into files. These scanners give you crisp and colorful copies of photos, colored graph charts for reports and other documents. Popular models from names like Epson can restore old photos, enhance the appearance of others and achieve top-quality clarity, which is important for personal or professional uses.

Mobile scanners are more compact than regular models. They allow you to scan documents wherever you are. When you need to scan receipts or other paperwork and convert them to PDF or other file formats, mobile scanners help you to do so within a limited space.

Where can I buy a scanner on a budget?

Sam's Club carries a range of scanners to help you turn your paper documents into electronic files quickly and easily. At Sam's Club and SamsClub.com, we offer many different makes and models that can help you complete your scanning tasks in record time. Whether you're working with documents, images, receipts or any other kind of printed material, you'll find a scanner that meets both your needs and your budget.

What is the Best Scanner for My Needs?

• Home: For home use, think about what you'll use the scanner for primarily. If that's family photos and old documents, look for a good-quality image scanner in the mid-price range. The Brother ADS1700W Dual CIS Scanner offers a good mix of value and higher resolution to preserve those cherished memories.
• Student: Busy students usually have limited physical space in their dorm rooms or apartments, so a small profile is a must, as is a budget-friendly price. A mobile scanner might be the best choice here, such as the Brother DS620 Mobile Scanner.
• Office: For heavier business use, you'll probably want a sheet-fed or flatbed scanner. The HP ScanJet Pro 3000 s3 Sheet-Feed Scanner is a reliable choice for busy offices, while Brother's ImageCenter ADS-2800W Wireless Document Scanner for Mid to Large Size Workgroups is also an excellent choice.
• Photography: For photo scanners, you'll need to consider size, scan quality and price. For a good mix of speed and economy, take a look at the Epson Perfection V370 Photo Scanner.

What are the Different Types of Scanners?

Scanners come in a variety of forms and shapes. The primary types include:

• Flatbed: This type of scanner uses a flat glass surface on which you place the document to be scanned. Underneath that glass plate, a scan head moves back and forth to create the digital copy of the document.
• Sheet-fed: Sometimes called an automatic document scanner, the sheet-fed scanner is made for working with loose sheets of paper. It comes with an automatic document feeder to handle larger jobs. It's best suited for offices that need to create digital archives of large quantities of individual documents or documents that can easily be separated into individual pages.
• Hand Scanner: A small, portable device that looks a little like a hair dryer, a hand scanner or handheld scanner is just what it sounds like. They're moved by hand over the expanse of paper to be scanned. They're usually less expensive and much smaller than desktop models, but you do have to be careful moving the scanner across the page. Otherwise, your resulting scan can be of poor quality.
• Production Scanners: Built for heavy-duty use, production scanners can handle thousands and thousands of pages a day. Consequently, they're much faster than most consumer-model scanners.
• Portable: Any scanner that you can move easily as you travel from place to place can be considered a portable scanner. As business becomes more and more mobile, a portable scanner becomes a truly useful accessory for business travel.

In addition to these types of standalone scanners, you can also purchase an all-in-one device to handle scanning, printing, copying and faxing jobs. Desktop document scanners are most popular for home and home office use.

What to Consider when Buying Computer Scanners

Scanners come with many useful features to match your unique needs. Consider these features when you're evaluating scanners for home or office use:

• Duplex Scanning: Duplex scanning can save a lot of time if you're working with two-sided documents. This feature automatically reads both sides of the page.
• Maximum Paper Size: Depending on what kind of documents you'll primarily be working with, paper size can be a crucial feature. If you're scanning legal-sized documents, it's important to make sure the scanner can read the entire page.
• Resolution: Resolution refers to the number of pixels that your scanner is capable of reading or capturing. A good optical resolution for a desktop scanner is 600 dpi (dots per inch) by 1200 dpi. For a flatbed scanner, look for 4800 dpi x 9600 dpi. High resolution generally provides a crisper, cleaner digital file. (You can ignore any resolution figure that's labeled "enhanced" or "interpolated," by the way, as these refer to additional pixels that the scanner adds. They're not really there in the original, so they don't count towards true resolution.)
• Color Depth: Color depth is also called color resolution. That's just a way to measure how well each pixel reflects color tones. Most scanners offer 42-bit color, while many offer 96-bit color. If you're looking for a color scanner, color depth or resolution is important to consider.
• Dynamic Range: Dynamic range is important for film and slides, but unfortunately, there aren't really well-defined standards on how manufacturers can advertise this rating, so it's of questionable value these days. Some experts suggest looking at price instead, on the theory that an excellent dynamic range increases the price tag significantly.
• Speed: The faster a scanner can operate, the higher its price will likely be. Still, high-speed can be important, especially in high-volume offices, so look for a pages-per-minute speed rating.
• Software: Most scanners (though definitely not all) still require a computer for full functionality. Additionally, you can use optical recognition software to enable your scanner to save the document as an editable document file type, such as a Word document or plain text file.
• Network Connectivity: If you're planning to use your scanner in a busy office setting, you'll probably also want to explore whether the scanner supports multiple computer/Wi-Fi networking. Being able to scan directly to a cloud file service like Dropbox is handy.
• Controls: Can you control the scanner with your smartphone? Does it have a touchscreen?

What Brands of Scanners Does Sam's Club Sell?

At Sam's Club, you can find personal and office scanners that can handle most of your scanning jobs from many popular and reputable manufacturers, including:

• Brother
• Epson
• HP

FAQ - Scanners

What is the fastest document scanner?

Document speed varies from model to model, although the Epson Perfection line is often cited as a good choice when speed is important. However, if you're scanning large quantities of loose documents, a sheet-fed scanner such as the HP ScanJet Pro 3000.

What is the best scanner for Windows 10/Mac?

Most of the scanners on the market today can be used for either Windows 10 operating systems or for Mac devices (OS X as well as iOS for Apple's mobile devices). Check the specifications of the scanner you're considering carefully, though, as this isn't always the case.

How do I clean a scanner?

Always follow the exact cleaning and care recommendations of your scanner's manufacturer.

To safely clean the glass of a flatbed scanner that's producing odd flecks or discolorations in scanned files, first unplug the scanner. Using a microfiber or other lint-free material, wipe the dust gently from the glass surface. You can spray a tiny bit of regular glass cleaner on the cloth to tackle smudges, but use a gentle touch here.

Finally, use a clean and dry microfiber cloth to dry off the glass surface. Don't use any harsh cleaning agents such as acetone or ammonia.