Photo scanner to computer

The Best Scanners for 2023

Settling on a scanner that meets your specific day-to-day scanning needs can be challenging. Most flatbed and sheetfed scanners on the market today are geared toward everyday office tasks or photo image capture, but they come in a wide variety of types and sizes, some fine-tuned for different purposes. Document scanners, photo scanners, receipt scanners, film scanners: That list is just a start.

We've outlined below the top scanners that we have tested across a range of categories and possible usage scenarios. "Scan" the list for the kind of work you do, then read on below that for a deeper dive into scanner specs and how to choose the right model for what, exactly, you scan.

Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600

Best Desktop Document Scanner for Homes and Small Offices

4.5 Outstanding

Why We Picked It

It doesn't have Ethernet, because it's not built for a corporate network—just for connection to a single PC or handheld in a small office via USB or Wi-Fi—but otherwise the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600 is pretty much a model desktop document scanner. This sheetfed unit offers an easy-to-use color touch screen, a 50-page automatic document feeder, and a hefty 6,000-scan daily duty cycle. (To overwork it, you'd have to load the ADF to capacity more than 120 times a day.) Best of all, it comes with first-class scanning, workflow-profile, and optical character recognition (OCR) software.

Who It's For

If you juggle a variety of pages, the iX1600 automatically recognizes and organizes documents, receipts, and business cards—and even items with different orientations and color settings—in the same batch. It's a superb way for a home office or small office to get a handle on piles of papers. 

PROS

• Comprehensive ScanSnap software
• Simple to learn and use
• Accurate OCR
• Versatile connectivity options, including mobile
• 6,000-scan daily duty cycle rating

CONS

• Lacks Ethernet support

Sold By	List Price	Price
Amazon	$554. 00	$419.99	See It (Opens in a new window)

Read Our Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600 Review

Brother ADS-4900W

Best High-Volume Document Scanner for Offices

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

Brother's scanners hold up well in a highly competitive, crowded market. That fact is more than enough to render the ADS-4900W our current favorite mid- to high-volume sheetfed document scanner for small to medium-size offices, workgroups, and enterprises. It stands out not because of any ground-breaking features or firsts, but because this is a terrific, rock-solid machine.

A whopping 9,000-scan daily duty cycle means you'll have to have a very determined paper-feeding person (and some really big jobs) to stress this scanner out. It's accurate, efficient, and reasonably priced (well under a grand) for what it is.

Who It's For

For medium- to heavy-volume scanning in all but the largest offices, the Brother ADS-4900W serves as an industrial-strength desktop option. Some competitors from the likes of Raven operate via big touch screens, but if you just need reliable, basic bulk document digitization for your business, this model is a great option.

PROS

• Deep document management features
• Fast scanning and reliable feeding
• Accurate OCR
• Can scan to USB memory devices without a computer
• Versatile connectivity and strong mobile device support
• Large touch screen control panel

CONS

• Lacks strong Mac support

Read Our Brother ADS-4900W Review

Epson DS-30000

Best Enterprise-Grade Scanner for Oversize Documents

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

The Epson DS-30000 laughs at your mere letter- and legal-size pages—this enterprise-class document manager and archiver can handle tabloid (11-by-17-inch) sheets, despite taking little more room than a standard sheetfed desktop scanner. Its automatic document feeder holds up to 120 letter- or 60 A3-size pages, and its daily duty cycle is a juggernaut 30,000 scans. Epson backs it with a three-year warranty with next-business-day replacement and bundles it with state-of-the-art document-management and scanner-interface software. The latter not only scans to a plethora of file formats and cloud and archiving sites, but it offers friendly Home, Office, and Professional modes for different levels of user expertise.

Who It's For

It's far from cheap at $2,499, but the DS-30000 is only half the cost of some of the copy-machine-size corporate scanners it competes with. Of course, it's overkill for a small or even midsize office, but it stands almost alone as a high-volume, large-format desktop document scanner.

PROS

• Fast and accurate scanning and text conversion
• High volume rating, including large ADF
• Scans documents up to 12 by 17 inches
• Versatile scanner-interface software
• Moderate-size footprint

CONS

• Lacks wireless or mobile connectivity
• USB interface only; no networking option available
• Lacks business-card scanning and archiving software

Sold By	List Price	Price
Dell	$2,499. 00	$2,499.00	See It (Opens in a new window)
B&H Photo Video	$2,499.00	$2,499.00	See It (Opens in a new window)

Read Our Epson DS-30000 Review

Canon CanoScan LiDE 400

Best Flatbed Photo Scanner

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

Most nonprofessional photographers can't afford a dedicated photo scanner. That's why the flatbed Canon CanoScan LiDE 400 doubles nicely at scanning document pages and turning them into editable text, although to be honest you'll want a higher-priced scanner with an automatic document feeder (ADF) for handling more than occasional multipage jobs. The LiDE 400 saves desk space with a vertical kickstand and comes with impressive photo scanning and touch-up software. It can even stitch together multiple scans of photos too big for its scanning area.

Who It's For

The CanoScan captures vibrant color and crisp detail and ably serves a single small-office PC connected via USB. (It lacks wired networking or Wi-Fi for mobile devices.) Considering its under-$100 price, it's a great solution for light-duty photo-quality scanning.

PROS

• Vibrant photo scans.
• Excellent software bundle.
• Comes with kickstand for upright positioning.
• Very simple to use.

CONS

• Lacks mobile device and wireless support.
• Could be more accurate when scanning serif fonts.

Read Our Canon CanoScan LiDE 400 Review

Epson FastFoto FF-680W

Best High-Speed Snapshot Scanner

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

The FastFoto has been on the market for some time, but this speedy, compact unit continues to be one of a kind. If you have stacks of old family snapshots, or similar card-size items to be scanned in bulk, the FastFoto can process them with speed and care. It's gentle on photos and can even scan both sides of a print without flipping it over, capturing possible date data or back-scrawled notations with the image. It can also pinch-hit as a perfectly workable document scanner for digitizing bills and those old tax records.

Who It's For

Scrapbookers, family archivists, or folks looking to reproduce or digitize photo albums to the cloud will find the FastFoto a godsend. It can process a stack of snaps in mere minutes, and even tweak them on the fly and name them according to filename sequences that you specify in the software. It may not be cheap, but it will pay for itself in time savings many times over for big scan jobs.

PROS

• Quickly scans stacks of photo prints.
• Decent as a document scanner.
• Scans to searchable PDF.
• Solid OCR performance.

CONS

• Somewhat pricey.
• Slower at photo scanning than its predecessor.

Read Our Epson FastFoto FF-680W Review

HP ScanJet Pro 3600 f1

Best Flatbed/Sheetfed Combo Scanner

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

Compact, easy to use, and accurate at OCR, the ScanJet Pro 3600 f1 is a winning hybrid flatbed/sheetfed design. As a flatbed, it can digitize photos, book or magazine pages, or fragile items that might not survive a trip through a sheet feeder; with its roomy 60-page auto-duplexing ADF, it's ready to process lengthy documents lickety-split. You can use it and control it from a PC, or scan straight to flash drives or other USB drives without one.

Who It's For

Doctor's offices, real estate or travel agencies, banks, and other small organizations and workgroups that need to stay on top of the ebb, flow, and occasional tidal wave of paper will find the ScanJet invaluable. Plus, its support for scan profiles and workflows makes repetitive scan tasks easy.

PROS

• Compact design
• Relatively fast, highly accurate OCR
• Excellent HP Scan Pro interface
• Decent document archiving
• Scans to flash and other USB drives with no PC required

CONS

• Somewhat expensive
• No Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or device support

Sold By	List Price	Price
HP	$599. 00	$599.00	See It (Opens in a new window)

Read Our HP ScanJet Pro 3600 f1 Review

Raven Pro Document Scanner

Best Walk-Up Scanner and Document Manager

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

Naturally, the Raven Pro Document Scanner works with all kinds of computers and handheld devices, but if it's connected to a network it doesn't need a PC at all—you can perform a host of scanning and document management functions from its tablet-like 8-inch touch control panel. This medium- to high-volume sheetfed scanner has everything from a 100-sheet ADF to the ability to scan to flash or other USB drives or online storage (unlimited Raven Cloud space is included), and its robust PC software includes financial data scanning and archiving compatible with QuickBooks.

Who It's For

Raven doesn't provide dedicated Android or iOS smartphone apps, but the Raven Pro otherwise offers everything a busy office or workgroup could want, with impressively fast and accurate scanning whether you're using its PC software or taking advantage of its touch screen. It's a successful one-stop desktop scanning shop at a reasonable price.

PROS

• Fast scanning and saving to both image and searchable PDF
• Accurate OCR
• Onboard editing and document management
• Supports wireless and wired networking
• Scans to external USB flash and other USB drives
• Slick tablet-like interface
• Excellent software for scanner operation and document management
• 100-sheet ADF
• Free unlimited (Raven Cloud) cloud space

CONS

• Lacks dedicated handheld mobile device app
• Expensive accessories

Read Our Raven Pro Document Scanner Review

Fujitsu fi-800R

Best Front-Desk Document and Card Scanner

4. 0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

A cross between a desktop and a portable sheetfed document scanner, the Fujitsu fi-800R takes only about 12 by 4 inches of desk space but delivers robust performance thanks to unique Return Scan and U-Turn Scan technologies that move documents in and out without requiring multiple slots or paper trays. Its Active Skew Correction lets you be careless about placing documents in the feeder, and its speed and 4,500-scan daily duty cycle are closer to its desktop than portable rivals (though its 20-sheet ADF is on the skimpy side).

Who It's For

The fi-800R is a little pricey considering it supports only a USB instead of network connection and lacks a battery for portable scanning, but it fills a nifty niche as a front-desk document manager for handling customer and client paperwork. Its PaperStream Capture software is just the ticket for digitizing IDs, passports, and miscellaneous pages.

PROS

• Fast and compact.
• Accurate OCR.
• Robust software bundle.
• High daily volume rating.
• Well-suited to front-desk applications.

CONS

• Expensive.
• Connectivity limited to USB.

Read Our Fujitsu fi-800R Review

Brother DSmobile DS-940DW

Best Portable Document Scanner

4.5 Outstanding

Why We Picked It

With no automatic document feeder, the Brother DSmobile DS-940DW obliges you to feed pages manually, so it's better suited to one- or two-page documents instead of lengthy reports or stacks of sheets. But otherwise, it's the very model of handy scanning on the road, complete with a rechargeable battery and the ability to scan to a microSD card for later transfer to a PC, so you don't even need to bring your laptop—just throw the 1. 5-pound scanner into your briefcase and you're all set. The Brother is rated for 100 scans a day and comes with software for smartly managing business cards and receipts.

Who It's For

It's obviously not a high-volume, heavy-duty document manager, but the DSmobile DS-940DW's convenience, speed, and accuracy make it a standout in a crowded field of single-sheet portable scanners. Don't leave the office without it.

PROS

• Small and light.
• Fast scanning and processing.
• Accurate OCR.
• Solid software bundle.
• Easy to use.
• Autonomous scanning to microSD card.
• Wi-Fi and USB 3.0 connectivity.

CONS

• No automatic document feeder.
• MicroSD card not included.

Read Our Brother DSmobile DS-940DW Review

CZUR ET24 Pro

Best Overhead Book and Magazine Scanner

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

Overhead scanners are specialized devices with elevated cameras for scanning book or magazine pages. The CZUR ET24 Pro comes with a foot pedal or desk button that frees your hands for turning book pages or placing new content (up to tabloid size) on the scan platform. It also features automatic focus and page-turn detection, and you can even use the device in a Visual Presenter mode, with an HDMI port for playing video captured by the CZUR directly to monitors or HDTVs or livestreaming.

Who It's For

In many ways, the CZUR ET24 Pro and its ilk resemble old-fashioned overhead projectors. Capturing book and magazine pages, however, is just one of many possible uses, ranging from capturing objects for presentations to classroom or online teaching. Its everyday book or magazine scanning speed depends more on your placement and page-turning hustle than its hardware, but the ET24 Pro is ideal for small and midsize offices, presenters, teachers, and others in need of its very specific talents.

PROS

• Automatic focus and page-turn detection
• Can operate via a desk button or a foot pedal
• HDMI video output
• Business-card archiving
• Accurate OCR

CONS

• No wireless connectivity or support for handheld devices
• Lacks networking
• No battery for off-plug operation

Sold By	List Price	Price
Amazon	$629. 00	$629.00	Check Stock (Opens in a new window)

Read Our CZUR ET24 Pro Review

Epson RapidReceipt RR-600W

Best Receipt Scanner

4.5 Outstanding

Why We Picked It

The Epson RapidReceipt RR-600W is a powerful desktop document scanner with an automatic document feeder (ADF) that lets you capture up to 100 two-sided documents in one batch; it supports USB and Wi-Fi, and has a port for scanning directly to USB flash drives. Plus, its 4.3-inch graphical touch screen makes it easy to access scanning options or workflow profiles. But you're not going to buy a device named RapidReceipt for general-purpose scanning—you're going to take advantage of its ScanSmart Accounting Edition software that gets more intelligent as you use it, learning to identify recurring data like vendor names and monthly expenses. The app recognizes information, saves it to the appropriate fields in its built-in database, and exports to QuickBooks, TurboTax, or Excel-compatible CSV files.

Who It's For

As we said, the RR-600W is a fine choice for any kind of office document management, with respectable speed, impressive accuracy, and a robust 4,000-scan daily duty cycle. But if receipts and invoices are your company's bread and butter, it's a better than fine choice.

PROS

• Fast
• Accurate OCR
• Strong software bundle, including ScanSmart Accounting Edition
• Huge 4.3-inch color touch screen
• 100-sheet ADF
• Robust mobile device and USB thumb drive support
• Low price for what you get

CONS

• ScanSmart not supported on mobile devices

Read Our Epson RapidReceipt RR-600W Review

IRIScan Mouse Executive 2

Best Handheld Scanner

4. 0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

It's a winner in a category of one: The $79 IRIScan Mouse Executive 2 is the only mouse we know of that doubles as a handheld scanner. At first glance, it looks like just another two-button USB (not wireless) mouse with a clickable scroll wheel, but pressing a thumb button on its left side activates a laser sensor that scans an area about two inches wide with each pass of your hand. It obviously takes a little time to swipe back and forth to scan a letter-size page at 400dpi (or an A3 or tabloid page at 300dpi), but the mouse is a great match for business cards or photos. (It even comes with a mouse pad with clear plastic sheath that holds cards steady while scanning.) It does a fine job of adjusting for overlaps or less-than-perfectly-smooth mouse movements.

Who It's For

The IRIScan Mouse and its Cardiris software (along with its general OCR software, which supports 130 languages and exports to everything from Dropbox and Evernote to Microsoft Outlook and Excel) are strictly for low-volume scanning needs, but free you from having to carry a portable scanner on the road. For business cards and occasional short documents, it's a nifty gadget.

PROS

• Light and compact.
• Highly accurate OCR.
• Strong software bundle with cloud and business card archiving.

CONS

• Lacks mobile connectivity.
• Uses USB cable instead of wireless connection.

Read Our IRIScan Mouse Executive 2 Review

Buying Guide: The Best Scanners for 2023

The first step in scanner buying comes down to a simple thing: what kind or kinds of media you'll be scanning. Knowing what (and how often) you expect to scan will tell you everything you need to know about the features you'll need.

Photos, unbound documents, receipts, and business cards are the most obvious things to scan, but you might also need to scan bound books, magazines, film (slides and negatives), or easily damaged originals like postage stamps. Somewhat less common are objects such as coins or flowers.

You should also consider details such as the maximum size of the originals and whether you'll need to scan both sides of document pages. This will tell you the kind of scanner you should be looking at: a classic flatbed, a model with a sheet feeder, or something else.

Do You Need a Flatbed Scanner, or an Overhead Scanner?

For photos or other easily damaged originals, bound material, and 3D objects, you need a flatbed scanner, which has a large glass platen on which you place the documents, photos, books, or items. (When we talk about scanning objects, here we're talking about scanning three-dimensional objects to two-dimensional images. 3D scanners—which digitize objects to special 3D files for display or printing on a 3D printer—are a different beast entirely.)

Books, magazines, and objects thicker than a sheet of paper or driver's license are good candidates for an overhead scanner, which resembles an old-fashioned overhead projector with an illuminated scanning head that looks down on a flat surface. These work like cameras, snapping pictures of items and feeding them to suitable software for optical character recognition (converting images to editable text) or flattening the curve near the spine of a book.

Delicate originals such as photos and stamps can go through a sheet feeder, but you risk damaging them. If you need to scan this sort of original only once in a while, you may be able to get by with a sheetfed scanner that comes with a plastic carrier to protect the originals. Keep in mind, however, that even brand-new, unscratched plastic carriers can degrade scan quality somewhat. Direct-to-glass is always better.

(Credit: Xerox)

Scanner models tend to stay on the market for a long time between iterations, and this is especially true of flatbed photo scanners. We regularly update our Best Scanners roundup, so should you encounter an "oldie but goodie," it simply means that no similar model that we've reviewed has yet surpassed it.

Does Your Scanner Need a Sheet Feeder?

If your main scanning need is scanning documents on a regular basis—particularly those longer than one or two pages—you almost certainly want a document-centric scanner equipped with a sheet feeder. Having to open a flatbed lid and put a page on the glass is a minor chore, but having to repeat the process 10 times for a 10-page document is tiresome. Some sheetfed scanners can also handle thick originals such as ID cards.

(Credit: Fujitsu)

If you'll primarily be scanning one or two pages at a time, a manual sheet feeder is probably all you need, or you can get by just fine with the scanning capability of an all-in-one (AIO) printer. If you'll be scanning longer documents on a regular basis, however, you'll want an automatic document feeder (ADF) that will scan an entire stack of pages unattended. Pick an ADF capacity based on the number of pages in the typical document you expect to scan. If you occasionally have a document that is more pages than the ADF capacity, you can add more pages during the scan as the feeder processes them. Some ADFs can also handle stacks of business cards well.

Do You Need Duplex (Two-Sided) Scanning?

Duplex scanning means scanning both sides of a page. If you expect to frequently scan documents that are printed on both sides, you'll want a duplexing scanner, a duplexing ADF, or a scanner with a driver that includes a manual-duplex feature.

The best, swiftest duplexing scanners have two scan elements, so they can scan both sides of a page at the same time. A design like this will be faster than a scanner with a simple duplexing ADF, but it will likely also cost more. A more ordinary duplexing ADF will just scan one side, turn the page over mechanically, and only then scan the other.

In contrast, a scanner with a driver that supports manual duplexing will let you scan one side of a stack and then prompts you to flip and re-feed the stack to scan the other side, with the scanner driver automatically interfiling the pages. Manual duplexing in the driver is the most economical alternative, and it is a good choice if you don't scan two-sided documents very often or you're on a tight budget.

What's the Right Resolution for Your Scanner?

For most scanning, having a high enough resolution at your disposal for the job at hand isn't an issue. For, say, tax documents, even a 200-pixel-per-inch (ppi) scan will give you good enough quality for most purposes. A 300ppi scanning resolution is almost always sufficient, and it's hard to find a scanner today that maxes out at less than 600ppi. For photos, unless you plan to zoom in on a small part of the photo or print the photo at a larger size than the original, 600ppi is more than enough.

(Credit: Canon)

Some kinds of originals, however, require higher resolution. If you're scanning 35mm slides or negatives, or something small and finely detailed like a postage stamp, you'll need a scanner that claims an optical resolution of at least 4,800ppi.

Then there's the issue of the maximum scan size you can take. Picking a scanner that can handle the size of the originals you need to scan seems like an obvious point, but it's easy to overlook. For example, most flatbeds have a letter-size platen, which will be a problem if you occasionally need to scan legal-size pages. Most flatbeds with ADFs will scan legal-size pages via the ADF, but not all do, so be sure to check. You can also find scanners with larger flatbeds, but they will, of course, take up more desk space.

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What Software Will You Use?

Most scanners come with basic scanning software. Depending on what you plan to scan, some of the features to look for include optical character recognition (OCR), text indexing, photo editing, and the ability to create searchable PDF documents. The days of platform-specific scanners are over; any modern scanner will work seamlessly with both macOS and Windows, and many of them can also scan to your phone or a cloud drive.

Specialized scanners have software with specialized functions. Receipt scanners come with accounting software for organizing your financial data. Scanners that handle business cards can usually extract the card data into a contact database (assuming the cards aren't too ornately designed for the OCR software to read).

If you're planning to scan photos or other images and then edit them in a program such as Adobe Photoshop, look for a scanner with TWAIN drivers that can scan directly into your photo editing app.

Do You Need a Special-Purpose Scanner?

Finally, consider whether you need a special-purpose scanner. Among the most common special-purpose choices are scanners for business cards (small and highly portable) and receipts (small and equipped with specialized software). Specialized slide scanners are smaller than flatbed scanners, but they're no better at scanning slides than flatbed scanners with equivalent features.

(Credit: Epson)

If you travel often, you might want a portable scanner that's small enough to fit in your laptop bag, or a handheld scanner that you hold and trace over text. Some portable models can operate without a computer attached, scanning to a memory card or smartphone. You can also find some that function as both portable and desktop document scanners by combining a portable scanner with a docking station that includes an ADF.

Depending on what you need to scan, any one of these may be a good choice, either as your only scanner or as a supplement to a general-purpose scanner. We've highlighted a few of our favorite special scanners in the picks above.

So, What's the Best Scanner to Buy?

All-in-one or multifunction printers have built-in scanners, nearly all with flatbeds and many with ADFs. That may be sufficient for light scanning needs. To get the most out of your scanning, however, you'll probably want to get a single-function scanner. Fortunately, there are many models to choose from, and the models below are among the best we've tested. For more focused advice, check out our roundup of the top scanners for photos, as well as our list of the best all-in-one printers, if having a scanner attached to your printer is more appealing. (And finally, after you've digitized all that paper, take a look at the best shredders we've tested.)

The 10 Best Photo Scanners 2023 — Best Scanners for Photos

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.

If you shoot on film or have some irreplaceable older photos you want to save digitally, a photo scanner is your best solution.

By Douglas Helm and Rachel Klein

Dec 22, 2022

Staff, Courtesy of Canon

These days, most people solely take photos on smartphones and rarely print them. But we bet you have old prints kicking around in boxes or albums—with only one copy and negatives long lost. A photo scanner allows you to digitize these old photos to preserve and organize them so they can be shared with future generations.

Photo scanners are also a great tool for photographers who prefer to shoot on film. Unlike document scanners, photo scanners have ultra-high resolution, and the majority also include printers. If you want to make sure you get the right one, you’ve come to the right place.

We considered all the models currently available on the market, and broke down details so you can get the photo scanner that fits your individual needs. Read on for our recommendations of the best photo scanners, plus essential advice to consider before shopping.

Best Photo Scanners

• 1

  Best Overall

  Perfection V600 Color Flatbed Scanner Epson

  $418 AT AMAZON

  Read More

  $418 AT AMAZON

• 2

  Best For Scanning In Bulk

  FastFoto FF-680W Epson

  $500 AT AMAZON

  Read More

  $500 AT AMAZON

• 3

  Best Budget Option

  CanoScan LiDE400 Canon

  $106 AT AMAZON

  Read More

  $106 AT AMAZON

• 4

  Best for Photography Professionals

  Perfection V850 Pro scanner Epson

  $1,299 AT AMAZON

  Read More

  $1,299 AT AMAZON

• 5

  Best Middle of the Road Option

  Photo Scanner Plustek

  $199 AT AMAZON

  Read More

  $199 AT AMAZON

• 6

  Best for Macbook Users

  ImageFormula RS40 Scanner Canon

  $379 AT AMAZON

  Read More

  $379 AT AMAZON

• 7

  Best for Film Scans

  Slide-N-Scan Film Scanner Kodak

  $180 AT AMAZON

  Read More

  $180 AT AMAZON

• 8

  Most Versatile Option

  Envy Photo 7855 All In One HP

  $300 AT AMAZON

  Read More

  $300 AT AMAZON

• 9

  Go SE Wi-Fi Scanner Doxie

  $219 AT AMAZON

  Read More

  $219 AT AMAZON

• 10

  Best Novelty Option

  Mobile Film Scanner Kodak

  $35 AT AMAZON

  Read More

  $35 AT AMAZON

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What to Consider

When it comes to photo scanners, there are a few factors you need to keep in mind to help you make a purchasing decision. We've highlighted the most important, below.

Resolution

One of the first factors you’ll want to consider is what resolution the scanner is able to convert the pictures to. This is measured in dpi, or dots per inch. The higher the dpi, the more detail you’ll be able to scan in.

Interface

Most scanners will be able to connect through USB, but some have Wi-Fi capabilities. If it’s important for you to connect to your scanner wirelessly, you’ll want to check to see if it supports that interface.

Software

Photo scanners will come with software that allows you to view, edit, and save your photos. Some even come with retouching capabilities to remove scratches and other imperfections.

Speed

You’ll want to consider the feeder capacity or the speed of the scans. If a scanner has a large feeder capacity, you’re able to do bulk scans of a lot of pictures. Otherwise, you’ll need to do one at a time, which means scanning speed is even more important.

Capabilities

Finally, if you want to scan in photo negatives or film strips, you’ll want to make sure you choose a scanner that has this capability or that has an adaptor for this purpose.

How We Selected

To choose these scanners, we looked for options that work for a variety of needs. We then categorized them to make it easier for you to quickly choose the one that's best for you. In addition, we made sure to check reviews and only included options that have at least four stars or more on Amazon. We also checked picks from reputable publications like PCMag, TechRadar, and other specialty photography blog sites. By carefully considering all of these factors and comparing specs, we narrowed our selection down to the list below.

In the market for a new camera? Check out our stories on the best Canon cameras, the best instant cameras, and the best action cameras.

1

Best Overall

Epson

Perfection V600 Color Flatbed Scanner

$418 AT AMAZON

Key Specs

Resolution:	6400 dpi
Interface:	USB
Speed:	One photo at a time

2

Best For Scanning In Bulk

Epson

FastFoto FF-680W

Now 17% off

$500 AT AMAZON

Key Specs

Resolution:	1200 dpi
Interface:	Wi-Fi-enabled
Speed:	Scans multiple photos

3

Best Budget Option

Canon

CanoScan LiDE400

$106 AT AMAZON

Key Specs

Resolution:	4800 dpi
Interface:	USB
Speed:	One photo at a time

4

Best for Photography Professionals

Epson

Perfection V850 Pro scanner

$1,299 AT AMAZON

Key Specs

Resolution:	6400 dpi
Interface:	USB
Speed:	One photo at a time

5

Best Middle of the Road Option

Plustek

Photo Scanner

$199 AT AMAZON

Key Specs

Resolution:	600 dpi
Interface:	USB
Speed:	One photo at a time

6

Best for Macbook Users

Canon

ImageFormula RS40 Scanner

Now 21% off

$379 AT AMAZON

Key Specs

Resolution:	1200 dpi
Interface:	USB
Speed:	Scans multiple photos

7

Best for Film Scans

Kodak

Slide-N-Scan Film Scanner

Now 10% off

$180 AT AMAZON

Key Specs

Resolution:	N/A
Interface:	HDMI
Speed:	Scans multiple film strips

8

Most Versatile Option

HP

Envy Photo 7855 All In One

$300 AT AMAZON

Key Specs

Resolution:	4800 dpi
Interface:	USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi enabled
Speed:	Scans multiple photos

9

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Douglas Helm Douglas Helm is a freelance writer who specializes in the technology space.

Rachel Klein Senior Commerce Editor Rachel Klein is a Senior Commerce Editor for Popular Mechanics, where she writes about everything from garden hose reels and patio furniture to mesh wifi systems and robot vacuums.

90,000 how to scan photos on a computer through a printer or from a scanner
• Preparation for scanning
• Scan through the standard tool Windows
• Other standard programs
  • Paint
• From developers
• ABBYY Finereader
• Vuescan
• CuneiForm Scanner
• ScanPapyrus
1. 8 Photo Scanning Tips

Photo scanning allows you to convert a physical image into an electronic image. The purpose of the scan may be different. Sometimes you need to send photos to another person by e-mail or in another way. But scanning will be more relevant if necessary, saving old photos. Over time, paper changes properties, wears out, turns yellow. To save the photo for a very long time, you can scan the picture to a computer. The electronic file is not subject to wear and tear. In addition, when scanning, you can set parameters that can improve the quality of the photo - lighten or darken, make more or less contrast. If there are stains or defects, the photo in electronic format can be edited in different programs for working with graphics. nine0031

You can scan a photo to a computer through a scanner or printer, or rather, a multifunctional device (MFP), which includes three devices at once - printing, scanning and copying (copier). Digitization is possible using standard tools of the Windows 7-10 operating system or additionally installed programs (third-party or official from manufacturers).

Scan preparation

To scan photos or other media, you need:

1. Verify that the device can perform the scan function. There are no questions with an independent scanner, since it is intended for this. But . In the latter case, , it is important that the device be multifunctional, that is, to be a 3 in 1 printer - to contain at the same time, and a copier. You can verify this from the documentation for the technique or simply try to lift the top cover. If there is glass under it, then scanning, as well as photocopying, can be carried out. nine0004
2. Correct (or MFP). If a connection to a PC is not always necessary for the printer to work, for example, when a technician can print from a USB flash drive or, then for the scanner to work, you need to connect to a computer. The task for scanning and sending the finished scanned copy of the photo will be carried out from and to the computer, respectively. The connection in most cases is done via a USB cable. To detect and work with the scanner, you will need to additionally install a driver if Windows does not automatically install the software itself. The driver is installed from the disk that comes with the equipment, or downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer. nine0004

In order to avoid problems with the operation of any function of the MFP, it is best to immediately install the full package of drivers along with proprietary software. So, several programs can be installed - separately for printing, scanning and copying.

Scanning with a standard Windows tool

Lift the lid of the machine. Lay the photo you are scanning on the glass, following the guide arrow that indicates where the top of the paper should be. The photo must be face down. nine0031

Go to the "Devices and Printers" window. To do this, first open the "Run" window with the key combination "Windows + R". Then enter and execute the "control printers" command.

Locate the icon for the desired machine. If the device is ready for operation, then the icon will not be slightly transparent and does not contain any warning signs next to it.

Right-click on the icon and select "Start Scan"

The built-in Windows scanner wizard will open. The window is used to configure settings that affect the scanning process and the final quality of a digital copy of a photo.

• At the very top of the window, you can select another scanner to work with using the Change button. If only one device is connected, then the choice will initially be correct. But when several different peripherals are connected for scanning, then the system may choose the wrong technique. Ideally, you should set the default scanner or printer so that Windows always selects the correct scanner. nine0004
• Profile. You have to re-set the parameters every time you scan. Creating a new profile allows you to save your settings. At the next scan, simply select the desired profile and all settings will automatically be substituted in accordance with the internal parameters of the profile. If you have to scan a lot of documents of different types, then you can set the required number of profiles.
• Supply. This setting is almost never changed. AT 99% of cases in home use or a small office use a flatbed scanner, in which a photograph or a sheet of paper is placed on top of the glass and covered with a lid.
• Paper size. When the scanner can handle A3 oversized sheets and others, then you can change the media size in this item if necessary.
• File type. Simply put, the final format of an electronic file on a computer is an extension. Not only the program that will then have to open the document depends on the parameter, but also the quality of the scan, and hence the size in MB. To get a scan of a photo in maximum quality, choose the BMP format. If scanning takes too long or high quality is not required, then JPG and PNG formats are acceptable. In order to scan over the network and share files by e-mail, PDF is usually chosen. nine0004
• Resolution (DPI). Increasing the resolution improves the quality of the photo scan. Depending on the type and model of the scanner, the maximum resolution may vary. Measured in dots per inch. The more dots, the higher the quality. If you need to scan and then enlarge the document many times without losing quality, then select the maximum value. The scan size in good quality can reach tens or more Mb. Therefore, for frequent and repeated scanning, you must have enough free space on your computer. nine0004
• Brightness and contrast. In order not to distort the photo, it is not recommended to change the location of the sliders. The setting is more commonly used for regular documents.
• View. You can press the button to make sure the photo is positioned correctly on the scanner window and see what the result will be.

After setting all the parameters, you can click on the "Scan" button and the scanner will start working.

Depending on the quality set, the creation of a scan may take a different time, from a few seconds to a minute or more. nine0031

When the scan is completed, the system will prompt you to save . Give the file a name and click Import.

In Windows 10, by default, the scan will go to the standard "Images" directory, inside which a folder called the current date will be created.

The save path can be changed in the import window by clicking on the "Advanced Options" link.

Change the save location if necessary. It is also possible to disable the creation of a folder for scanning. In the "Folder name" section, select "None". nine0031

Other standard programs

Windows versions 7-10 have other built-in software that allows .

• Fax and Scan. Can be found through a search in the start menu or on the taskbar, depending on the OS version.
• "Scanner". A modern application, available only in Windows 10. According to the set of settings and the principle of working with the program, it is no different from the method described above. There is no program immediately after installing the operating system. But it is possible to do a free installation through the Microsoft online store (instructions are shown in the screenshots below). nine0004

Paint

Many people are accustomed to using the standard graphic editor Paint only for simple design of pictures or captions. But inside the program there is a function for obtaining an image.

Start Paint in any way. In Windows XP, go to the Start menu and open the software in the Accessories folder. On newer Windows, find the editor via search.

From the "File" menu, click on "From Scanner or Camera".

Make basic settings. nine0031

An advanced set of settings is available after clicking on the "Adjust scanned image quality" link.

Preview and then scan. The scan will appear as an image in the open Paint window.

Even if the photo was not initially placed inside the scanner correctly, rotation is available in the editor. You can also make text captions, resize and more.

But for editing it is recommended to use the tools of more advanced photo editors. nine0031

Saving is done via the "Save As" item inside the "File" menu.

Select the format that will provide the best quality - BMP or PNG. JPG will also give good quality, but in comparison with previous formats it falls short, the size, of course, will be smaller.

Programs from developers

Manufacturers offer utilities in addition to the standard software package. The internal interface may differ, but is intuitive. The list of parameters is also almost always the same. nine0031

The software is installed either immediately with the drivers, or separately by running the installation file on the disk. All programs are available for download from the official resources of the companies.

• HP Scan. Programs from Hewlett-Packard, the market leader in printing technology. The interface is almost identical to the standard scanning utility in Windows.
• Epson Scan. Like the previous software, developed by the Epson brand to work with their products. The settings are the same, the interface is simple even for a beginner in using a PC. nine0004

Third-party programs

If you need to more flexibly configure the scanner and manage the received document, for example, immediately send a file via E-mail, then it is suggested to use specialized programs for scanning.

ABBYY FineReader

The program is known and widely used due to its built-in functionality that allows you to recognize text and tables from images. There are several versions of the program that differ in capabilities. The price for each version is different, and the cost of the maximum package exceeds 30 thousand rubles. nine0031

Has both advantages and disadvantages. It makes no sense to buy software for regular scanning. More useful for professional work. Also allows you to scan to PDF from multiple sheets.

VueScan

A well-known application recommended even by vehicle manufacturers. If you need to be flexible and adjust the quality, then the software is what you need. The program supports most brands, models of multifunction and scanning devices. It has a built-in function of optical character recognition - converting an image into text. nine0031

CuneiForm Scanner

A free program that is available for download on the official website of the OpenOCR developer. It has minimal system requirements, does not load the computer and works quickly.

Built-in OCR engine. Before scanning in the program, you can correct the scanned area, crop if necessary, and make color corrections. After scanning, you can work with text directly in the CuneiForm window.

ScanPapyrus

The program allows you to significantly speed up scanning by selecting a limited processing area. For example, if a 10x15 photograph is being read, then there is no need to scan the entire area. In the settings, you can set the desired size and scanning will be faster. For a 10 x 15 photo, A6 is the best size.

Open the scanner cover and follow the markings to place the photo in the desired location. There may be marks on the body that indicate what size of paper is placed in a particular area. nine0031

If there are no such marks, then the photo must be placed in the corner where the arrow is (indicates the start of the scanner).

Turn off AutoCrop and AutoContrast first. The latter function is best used for scanning text.

On the "Scan" tab, be sure to set the quality (recommended "excellent", which equates to 600 dpi) and select the color. For photographs, it is better to choose color scanning. nine0031

To start the process, click on the Scan Page button. When you need to scan a lot of pages, for example, to translate a lot of photos from an old album, then it is better to use the streaming scanning function. Click on the appropriate button. A window will appear where you need to set the time interval that is enough for you to change the photo.

When the time has elapsed, the scan will be automatically performed and the timer will restart. If necessary, press "Enter" and the scan will be done without waiting. nine0031

When all digital images of the photo are created, you can click on "Finish". After that, the scans will be displayed and a simple formatting panel will appear. Optionally, you can use the built-in tools.

Press Ctrl+S to save the file. Choose the quality, format, create or select an existing folder where all scanned documents will be.

Other programs:

• ScanLite;
nine0003 ScanCorrector.

8 Tips for Photo Scanning

1. Be sure to wipe the scanner screen with a dry, lint-free cloth before scanning. Wipe the photo in the same way, but in no case try to wipe off the stains, as this may damage the coating of the photo.
2. It is better to convert any photos into electronic format through a flatbed scanner, rather than a lingering one. In the latter case, there is a risk of damage to the photo paper. nine0004
3. Old photos that have turned yellow and faded over time must be scanned in color mode so that after professional correction the quality is the highest possible.
4. Color photos must be scanned at the maximum color depth that the scanner can provide. A good result is achieved with a depth of 24 or more bits.
5. Do not correct images in scanning programs. It is necessary to engage in restoration only in specialized software.
6. Old photos should be scanned at the highest resolution to ensure the best view. Such an action will allow, when the image is enlarged on a PC, to see small details in the picture that were not previously visible on real photographic paper. nine0004
7. In order for a digital photograph to be of very high quality, it is necessary to save the scan in an uncompressed format - TIFF.
8. If there is still a film available, but there is no way to print a photo, then you can scan information directly from the film. There are specialized film and slide scanners on the market.

How to scan photos to a computer from HP, Canon and other printer scanners

nine0030 Reading 7 min Views 17. 4k.

The task of scanning a photo to a computer from a scanner (tablet or MFP HP or Canon) is not difficult. But for people who have never dealt with scanning photos, and even more so old ones in poor quality, it can be difficult. The main misunderstandings about: the right programs, the correct execution and sequence of steps, settings. The main option is the optimal extension with which to scan for high quality and an acceptable size of the scanned document. nine0031

In this manual you will learn how to prepare the equipment, which programs and how to use it. Find an overview of the capabilities of the Windows 7, 8, 10 operating system for obtaining digital copies of images. As well as tips from professionals and video instructions.

Contents of the article:

• 1 Checklist before scanning
• 2 Using Windows to scan photos
• 3 Scan to PC software

  Using the power of Windows to scan photos

  Microsoft's Windows operating system includes a built-in tool for making digital copies of documents and photos. If the equipment is connected successfully, then follow these instructions:

  1. Go to the "Devices and Printers" section of the system. This can be done through the "Start" button or in another way known to you.
  2. From the list of equipment you see, find your scanner. It may be below the list of printers. nine0004
  3. Mark it with the left mouse button, and then right-click to open the context menu.
  4. From it, select the line "Start Scan".
  5. A window should now load where you can select and specify the desired photo digitizing settings.
  6. Among the available options: color and black and white formats, resolution, contrast, brightness. The most important thing is the file type.
  7. Use the Preview button to see what the scan result will look like.
  nine0003 If there are no "claims", then to get a scan of the photo in the selected format, click on "Scan".

  Programs for scanning to a computer

  ABBYY FineReader

  One of the most popular and widespread programs for scanning and OCR on photos. Supports work with more than one and a half hundred different languages. Using the utility is simple, thanks to the intuitive menu and toolbar design.

  Paint

  1. Through the search in the "Start" section of your "computer" or laptop, find the "Paint" program. Run her.
  2. In the main menu at the top of the utility window, expand the item "File", and in it click on the line "From a scanner or camera".
  3. A window with preset scan options opens. You can change it to your liking and requirements. When scanning photos, the first option "Color Image" is most suitable for us.
  4. Here you can also make a preview. nine0004
  5. To get a scan directly, click on "Scan".
  6. At the end of the process, the result will be loaded immediately into the Paint program.
  7. You can change everything you need in it. The set of tools for a standard Windows GPU is small, but for simple tasks it has everything you need.
  8. After making the necessary changes (adding inscriptions, rotating the image), the result of your work must be correctly saved on the hard disk of the computer. nine0004
  9. To do this, open the "File" section, expand the "Save As" section, and select the PNG format for a high quality photo or JPEG for a smaller option.

  VueScan

  Supports a wide range of scanners and MFPs. Allows you to save scanned photos in different graphic formats, including: png, tiff, jpeg, pdf. The main advantage of the utility is the support of the OCR function. Available settings allow you to achieve a higher quality of the final result. nine0031

  CuneiForm

  Great free alternative for scanning and OCR. In addition to photos, it can define different fonts and tables.

  ScanPapyrus

  ScanPapyrus is the main tool for scanning a large number of sheets or books. And also it is often used to digitize photos, often very old ones. With which the utility does an excellent job. The correct settings of this software will easily speed up the process. The first thing to consider is that the photograph does not cover the entire area of ​​the glass, but the scan covers the entire surface. To do this, in the "Scanner selection" menu in the "Scanning area" subsection, check the A6 format. It most closely matches the most popular photo size - 10 by 15.

  • Now open the scanner lid and notice the format markings. Find the marks in area A6. If there are none, then the angle indicated by the arrow on the edge of the glass can be considered as the beginning of the scanner's travel. Most likely it will be in the upper left corner.
    

    Turn off "Auto Crop" in the options - we don't need it anymore.

  • So that when digitizing a photo, the shades of colors in the final result do not change, in the program settings, turn off the "adjustment" of the contrast. Auto contrast is best used when scanning text, but is not recommended for images. nine0390

    The entered options for the values ​​of the required parameters can be saved so that ScanPapyrus will not be reconfigured during further use.

  • Another important point is the resolution of the scan. In the panel, select the "Excellent" option, which is equivalent to a value of 600 dpi. The values ​​in the "Color" field are selected depending on the color of the original photos.
  • After completing the setup, you can proceed directly to the process of obtaining digital copies of photos. If you need to scan a photo and save to your computer not one, but several, then it is better to use the streaming mode. This will allow you not to click the "Scan" button for each picture. The task of the user is to have time to change the photo in the scanner. Stream scanning settings are set separately. nine0004
  • After all images have been passed through the scanner, the process will end automatically. The results of the work can be seen in the program window. If necessary, they can be corrected. The editing panel is located to the left of the images.
  • To save in the desired format, use the keyboard shortcut "CTRL+S". Here it is also possible to change the parameters of the "behavior" of the algorithm for writing to disk.

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