We don’t recommend using a portable document scanner to archive photos-we suggest using our upgrade pick for that-but we also used each model to scan a glossy color print just to see if the results were good enough for email and social media. We compared the 300 dpi scans with both the original prints and scans we made using the flatbed scanner on an average inkjet all-in-one. To check image quality, we scanned several other documents, including a star chart designed for lens sharpness testing, a document from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) meant to mimic a typical office report, and a couple of photos printed on regular copy paper. To evaluate OCR capability, we scanned both an IRS 1099 tax form (PDF) and a simple text document with the same sentence repeated in descending font size from 12 points to 4, exporting the results as both searchable PDFs and (where possible) editable text files. It’s certainly a nice feature to have, but one we think most laptop owners can do without. Some include built-in batteries, so they can operate in a truly wireless fashion: no USB cable, no power brick, not even a laptop. Most scanners today can run on either USB or a typical AC adapter, so if you want to travel light, all you need is a USB cable. Diverse power options: The fewer accessories you need to carry with your scanner, the more portable it is.Speed: The best portable document scanners operate at around the same speed-about 25 pages per minute-but all else being equal, we prefer a faster one.Any model around 3 pounds or less is okay in our books. Although machines with ADFs tend to be on the heftier side, we think a feeder is important enough to make the extra pounds worth it. Portable document scanners actually span a broad range of sizes and especially weights-from under 1 pound to well over 3 pounds. Portability: It’s right there in the name.With an automatic document feeder (ADF), you can slide the whole stack into a slot and let the machine work its magic. Automatic document feeder: Speaking of large documents, you don’t want to stand there and feed your scanner dozens of pages one by one.The feature also reduces wear and tear on both the original documents and the scanner itself. ![]() Duplex scanning: Being able to scan both sides of a two-sided document in a single pass drastically reduces the amount of time it takes to scan large documents.Being able to run your scanner without a USB cable is a nice perk, especially if the scanning speed isn’t any slower. Wi-Fi: Just a few years ago, Wi-Fi was a rarity in portable document scanners.Ideally, a good scanner accurately recognizes every character, but realistically we expect a success rate of above 90%. The best portable document scanners can also export the text as an editable document, either in DOC, RTF, or TXT format. ![]()
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