The 10 best scanners to buy in the UK
Scanners are a great piece of hardware for making copies of documents and photographs. There are many types of scanners available, any of which may be a good investment. However, finding the best scanner for your needs does require some research.
Check the buying guide below for everything you need to know to find a great scanner:
What are scanners?
A scanner is an electronic device used to scan images and documents into a digital image on a computer. It’s capable of scanning several things, including old photographs, printed text documents, and even handwritten text on paper.
Why should you buy a good scanner?
The best scanner devices can offer many benefits and are relatively affordable, making them a great investment for homes and offices. For instance, they can be used to scan old photographs for restoration or digital storage.
Also, they can make life much easier for anyone that sends lots of text documents for work or school as they can scan documents very quickly, allowing them to be easily sent via email.
How to choose the right scanner in 2024?
Finding the best scanner isn’t always easy, especially if you are unsure what to look for. Here are some things to consider:
- Connectivity: It’s important to choose a scanner with appropriate connectivity, otherwise it may be a hassle connecting it to your computer. Most scanners use USB connection which is fine for most home computers. You may prefer a device that connects wireless, in which case you need to look for a scanner with Wi-Fi connectivity, which is especially helpful when there are multiple computers to connect to.
- Dots per Inch: The DPI of a scanner reflects the overall quality of it’s scanning, so the higher the DPI the better-quality image you can expect. The best scanners have a high DPI, with a 600 DPI scanner being ideal for scanning images and photographs. If you only need to scan text documents, then a 300 DPI scanner is fine. There are also specialist scanners with incredibly high DPIs, although these aren’t necessary for most home offices.
What is the best kind of scanner in the UK?
There are many types of scanners available, all of which offer their own distinct features and advantages.
- Flatbed Scanners: The best all-round scanner for home use, they take up some space but offer a great number of functions and features. Going for a larger size means you can scan things like books, magazines, posters, and photographs of any size.
- Photo Scanners: As the name suggests, these are the best scanners for scanning photographs and other images. They feature high resolution and colour depth, along with features such as cleaning old photos and transferring negatives. A great scanner for transferring old photographs onto your computer.
- Sheetfed Scanner: Most scanners feature a glass platen where you place the document to get scanned, but a sheetfed scanner involves feeding paper or a phot directly into a document feeder. This makes them much more compact than a flatbed scanner, although they often come with reduced resolution and fewer functions as a result, but this isn’t going to be a problem for anyone that just needs to scan documents.
- Handheld Scanner: A great scanner for using on the go, handheld scanners a much smaller than any other type, with some being similar size to a fountain pen. Those that are the same width of a page are dragged over a document or photo, while pen style handheld scanners can scan line by line for highlighting important parts of a document. Again, resolution is sacrificed for a compact size, but this isn’t an issue if you need to scan text documents.
Top 10 list of scanners in the UK (2024)
The bestseller list compares brands and their scanners. Which scanner is the best?
- COMPACT DESIGN - Enjoy the effortless adaptability and compact nature of the CanoScan…
- AUTO DOCUMENT FIX - Ensure distortion-free results with Auto Document Fix and Auto…
- EASY FUNCTIONALITY - Take advantage of the 5 EZ buttons and create hassle-free multiple-page…
- INDUSTRY LEADING SOFTWARE: The DS-640 includes a valuable package of scanning software…
- VERSATILE: Easily scan A4 documents, receipts and ID cards
- GREAT FOR PORTABILITY: Powered directly with USB3.0 for portability, so can be used…
- Simple setup – go from start to scan injust a few steps with no complex settings…
- Part of our ScanSnap range – the world’s best-selling document scanners…
- Automatic document feeder – holds up to 20 sheets.
- Integrated stand for upright scanning - Save space on your desk or counter top
- Power and connectivity via Micro USB - No need for mains powered ac adapter or separate…
- High resolution 4800dpi scanning - Produce high-quality photo and document scans
- Duplex scanner: Scan different types of documents from A8 to A4 (single or double…
- WiFi scanner: Wireless Connectivity with your computer, smart device or directly…
- Effortlessly scan your documents, digitize receipts, business cards and invoices…
- Image Processing Functions - Automatic: Size Detection, Colour Detection, Cropping,…
- Device Dimensions - (Height x Width x Depth) : 292 mm x 161 mm x 152 mm, 11.50"…
- Included Software - ScanSnap Home, ScanSnap Manager, ABBYY FineReader for ScanSnap,…
- SmartScan Software: With Epson ScanSmart software, scans can easily be saved and…
- Flexible: Scanner can handle a range of media types, paper stocks from 35gsm to 270gsm…
- Fast Scanning Speed: The WorkForce ES-50 can scan at a rate of just 5.5 seconds per…
- INDUSTRY RECOGNISED SOFTWARE: Increase post-scanning productivity with industry recognised…
- MIXED MEDIA: Automatically scan different types of documents one after another, a…
- RELIABLE, VOLUME SCANNING: Built for demanding, high-volume workplaces, Brother’s…
- System ram type: ddr3_sdram
- Note: Auto Start switch on the back of the scanner is set to OFF. Connect the scanner…
- Mac and Windows compatible
- [Legendary Doxie Satisfaction] We back all of our products with a 1-year warranty,…
- [No-Fuss Software] Doxie's smart software has an intuitive interface to import,…
- [Works Where You Work] Compact footprint that respects your home, office, or home…
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