ADF scanners or Automatic Document Feeder scanners are used to scan multiple pages at high speed and enables saving them electronically. ADF scanners are becoming a necessity in the business world of today for managing your documents.

A scanner is mainly an input device. Unlike the keyboard where you have to type every character, scanners can easily copy the complete document and save it on the computer, saving time and increasing productivity and efficiency. However, the drawback with conventional scanners was that they stored the scanned page in an image format. This made the documents un-editable as well the file sizes were big. An ADF scanner on the other hand is capable of scanning multiple documents in less time and allowing them to be editable. ADF scanners use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert the raw images into ANSII or other digital text format, which reduces the file size and allows the text to be reformatted and processed.

Various multifunction printers (MFPs) nowadays have OCR, offering a one stop solution to almost all the office needs. These devices require less storage space and provide reasonable low-budget solution. The only drawback with these devices is the quality. Because they are multifunctional, they are built for convenience rather than high quality. Mostly printers are the primary focus in MFP devices; the other functions provide basic level performances. Dedicated ADF scanners on the other hand provide precise scanning and with highest speed. They are designed for heavy purpose use and are an excellent choice for the offices.

There are mainly two kinds of ADF scanners, reversing ADF scanner and duplex ADF scanner. A reversing automatic document feeder scanner (RADF) scans one side of a page. In order to scan the other side you have to flip the page and scan it again. Whereas the duplexing automatic document feeder (DADF) scans both sides in one pass. This is achieved by placing two cameras one on either side of the document. The obvious advantage of the DADF over RADF is speed. Then there is the ADF photo scanner. This particular device is best suited for book scanning.

There are various ADF scanners available in the market and vary in their size, capacity and speed. Generally the scanner with ADF can produce 15 pages per minute with a high resolution. Sheet carrying capacity varies brand to brand. Some ADF scanners have an automatic feeding capacity of up to 50 sheets.

If you are in search of the best document scanners then the following lines might be of some help. These are among the best scanners currently available in the electronics shops and online stores. The good thing about these scanners is the fact that they are extremely compact and light weight and you can stack them in your backpacks and travel to any place in the world.

Canon imageFORMULA P-150

This is among the best document scanners given its compact size and great workability. It is powered by a USB cable and offers a scanning speed of up to 12 pages per minute for black and white and up to 10 pages per minute for color prints. It sports a 20-sheet auto document feeder so you do not have to worry about any manual work. It is fully compatible with TWAIN and ISIS drivers to help a quick integration with any computer. With a weight of just 2.1 pounds and dimensions of 13.5 x 8 x 4.6 inches, it is great for use for small offices and home users. You can integrate it well with your computer and use software to enhance print quality and formats.

Brother DS-600

This document scanner offers stylish and compact design. It has an aggregate weight of just 12.2 ounces and has dimensions of 11.1 x 1.9 x 1.6 inches. It is equally good for scanning a business or media card and an 8.5 x 14″ paper size. You will simply have to integrate it with a PC and that will complete the job. The USB cable is the main power source that draws power directly from the PC and can also be detached.  It consumes miniscule power of just 2.0 Watts during operation while the power used during standby mode is 0.2 W. It offers a resolution of 600 dpi which is good for an average user.

CSSN Scanshell 2000n

This document feed scanner can be a good addition to small offices and home users. It offers A4 scanning option with a resolution of 600 dpi for color formats. This scanner document feeder offers a USB based power supply so you will not need any external power connection. It is fully compatible with TWAIN and can be integrated fully with any type of PC or laptop. It has 48-bit analog-to-digital conversion for R, G and B, three-color channels. It can scan a maximum 8.5″ x 14 size of paper. It has a scanning speed of 3 pages per minute for black and white and 1 ppm for color prints. Power consumption is extremely low at 2.0 W for scanning and 0.2 W for standby mode. It has an aggregate weight of 2 pounds and come in product dimensions of 11.5 x 2 x 1.7 inches.

Many people regard document scanning as a very tedious and time consuming job and have taken on the use of document scanning services. However many others choose to do their scanning themselves.

It is no longer the older days of document scanning when you have to visit a print shop to get things done. Still there are many people that are unaware of the ease with which they can scan documents at home. They want to use document scanning services to complete their filing, projects and photographs. These services are available both in the form of old style print shops as well as online services. The latter has become more popular as people find it easier to upload their photographs and documents on a website and pay a small amount for scanning. These scanned images and documents are mailed back to their designated addresses.

The good thing is that they can use document scanning software at home to scan their documents. There is simply no need to visit a shop or sign up with an online service. Almost all scanners come with drivers that you can install on your computer to scan. PictBridge is a great resource that you can use to directly print and scan images from your camera. Other drivers and software also help in improving the quality of the image and documents and enhancing their color features and formats.

On the question of how to scan a document, you will not face many difficulties. The first thing you need to do is to turn on the scanner by using its AC adapter; some also use direct USB connections. The next thing to do is to connect it with the computer where you can use the software to make amends and enhance colors. The next step will be to feed the paper into the scanner tray. Almost all now use automatic feeders so there is no need to stand guard and feeding every paper one by one. With a touch of a button, you will be able to scan any type of document you want.

You can scan documents with great speeds. Large scanners offer an excellent speed and will be able to scan dozens of images in a minute. It also depends on the type of document and its size as a large image or document will take more time than its smaller counterpart. A DIY approach is not just appreciated but needed in this field. A minor investment of $100 will land you a portable scanner that you can use at any place and at any time. It is much better than waiting for the delivery of images if you are using a scanning service.

You must have noticed the increasingly popularity of portable document scanners. They are an excellent device given the fact that they offer you a quick way to complete your documentations on time, even when out of the office.  The following points need to be taken care of before buying a scanner.

The first thing is budgeting before buying portable document scanners. You may have to undergo some pocket searching to dig up the money that you can spend on this purchase. The good thing about a portable document scanner is the fact that is not available at extremely high prices. You can easily find a product that is available for a price as low as $100. All you need to do is to conduct a little research. How to do that research? First look into the money that you can spend on the purchase. After you have done that, look for products that are within that price range and offer quality features.

You can read portable document scanner reviews as they will offer you an insight into this industry and products. You will also be able to read customers opinion and user ratings that will help you in deciding on a particular brand of scanner. Certain things need to be kept in mind while making your mind about these products. The first is the price as no one wants to spend extra money on this purchase. The second important thing is the quality of scanning offered by the product.

An average portable scanner has a resolution of 600 dpi to 1200 dpi and can scan four to five images in a minute. It has an average weight of around one pound to two pounds and you can easily carry it across any place in the world. The second type of portable scanners is relatively larger with weights of around six to seven pounds but has better resolution and scanning speed and has USB 2.0 and Bluetooth interfaces.

Perhaps you may also have to assess your needs before buying this device. How many scans you need in a day? If you work is heavily focused on media and communications then you might need hundreds of scans. You can opt for the larger type of scanners to carry out this work. If you only want to use it sparingly or just 10 to 20 scan a day then the smaller type will be perfect. You can start your work any place in the world by simply attaching the scanner with the USB cord and integrating it into your laptop. An average price of $100 and a flexibility to move the scanner anywhere in the world, thanks to its light weight, is a great idea to begin with.

A portable document scanner is preferred by many people if they are frequent travellers or always on the go and want a perfect companion for their printing and scanning needs. While some critics are not happy with this popularity and have their own reasons to defile this device, the convenience factor is a major plus point.

A portable document scanner, according to major critics, cannot be a substitute for an actual, large size scanner. They are partially right as most of these portable document scanners do not offer as much scanning speed as typical large size equipment. They are however perfect for use during traveling and one cannot take a 20 pounds scanner on a flight and even on a car or train given its mammoth size. It does not just looks awkward but makes traveling difficult and you may even have to pay extra charges if you are traveling by air. Scanning speed is greater in some larger models so you will not face many issues to complete your projects on time.

The second criticism is related to resolution and quality. A standard portable handheld document scanner offers a resolution of around 1200 dpi which is quite a satisfactory figure. Scanning is done at an average rate of one image per 10 seconds so it is an acceptable rate for travelers and even those with average scanning needs. Some scanners have rather slower speed of one image per 20 or 25 seconds. It creates a diversity of choice to suit the needs of different customers.

Almost all portable document scanner reviews gives dimensions and weights of these devices. Still there are some people that argue that these scanners are large and cannot be carried easily. This point is partially valid as there are two types of portable scanners. One type is very small with some having a weight of less than a pound. They can easily be stacked in your backpack. The second type has a weight of around four to five pounds and is little larger. It can still be carried but you will need a large carrying box. The first type is good for people who have an extensive need for these devices and the second type is good for people who want to set up a remote office during their trip to other cities and countries.

Perhaps the best portable document scanner is one that best suits the needs of the user. Size will not matter if you have an extensive scanning requirement. Similarly you will require a very compact scanner if you are always on the go and want to use it during your train commute and flights. A simple focus on resolution, quality and speed will land you the best devices.

Do you want to scan to word every document and file stacked in your office? This might be a good idea as the era of keeping files in paper format is long over. It is now the time that you can think about converting those files into MS Word format or any other format that you deem perfect for this conversion.

You can use scan to word software that is installed in scanners and printers. Some of the software is preinstalled while you have to install the rest by yourself. It is not a difficult job and you can complete it within a few minutes. All you need to do is to use an OCR software, which his also known as optical character recognition software. This software takes snap shots of the document that you put for scanning and generates images in PDF, JPEG and other formats.

On how to scan a document into word, there will not be much trouble. You will simply have to install OCR software into your computer. USB cables have become an integral part of the scanners so you can easily connect it to your computer. The next step will be the actual scanning when you will place the document that you want to scan in the scanning tray and turn on the device. It will snap pictures of the document and transfer it to the computer. That will be the time when you will use a scan to word converter to turn your ordinary files into any document format you want. PDF remains the popular format as it is the simplest to use.

Newer breeds of software however scan text to word in other formats as well. You can use the different specifications available on the software to start the OCR function. It will generate a document with the same words that have been written in the paper. Newer machines are intelligent enough to decipher complex writing but there are still chances of error. You can tally the final output with the original document to make amends. The whole process will only take a few minutes.

The scan to word document procedure has enabled documentation departments of large organizations to do away with file keeping. They simply convert all these files into PDF and other formats by using large scanners. The good thing about this procedure is that you can do it with your ordinary portable scanner that you use in your home. There is no need of any large setup. All you need is the OCR software installed on your computer and a basic scanner to feed the scanned images into your PC. The rest of the functions will be completed within minutes and with great efficiency.

You may face a number of difficulties while looking for a portable document scanner. Prices may be higher than your budget and you may not find the features that you are looking for. If you are confused then here are some of the best scanners as a guide:

iConvert Portable

This portable document scanner is perfect for use by small organizations and home users. With a satisfactory resolution of 600 x 600 dpi, it provides ample scanning options to users. You can save the images to computer or microSD card. It comes with USB interface so that you can connect it to your computer. It operates on 2 AA batteries and is fully compatible with Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.4+ and other modern operating systems.

Canon imageFORMULA P-150

Canon P-150 is among the best portable document scanners. It is USB cable powered and has a speed of 12 ppm for black and white and 10 ppm for color prints. It has a 20 sheet auto document feeder. It is fully compatible with ISIS and Twain drivers and with a weight of just 2.1 lbs, it is perfect for use in all locations and equally good for offices and average home users.

Penpower Docket Port 467

This portable handheld document scanner is good for traveling and for ordinary use. It is very light weight at just 2 pounds and has product dimensions of 12 x 9.1 x 3.3 inches. It is fully powered by USB so not AC power is required. It gives a maximum resolution of 600 dpi and scanning size ranges from business card to legal documents and other formats.

VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand

This portable scanner offers a standard resolution of 300×300dpi and its image sensing technology is sophisticated enough to provide brilliant results. A higher resolution f 600×600dpi is also available.  It supports a Micro SD card up to 16GB and fully supports the JPEG scanning format, among other file formats. It comes in product dimensions of 10 x 1.1 x 1.2 inches and weighs around 7.5 ounces.

Brother Dsmobile Scanner DS-600

This is among the best compact scanners. It can scan a multitude of documents from business cards to documents of up to 8.5 x 14″ paper size. It comes with USB interface that doubles as power adapter and comes with a detachable USB cable. It uses just 0.2 Watt of power in standby mode and 2.0 W during operation. Its dimensions are 11.1 x 1.9 x 1.6 inches and it weights around 1 pound. You can even stack it in your backpack during traveling.

These printers and scanners are perfect for people on the go and equally good for home and office users.

Medical document scanning is a technique by which medical practitioners are able to access patient data instantly. The patient charts are recorded in electronic form. Medical personals can access these charts by the use of a PDA or a computer.

The health chart of a patient is a vital document when it comes to the medical profession. By using a document scanner, doctors are able to track records of their patients even if they are transferred to another facility, without having to go through the hassle of ordering physical charts. Furthermore, doctors can also conduct a medical records scanning of the patient if someone requires them to look for a particular patients history. This procedure would take minutes to complete.

Traditionally, it would have taken quite some time to search for a medical record, let aside the other problems in doing so. One would look up the file name, and then gain access to the record room to find the file. With the facility of medical record scanning, this discomfort is no more.

Earlier, doctors had to wait for days for the lab results to get filed before gaining access to them. They had to follow a procedure in order to get records issued to them. With medical document imaging software, the test results could simply be transferred to the required doctors within hours. If the results are being kept by a lab outside the premises of the hospital a doctor works in, he can simply log on to the internet and check the records if the lab is within the hospital network

Issues like tampering with medical records and loss of records can be minimized by the use of document scanner software. Records could be fed into a computer in addition to filing them up. The access to these records can be controlled by limiting their access. If there is a loss of record, one would know immediately which group of medical professionals may be at fault.

Medical record scanning saves both the cost and valuable time of doctors. The traditional way of filing records would require a separate person who is responsible to handle records. With medical records scanning software, there is no need for such a person. Hospitals can save valuable space that would have been used up as record rooms. Furthermore, operating the document scanning software is very easy and does not require a technical expert to do so.

The ScanShell 800N is a new and innovative scanner on the market by CSSN. For all the amazing features it has, it goes for about $189 only. Here are a few features of the ScanShell 800N:

• It is small and portable. The dimensions of this user-friendly scanner are 185mm x 52mm x 40mm, and it weighs only about 205 g. This makes this scanner very user friendly for workers on the go, if you like to travel often and a lot, and especially if you have a home office and want to reduce space.
• It is a flatbed scanner, which means you will have to feed it the sheets. Though for a scanner that small, the ScanShell 800N can scan pages up to the dimensions of an A6 sheet. This makes it the perfect device to scan documents like passports, driving license, photos, business cards, ID cards, lottery tickets and so on.
• It is powered by a USB port. This means that you just have to connect it to your desktop/ laptop/ iMac to plug and play, and be on the go! It will also reduce the amount of sockets you will need. This USB feature also means you can scan documents while travelling, without worrying about connecting it to a power source.
• The scan speed on this document scanner is simply amazing! It goes for about 7.5ms/line for colored scans, and 2.5ms/line for gray scale or black and white scans. So not only does this scanner save you space, it also saves time by being super quick with all you documents.
• It is Vista and TWAIN compatible, which makes it usable on almost any PC.
• This device comes with the latest scanner software, which includes the latest OCR technology. This technology enables you to search through your documents using a key phrase after you have uploaded them on your computer.
• One of the most amazing features of this scanner is its ability to recognize fonts on the objects to be scanned. These fonts can then be used and stored digitally.
• This scanner is designed for function, speed and accessibility. It can scan up to 1200 images per hour.
• It can scan directly to your hard drive, enabling you to rotate, edit and otherwise edit the scan. When images are scanned, the scanning area is fixed beforehand. The final images result from a predefined color scheme and resolution. This gives you the optimum quality scans at the lowest time and cost possible.

When setting up your ideal home office one of the first things you will do is to consider the equipment that will go in there: a phone, a PC, printer, scanning equipment, a faxing machine, chargers, etc. The more machines you use, the more power they will need and they will give off more heat. Thus increasing your electricity bill and the need for good ventilation. One of the solutions to this dilemma is to invest in space efficient scanning equipment.

One of the most options is a multipurpose scanner, such as those from Xerox. These can scan, print, fax and/or photocopy and this multifunctional ability gives rise to their popularity. These multifunction printers and document scanning equipment is priced from $600 to $1400 – varying from how many functions it can perform and the quality and versatility of these functions. For example, ink jet printers will be cheaper than laser printer and scanners with higher ipm and ppm will be more expensive than the ones that have lower counterparts.
The HP (Hewlett-Packard) Photosmart 2710 Multifunction Printer is also a very good option for home office owners. It combines all the best features and is yet very affordable. It is a printer, scanner, fax machine and photocopier all in one with excellent resolution. It has a 30ppm for monochrome scans, and 20ppm for colored scans. It is one of the few multipurpose slide scanning equipment that has Ethernet features. It has a large LCD display, so you can crop, rotate, edit and remove red eye from scans and photos even before they reach the PC. As a printer, it is one of the fastest, though with the backdrop being that it eats a lot of ink and you will need to replace the cartridges quite often.
Another option for home office owners is the Epson Stylus RX620 Multifunction Printer. But while it is a good scanner, printer and copier, it does not have the facsimile function. Considering this, it is a bit highly priced at $900. It has all the slots for different graphic cards and picture prints, thus making it a must have for photography enthusiasts.  The screen is easy to read, and the printing speed is pretty fast. Overall, user reviews for this piece of scanning equipment are highly favorable.
If though you do not want a multipurpose machine, you can also go for small scanners that are travel sized. But these will tend to be slower, with less memory and not be able to scan large documents.
Thus, the multipurpose scanning equipment should be come your new best friend!