Even though there have been decades of debates about going paperless, the majority of industries still hold a mixture of both digital and paper-based files and documents. Converting digital data into physical papers is very simple and has been done for a long time; all you need is a printer. However, digitalizing a text from a sheet of paper is more complicated. This conversion requires more time and effort, and is impossible without the right tools for scanning the texts. But with IRIS portable document scanners, turning a physical document into a digital one would be just a matter of some minutes, or even seconds.
In a previous article about portable document scanners, we discussed the rise of portable document scanners and how they have gained a significant amount of popularity in different industries. As we mentioned, these new devices are already in demand by a vast number of people and even more industries are becoming interested in what they have to offer. Now, we wish to introduce you to the different types of portable document scanners and will present a specific model from IRIS Company under each category to better demonstrate the benefits of these scanners.
There are four main types of portable document scanner:
- Digital Pens
- Handheld Scanners
- Sheetfed Scanners
- Multi-Page Sheetfed Scanners
Let’s take a look at the main features of each category:
Digital Pen Portable Document Scanners
A digital pen is a hand-held input device that allows the user to digitally capture their handwritings or drawings, and then convert them into digital data. Once digitalized, the captured handwritten data can be uploaded to a PC or a smartphone and displayed on screens. This allows the digital data to be utilized in various applications, or simply be used as a graphic. The digital handwritten data is usually saved as an image file (GIF or JPEG), but it varies in different models as some digital pens use a proprietary file format.
In case users desire to write a text using the digital pen and then digitally capture their writings or drawings, they need to acquire a special digital paper or a digital notebook. After they are done writing on the digital paper, they can simply save their texts and then dock their pen in its USB cradle in order to transfer their digital files to their computer. A large number of digital pens also contain a handwriting recognition software that allows the users to import their handwritten notes into typed texts.
Digital pens are battery-operated and usually come with a USB cradle to let the user upload the handwritten notes to a personal computer. Some models are equipped with a digital recording device that allows people to use them as intelligent Dictaphone, which is a great option for students who want to record the voice of their teachers while taking notes. Some of the newer models of high-end digital pens are wireless and take advantage of Bluetooth technology.
These pens do not require wired connection or a docking station to transfer information. Instead, they send the captured texts or drawings directly to the users’ PC or smartphone. The speed of scanning and the quality of the scanned images vary in each model. But the majority of new products available in the market deliver a high quality of image after transferring their digital data into a PC. The capacity of the storage also depends on the model; some digital pens store 40 pages, some 80 pages, and some models can save up to 100 pages.
One of the best models of digital pens is the IRIS Pen Air 7, which can also translate texts. This model, being merely 28 grams of high-tech, is very easy to use. It simultaneously reads and translates text lines from books, magazines, school manuals, or anything else into up to 40 foreign languages.
Furthermore, IRIS Pen Air is able to scan texts on any kind of paper document. After scanning, you can easily copy and then paste the digital data to your smartphone as a result of its Bluetooth connectivity feature. Apart from texts, logos, signatures, or small graphics, IRIS Pen Air can also scan and recognize MICR CMC-7 font barcodes, which are widely used for scanning bank codes, account numbers, check numbers, check amounts, or check control indicators.
IRIS Pen Air can be used for many purposes, including scanning books at the library, translating menus at a restaurant, or scanning barcodes from a bank transfer slip. By helping users save countless hours of tedious retyping work, this practical, easy-to-use tech device is perfect for students, teachers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, as well as any private user or professional. It is also worth mentioning that IRIS Pen Air has proved to be an ideal tool for students conducting research using physical copies of books or for writers wanting to save ideas or excerpts from their readings.
Handheld Portable Document Scanners
Handheld scanners are a small type of portable document scanners that are moved by hand over the material you wish to capture. They are used for scanning a physical document and converting it to digital data that would be displayed on computers or smartphones in order to be stored, edited, and transferred.
Not only are handheld scanners smaller and more affordable than their desktop counterparts, but they also scan items that could not fit in a desktop scanner due to their size. Moreover, these scanners allow users to scan items that are located in mediums that are not compatible with desktop scanners; for instance, it will be quite difficult to scan a page or two from a 500-page book using a desktop scanner, whereas this can easily be done using a handheld scanner.
Another important point to mention about handheld scanners is that they partially rely on the user’s dexterity to move the device across the paper. Users can also use the aid of a tray to keep the scanner in a straight line. Since it is very important to keep the device straight, experience is also a factor in the quality of the scanning’s final result. Some handheld scanners also have some added features and functionalities such as definitions, translations, and reading printed text aloud, as well as storing and sending scanned content to PCs and other devices.
Handheld scanners can be exceptionally useful and, to some extent, very important for inventory management. They present a very convenient way for scanning goods in a store or a warehouse as they are light in weight and easy to carry to the desired location. This way, there would not be any need for lifting heavy items just for scanning; a small handheld scanner is a safe tracking device for such items.
Handheld scanners have numerous advantages for both business and personal purposes. They make life much easier for those who are constantly scanning and sending documents, especially in the middle of travelling. Their small size makes them an incredibly useful device in these times of emergencies.
There are also some handheld scanners used specifically to scan barcodes. The industries that can mostly benefit from using these types of handheld scanners are defense, oil and gas, utility, telecom, cable, manufacturing, retail, education, and any place with a warehouse. Government and education institutes can also make use of handheld scanners for tracking expensive assets, managing resource utilization, and other asset tracking needs. Using handheld scanners, these industries can become more accurate and efficient, increase their work quality, save a considerable amount of time and money, remove human errors as much as possible, and last but not least, increase their profits.
One example of handheld scanners is the IRIS Scan Book 5 Wifi. As a great product among IRIS portable document scanners, IRIS Scan Book 5 Wifi is considered one of the fastest book scanners. It can scan books, magazines, and documents in up to one second per each page and then make a multi-page PDF by scanning several pages of a document.
One of the best features of IRIS Scan Book 5 Wifi is its ability to transfer scanned documents to any computer or mobile device via Wifi. Furthermore, thanks to the InstantResult feature, IRIS Scan Book 5 Wifi displays the scanned texts instantly on the screen. Over and above that, this handheld scanner is powered by a powerful lithium-ion USB rechargeable battery and also features a SD Card slot and a USB slot. The resolution of its final images is up to 1.200 DPI and their format can be either JPG or PDF.
Sheetfed Portable Document Scanners
A sheetfed scanner, which is also referred to as an ADF scanner or an automatic document scanner, is a digital imaging system specifically designed for scanning loose sheets of paper. These types of scanners are widely used by various businesses to scan office documents and paper sheets.
In traditional sheetfed models, archives and libraries benefit from the fact that they can scan books that have been disbound or other robust unbound documents. Basic factors and features such as the speed of scanning (pages per minute), duty cycle rating, duplex capability, and obviously, the weight and size of the scanner varies in each model. A number of sheetfed scanners can also handle thick originals, such as health-insurance ID cards.
The process of scanning is automatic in sheetfed scanners. You can simply put your paper sheets in the devices and let your documents get drawn from the sheet feeder and pass across the machine’s image sensor, and ultimately end in the output tray. The software integrated into the scanner is intelligent enough to easily recognize graphic images and scan them in order to convert them into a digital text.
As we mentioned, in many models the process occurs automatically, so you can basically leave the device to do its work. However, it is recommended to double check sensitive documents in order to avoid having any transcription errors. Those models that have duplex scanning capability are twice as fast since they scan both sides of a document at the same time. Sheetfed scanners are best used with standard printed materials, from signed legal documents to stacks of memos.
Some specific models of sheetfed scanners can also accommodate mixed paper sizes in a single batch. However, it is also important to know that these devices might not be able to handle oversized documents. Moreover, fragile or damaged documents that might be pulled apart in the feeder should not be used in a sheetfed scanner either. Similar to the previously discussed types of scanners, the image quality of scanned documents in sheetfed scanners varies in each model, but they generally have lower resolutions compared to flatbeds or photo scanners. That is something to remember when you need a high-quality scanned image or a specific document.
Some models of the IRIS sheetfed scanners are different from the traditional sheetfed models; they can accomplish some things that traditional models cannot, while also lacking certain capabilities that their other sheetfed counterparts are better at accomplishing.
A good example of a unique IRIS model of sheetfed scanners is the IRIScan Desk 5. This new tech device is a USB-powered desktop camera scanner, which can scan books, documents, contracts, passports, drawings, deeds, ID card, and so much more. IRIS Desk 5 scans a very wide range of documents, up to A4 double page format (equivalent to A3). It even provides the possibility of scanning receipts and proof of purchase documents.
IRIScan Desk 5 and 5 Pro, as two of the best models of IRIS portable document scanners, are both equipped with webcams that allow them to project text live onto a screen, which is similar to a projector. As you might know, many people use explainer videos to show and explain a product to their audience. Thanks to its multi-camera feature (meaning the scanner is equipped with a webcam (used for projection) and a camera (used for scanning)), these two scanners allow users to share their explainer videos whilst simultaneously showing their work materials for perfect interaction with their audience. Even teachers can benefit from this feature when they ZOOM with their students and want to show their work. This function is very useful for a variety of purposes such as e-learning, correspondence courses, video tutorials, and more. There are a wide variety of available formats for exporting the videos as well, which are .AVI, .MP4, .FLV, and .WMV.
IRIScan Desk 5 is the perfect choice for those who like to scan books without damaging them. Using smart image processing, IRIScan Desk 5 delivers nearly perfect results. In only a couple of seconds, Desk 5 creates perfectly straight, flat files. Also, with the help of the scanner’s automatic detection feature, which automatically and quickly notices a user’s fingers and the turning of a page, the scanning process is even faster in comparison to traditional scanners of the like. Therefore, IRIScan Desk 5 can scan and obtain a double-paged PDF in just three seconds. There is a vast range of different file formats for exporting files, which are JPG, PDF, TXT, JPG+XLS, JPG+TXT, or ePub. It is also possible to combine the results with Readiris Corporate to convert the digital data into MP3 and WAV audio files.
Banks, insurance institutes, professional educators, hotel receptions, logistics, healthcare centers, hospitals, receptions and shop sales desk, and other professional professions and organizations can greatly benefit from using this scanner.
Multi-Page Sheetfed Portable Document Scanners
Much like sheetfed scanners, multi-page sheetfed scanners are a great option for sheets of paper. However, with multi-page sheetfed scanners, it is possible to create larger volumes of digital files in an easier and faster manner. These devices are able to scan multi-page documents at high speeds, without the need to feed single pages manually, which in result, enhances the productivity levels in an office.
A great example of multi-page sheetfed scanners is IRIS Pro 5, which is one of the best among IRIS portable document scanners. IRIS Pro 5 can scan 23 pages in just 1 minute, which means each page is scanned in less than 3 seconds. This scanner, powered by USB + AC, is fast and has the duplex scanning feature. It can scan notes, contracts, letters, correspondence, ID cards, insurance cards, business cards, invoices, receipts, and much more, directly into PDF, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc.) or other formats. And the resolution of its scanned digital files is 300/600 DPI.
IRIS Pro 5 is exceptionally useful for self-employed professionals, tasks related to accounting and tax work, legal and security, and administrative work. This scanner is a powerful tool for self-employed professionals and freelancers. With its advanced features and its added software suite, it allows the users to manage their invoices, contracts, and other files efficiently. This way, freelancers can only focus on their business and their customers, without wasting time shuffling papers. It can also perform tedious tasks for people in different industries, such as organizing folders, sorting, searching, and filing.
Real estate sectors, healthcare centers, and pharmaceuticals can also greatly benefit from IRIS Pro 5. This multifunctional scanner simply allows them to scan medical records, medical prescriptions, insurance cards, medication plans, and more. And lastly, the scanned documents are easily converted into digital formats such as PDF or JPEG, making it possible to share them instantly with colleagues and associates on a preferred cloud-based platform.
Conclusion
As you can now see, there are various types of portable document scanner, each coming with their own features and capabilities. Among all the models that these four types of scanners present, one must find out their own needs and priorities before making a purchase. After all, each one of them is best suited for the specific contexts they were designed for.
