Cheapest Evernote scanner?

[woodc1000 0]

Hi guys,

Looking at the cheapest scanner that will let me do automatic scanning and uploading to Evernote. Any ideas?

[Wern 246]

The cheapest scanner will be poor quality and you spend money for something inferior.

Rather than the cheapest scanner you should ask yourself "What is it that my scanner should be capable of" and then look for an appropriate model. The cheapest will always end in frustration and wasted money.

Wern

[woodc1000 0]

Well, it's just for scanning notes for university and I have Evernote premium so I don't need to worry about in built OCR. If the cheaper ones aren't much different in price to a decent one then I'd get a decent one but if the difference is big then I'd go for a cheaper one.

[jbenson2 2,147]

If you only need to scan a couple documents a day, then a flat-bed scanner would work. They are the cheapest and slowest.

But if you expect to do more, then I would recommend an automatic page-feed scanner (more expensive). The Fujitsu ScanSnap works very nicely for me.

[Metrodon 2,184]

Mr B - which model do you have? I'm in the market for a new scanner to replace my rather slow flatbed.

[jbenson2 2,147]

Mr B - which model do you have? I'm in the market for a new scanner to replace my rather slow flatbed.

I bought my ScanSnap S300 through Amazon a couple years ago for $239 plus free 2 day shipping.

They have newer models now. I prefer the small size - fits nicely on my desk for easy access.

You can see Alex use it on the Evernote blog

http://blog.evernote.com/2009/05/07/scan-to-evernote-fujitsu-scansnap/

[Metrodon 2,184]

Excellent - thanks.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Well, it's just for scanning notes for university and I have Evernote premium so I don't need to worry about in built OCR. If the cheaper ones aren't much different in price to a decent one then I'd get a decent one but if the difference is big then I'd go for a cheaper one.

If these are handwritten notes, you'll need to understand that EN OCRs handwriting differently than typing.

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=15182&p=59814&hilit=handwriting+recognition+pdf#p59616

This "tree" of possibilities means a note with the handwritten word "house" may also show up in a search for "horse".

[jbenson2 2,147]

Excellent - thanks.

You're welcome. By the way, I let ScanSnap do the OCR before it sends the PDF to Evernote. This will ensure that the PDF remains searchable, even if I remove it from Evernote. It takes an additional 30 seconds to perform the OCR process.

To be honest, I can't recall the last time I had to pull a PDF out of Evernote, so I might eventually just let Evernote handle the OCR.

[Metrodon 2,184]

I'm not a big scanner - pretty much everything comes to me electronically now. But the odd thing I do have is a painful process with the flatbed.....I feel like I'm in 2002....

[jbenson2 2,147]

I'm not a big scanner - pretty much everything comes to me electronically now. But the odd thing I do have is a painful process with the flatbed.....I feel like I'm in 2002....

I was in the same boat with an HP flatbed. Clunky and too big for my desk.

Having a small scanner by my left monitor makes it a lot easier. I try to keep my desk cleared of paperwork and mail. As soon as it comes in, I scan it, then shred it. Sometimes I postpone the tags and title, but generally I can still find anyways.

[mrgoerend 89]

I'm a big fan of the Doxie Scanner we just got for our classroom. $120 for teachers and students. http://getdoxie.com/product/doxie-u/index.html

[nova47 60]

which model do you have?

Metro, I got the Scansnap S1300 a few months back to replace my HP flatbed. Great performance, small footprint, very customizable, insanely fast for its size, great reviews and it didn't break the bank. Couldn't be happier. I considered the S1500 but the increased speed wasn't worth the big bump in price and the larger footprint.

This overview sealed the deal:

[Metrodon 2,184]

Thanks Nova - I may hold on and see how good the iPhone 4s/5/whatever they are going to call it's camera is.

Seems like it may be an 8 megapixel job with a bunch of Apple tweaks included - might be able to get away with taking pics rather than scanning.

And work will pay for the phone

[gazumped 11,652]

it may be an 8 megapixel job with a bunch of Apple tweaks included

Actually the most important factor for your camera will be how closely it can focus. I use the macro setting on mine for small items like receipts and tickets. Also 8MP generates humungously large files so I set the camera to 640x480 which seems to OCR normally and display fine on both mobile and desktop versions.

My general take on input methods would be:

> Sheet-feed scanner: small footprint

great for volume processing of A4 and smaller paper. (The Fujitsu S1500 can also handle low-volume A3 scans.)

Will copy books and bound documents if they are unbound first - so pretty much a one-time process for the book.

> Flatbed scanner: large footprint

very s-l-o-w and cumbersome. Books will survive a scan if you turn pages by hand between scans.

for bigger documents scan in sections and join images together.

> Camera: needs clear flat working space and light

most flexible for documents of all sizes, 3D objects etc. Keep the resolution down to avoid large files.

you may need a copying stand to hold larger documents flat - mainly a suitably sized sheet of glass on a flat surface

copying documents may also require even lighting and some checks that you have the camera sensor parallel to the copied surface.

It seems like a lot of cash, but I strongly advocate the Fujitsu 1500 / 1300 if you have to complete anything but very occasional scans. I managed with a flatbed for ages and got very tired of scan (yawn) edit and save. Now I can stack, scan and OCR 30 pages in pretty much the same time. The increased efficiency (and reduced frustration) is rapidly paying off the investment!

8)

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Thanks Nova - I may hold on and see how good the iPhone 4s/5/whatever they are going to call it's camera is.

Seems like it may be an 8 megapixel job with a bunch of Apple tweaks included - might be able to get away with taking pics rather than scanning.

And work will pay for the phone

As gazumped pointed out, there are some considerations when using a camera. But, I've had good luck with using my iPhone 4 as a make shift scanner for documents, when I wasn't able to use a real scanner. I've been able to get good "scans" holding a document in one hand & taking the photo in the other while in my car. But it's usually in good light, during the day. And yeah, you have to hold it just right to avoid glare. I would expect the next gen's camera would be even better & may suit your purpose.

[nonsensor 0]

The Genius Scan app for iPhone does a great job of helping you straighten, clear up and just generally turn your photo into a scan for text documents (like receipts). It can store multiple scans in the same document and integrates directly into Evernote.

[RicD 10]

@nonsensor, I agree with you. Genius Scan it does well on my iPhone 3GS. Only issue is sometimes it converts some documents to a very contrasty B&W, other than that it is a super, free, app.; use it often.

At my home office I use a ScanSnap S1300, on the road the ScanSnap S1100; both are fabulous devices. My neighbor uses the S1500; he scans tons of paper. For scans that I cannot remove from books and magazine I use my Epson V300.

If ones scanning needs is a few sheets a week or month I would recommend the USB powered ScanSnap S1100. No, it is neither the least expensive nor cheaply made; it is a quality device. With the ScanSnap software you can scan direct in to the iPhone.

[bburky 0]

I'm a big fan of the Doxie Scanner we just got for our classroom. $120 for teachers and students. http://getdoxie.com/...ie-u/index.html

Thanks for this knowledge. Sometimes I forget about the discounts we can get as professors.

[AlbertWhite 1]

You don't want the cheapest - Evernote is great but the cheapest won't let you really use evernote - Two things you need

1- It must be wireless - that you can use it in rooms without a computer (you can access it from you mobile device) - You want to keep it in the room where where the papers are (not necessarily where your computer is) - can be where you open your mail, receipts, your filing cabinet- everywhere - so put it where you need it.

2- You need fast and a document feed (not flat) so you can put a whole pile of papers in at once and just have it all scanned quickly

 

I found a great evernote scanner http://a-sale-on.com/wireless-fujitsu-scanner-price-and-review-fujitsu-scansnap-ix500-evermore-scanner/ - that's a great review. When you see what it does you'll realize that a cheap scanner isn't what you want

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

You don't want the cheapest - Evernote is great but the cheapest won't let you really use evernote - Two things you need

1- It must be wireless - that you can use it in rooms without a computer (you can access it from you mobile device) - You want to keep it in the room where where the papers are (not necessarily where your computer is) - can be where you open your mail, receipts, your filing cabinet- everywhere - so put it where you need it.

2- You need fast and a document feed (not flat) so you can put a whole pile of papers in at once and just have it all scanned quickly

 

I found a great evernote scanner http://a-sale-on.com/wireless-fujitsu-scanner-price-and-review-fujitsu-scansnap-ix500-evermore-scanner/ - that's a great review. When you see what it does you'll realize that a cheap scanner isn't what you want

 

I agree that you don't want the cheapest scanner, but rather the best one to fit your needs. If you are only doing a few pages a day, maybe a cheaper one would be fine. However, if you are like me, and you do anywhere from 1 to 1,000 pages a day (I did over 1,000 yesterday, but I generally don't go over that), then you'll want something like the Fujitsu ScanSnap ix500.

 

I am not especially keen on the wireless stuff, though it is nice to have. My main interest is in speed, accuracy, and reliability.

[kinson 3]

Hi,

 

Depending on how many notes you're planning on scanning a day, this might or might not be the solution.

 

I use DocScanner for scanning my notes on the go, or when I'm too lazy to walk to the office scanner and do what needs to do done.

 

The app isn't free (there are other free alternatives like GeniusScan or something, but I like this), and it can automatically upload to Evernote. I assume that's what you want.

 

I did a mini review on my blog here:

http://chungliwen.com/blog/docscanner-for-ios-my-portable-scanner/

 

Hope it helps.

 

Cheers,

Matt

[ab1kenobee 105]

Hello kinson:

 

I just recently purchased a Brother MFC-J6920DW All-In-One printer, replacing an HP OfficeJet Pro 8600 because of HP's below-standard tech support.

 

My goal is to digitize my receipts into EN as many of the saavy EN users have... and quick got talked out of defaulting to the above flat bed scanner to do the job.

 

I've read about EN user experiences using the following scanners: ScanSnap, Doxie scanner, Fujitsu, NeatDesk, NeatReceipt, etc.

 

I use an 8 MP Android Samsung Note 2 cell phone. After reading many of the EN threads on the  subject  of scanning to EN... I have to ask myself... WHY NOT USE MY PHONE as a scanner... which is with me 24/7?

 

I did a Google search with the EN forum and found: Cheapest Evernote scanner? where you posted about DocScanner (#22). The post also includes a helpful blog article you wrote: How I Use Evernote , which I found to be clear, non-promotional, economical, and practical. Thank you, Matt.

 

For as much success as you have enjoyed with this app, DocScanner, I did an EN search (using the Google option), and ONLY 1-result is displayed. Curious minds would wonder: Why only 1-result?

 

Many viable and helpful options have been laid out and discussed within the EN forum for which I am grateful.

 

As for me, boiling it all down after 1 to 2 hours of reading EN threads, I am glad-heartedly encouraged by your approach because: it's simple, it uses my existing equipment (my cell), and my scanning needs are low-end (20 to 30 scans per week - at max).

 

Matt:  Do you have anything to add about DocScanner and EN since your post above in March 2013?

 

Any other applicable commentary from experienced EN users?

 

Thanks much in advance!

 

Alan

 

 

 

UPDATE - 3:35 PM CST:  Matt, I just found the following post regarding: DocScanner S (paid - $3.00). Any comment from you?

 

A Google User 

Jun 6, 2013 Potentially great app Offers a unique feature over similar apps with its live-preview edge detection which works pretty well as long as there's a good contrast with the background. Good quality scans, and the quick-share options make it the fastest way to get a page of text into Evernote or other apps. Unfortunately the UI needs a lot of work, and it's buggy, but the developer says Android development has been stopped for the time being, so there's no timeframe on getting these things addressed.

SOURCE: http://www.appbrain.com/app/docscanner-s/com.haave.docscanner#descriptionsection

[gchamberlin 17]

Alan, I'm not Matt, but I have used an app called CamScanner on my Android phone (Galaxy S3).  It does a pretty good job of creating PDFs from the phone's camera, including multi-page PDFs.  It will share the resulting PDF with Evernote.  There is a free version - give it a chance and see how you like it. 

 

Greg

[kinson 3]

 

Hello kinson:

 

I just recently purchased a Brother MFC-J6920DW All-In-One printer, replacing an HP OfficeJet Pro 8600 because of HP's below-standard tech support.

 

My goal is to digitize my receipts into EN as many of the saavy EN users have... and quick got talked out of defaulting to the above flat bed scanner to do the job.

 

I've read about EN user experiences using the following scanners: ScanSnap, Doxie scanner, Fujitsu, NeatDesk, NeatReceipt, etc.

 

I use an 8 MP Android Samsung Note 2 cell phone. After reading many of the EN threads on the  subject  of scanning to EN... I have to ask myself... WHY NOT USE MY PHONE as a scanner... which is with me 24/7?

 

I did a Google search with the EN forum and found: Cheapest Evernote scanner? where you posted about DocScanner (#22). The post also includes a helpful blog article you wrote: How I Use Evernote , which I found to be clear, non-promotional, economical, and practical. Thank you, Matt.

 

For as much success as you have enjoyed with this app, DocScanner, I did an EN search (using the Google option), and ONLY 1-result is displayed. Curious minds would wonder: Why only 1-result?

 

Many viable and helpful options have been laid out and discussed within the EN forum for which I am grateful.

 

As for me, boiling it all down after 1 to 2 hours of reading EN threads, I am glad-heartedly encouraged by your approach because: it's simple, it uses my existing equipment (my cell), and my scanning needs are low-end (20 to 30 scans per week - at max).

 

Matt:  Do you have anything to add about DocScanner and EN since your post above in March 2013?

 

Any other applicable commentary from experienced EN users?

 

Thanks much in advance!

 

Alan

 

 

 

UPDATE - 3:35 PM CST:  Matt, I just found the following post regarding: DocScanner S (paid - $3.00). Any comment from you?

 

A Google User 

Jun 6, 2013 Potentially great app Offers a unique feature over similar apps with its live-preview edge detection which works pretty well as long as there's a good contrast with the background. Good quality scans, and the quick-share options make it the fastest way to get a page of text into Evernote or other apps. Unfortunately the UI needs a lot of work, and it's buggy, but the developer says Android development has been stopped for the time being, so there's no timeframe on getting these things addressed.

SOURCE: http://www.appbrain.com/app/docscanner-s/com.haave.docscanner#descriptionsection

 

 

Hi ab1kenobee/Alan,

 

Sorry for the late reply. I don't think I set up the notifications for this thread properly and didn't notice that you posted that question.

 

Thanks a lot for your kind comments, I'm really glad that it helped provide some useful information.

 

One thing that I noticed is that you mentioned that you're using a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, which means you're on Android. When I typed that post, I was using an iPhone 4/5, and I've since moved to an LG Nexus 4 (running Android). While my experience with DocScanner on iOS was awesome, I must sadly say that DocScanner on Android is horrible and I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I'm not sure why there is such a vast difference in quality, though the updated comment that you posted on the development of the Android version of DocScanner might partially answer the question.

 

As gchamberlin/Greg mentioned, CamScanner seems to be the de facto mobile scanning app for Android, and it's currently what I'm using. It's a far cry from DocScanner in terms of ease of use, but it gets the job done.

 

One other thing that I recently discovered is that while DocScanner for iOS seems to be rather good for scanning documents, it doesn't do very well on photos. I was trying to scan some photos, but they kept getting sized wrongly or the colours being inaccurate. I guess that's why it's called DocScanner and not PhotoScanner. That being said, it's still one of the apps that I miss most from iOS.

 

I guess I'd better update my blog post to reflect that my remarks are for the iOS version of the app, and not the Android version. Thanks for bringing this up!

[ab1kenobee 105]

Hello kinson:

 

Thanks much for getting back with both a clarification and update re: CamScanner and DocScanner applications for Android (post: #25)

 

Appreciate.  

Alan

[kinson 3]

@ab1kenobee:

 

No problem. Glad to be able to help.

 

Cheers,

Matt

[granlin4 0]

I am a sewist and would like to keep track of supplies and patterns. I grabbed some patterns from their websites but I have some older patterns that I need to scan so when I am shopping I can use the information on my cell phone. I have a HP all-in-one but have no idea how to send the scans to the right place. Do I need to get a different scanner? I see what I can do with Evernote but now I need a scanner or will my HP work?

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

I am a sewist and would like to keep track of supplies and patterns. I grabbed some patterns from their websites but I have some older patterns that I need to scan so when I am shopping I can use the information on my cell phone. I have a HP all-in-one but have no idea how to send the scans to the right place. Do I need to get a different scanner? I see what I can do with Evernote but now I need a scanner or will my HP work?

 

granlin4, your scanner should work fine with Evernote as long as you are happy with the quality of the scan output.

 

All you need to do is setup an Import Folder for Evernote and direct (or move) the scanned file to this import folder.

Most scanning software will allow you to setup the location (folder) for output of the scans. 

EN Win has the import folder feature built in.  For EN Mac, you will need to use AppleScript. See:  Evernote Import Folder Using AppleScript from Veritrope.com

 

Evernote doesn't really care what type/brand of scanner you use.

[granlin4 0]

Thank you for the information. I will give it a try sometime this week.

 

Granlin4