Top 10 Must-Have Features in Modern Document Scanners

In today's fast-paced world, having technology that can keep up is no longer a luxury but a need. When it comes to document scanners, there are plenty out there on the market, but do they offer everything you need?

With an overwhelming amount of scanners to whittle your purchase down to, looking out for these top 10 features can help you uncover the perfect model pretty quickly during your search.

Plus, The Scanner Shop offers a myriad of high-quality scanners for various purposes at great prices—why not have a look around while you’re here?

1. Fast Scanning Speeds

The workplace is becoming increasingly demanding, no matter what sector you work in: marketing, healthcare, law, etc. 

With workloads constantly piling up, you need a scanner that can keep up. For quicker scanning speeds, you’ll need to find a scanner that boasts high pages-per-minute (ppm) rates so you can stay productive and reduce downtime in the office. 

Here’s what to aim for:

  • Casual users & home offices → 20–40 ppm
  • Small businesses & professionals → 40–100 ppm
  • Enterprise & high-pressure environments → 100-150 ppm

2. Duplex Scanning Capability

In 2025, we’re well past the age of single scanning capabilities. We’ve learnt how tiring and time-consuming manually flipping pages is, and we’re leaving the hassle behind. 

That’s why most modern scanners now offer duplex scanning capabilities (say goodbye to sore arms and pesky scanning errors). By opting for a scanner with duplex capabilities, you’ll be able to cut down hours on large scanning tasks and reduce the risk of missing scans.

If you need your scanner for professional purposes, always look for single-pass duplex scanning. These scanners use two scanning sensors to capture both sides of the document in one pass, offering efficiency like no other—just be prepared to pay more money.

3. Advanced Image Processing

Bad lighting, faded texts, and half-missing images are now a thing of the past. Advanced image processing eliminates these issues by automatically editing and adjusting your scans for a professional finish.

By purchasing a scanner with smart image correction features, you can expect:

  • Automatic de-skewing/ straightening of scans
  • Blank page detection and removal 
  • Elimination of unwanted stains, shadows, and faded ink (ideal for receipts and invoices)
  • Automatic contrast and brightness adjustments
  • Multi-feed detection and alerts
  • Text enhancement for better readability 
  • Edge and hole punch removal on scans

4. Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

One of the most important features to look out for when buying a scanner is OCR technology. 

OCR is able to scan and convert printed or handwritten text into digital text that can be edited and extracted. Better yet, you can organise and find your documents with ease by searching for keywords and copying any content you need. 

You can also extract data from invoices, forms, or contracts, which is perfect for the busy professional. Many scanners now also support multilingual OCR, which is crucial for companies that work with international businesses.

5. Versatile Connectivity Options 

With so many storage and connectivity options now available to us, your scanner must be able to offer multiple connectivity.

From cloud storage to computers and wireless connectivity, modern scanners can now send scans directly to other devices without the hassle of USB wires or manual file transfers. 

While USB connectivity is still reliable, wireless scanning offers unmatched ease and efficiency. If you work in a large office, Ethernet connectivity allows multiple people to scan and access files from a centralised network, offering better security and faster speeds. 

It’s time to leave the USB cable behind, don’t you think?

6. Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)

Manually turning over every document you need to scan is tedious and, luckily, no longer necessary with an automatic document feeder.

With this, you can place several pages into the document feeder and let the scanner feed them through for you. This eliminates the hassle of adjusting each page yourself and reduces downtime for large offices that need to scan large batches of documents at once. 

A robust ADF should hold at least 30–100 pages at a time. 20-30 sheets are good for entry-level scanners, but offices and businesses with high-volume scanning needs will need between 50 and 100 sheets.

7. Compact and Ergonomic Design

With most people now working on the go, large and bulky are now a setback rather than an advantage (in most cases, that is).

By investing in a compact scanner, such as our portable scanners, you can easily travel and complete your work simultaneously. Just pop it into your bag or briefcase and scan as you go. 

This is also a practical choice for small offices or those who work from home, as it saves plenty of desk space. However, if you’re an architect or a professional photographer, then large-format scanners should still be your go-to.

8. Comprehensive Software Integration

A scanner's hardware is only as good as the software accompanying it. By choosing a scanner with great software, you’ll be able to organise files easily, connect to the cloud, and access OCR technology.

Other important features include:

  • One-touch scanning
  • Search for documents 
  • Extract information without retyping 
  • Sync files
  • Edit and annotate documents
  • Integrate with emails, accounting software, and CRM software 

9. High Optical Resolution

Choosing a scanner with a higher resolution will mean common issues like pixelated images or blurry text will be a thing of the past. 

Optical resolution refers to the number of dots per inch (DPI) a scanner can capture in a single scan. The higher the DPI, the better the quality. 

  • Standard document scanning → 300 DPI (sufficient for clear text)
  • Detailed text & small fonts → 600 DPI (ideal for crisp business documents)
  • High-quality images & photos → 1200 DPI or more (captures finer details)

When making a purchase, always consider the scanner's optical resolution rather than the interpolated resolution. Interpolated resolution only makes the image larger; it doesn't enhance detail (don’t worry, it’s easy to get one mixed up with the other).

10. Advanced Document Security Features

With security threats continuously increasing, simple data protection no longer cuts it for the average scanner. 

When scanning business contracts, medical records, and legal documents, you want to make sure you’re protected from identity theft, data breaches, and cyber threats. In this case, you’ll need a scanner that offers the following:

  • Secure PDF encryption (to password-protect scanned files and comply with GDPR and data privacy laws)
  • User authentication (to restrict unauthorised personnel and document leaks)
  • Encrypted network scanning ( to protect wireless and cloud transfers from hacking or data interception)
  • Data erasure and auto-delete (to erase digital footprints of scanned documents)
  • Secure file destinations (to monitor and pre-approve where files are being sent)
  • Audit logs and tracking (to keep track of who scanned which documents and where)

Are You Ready to Invest in Something Better?

You work hard at your job, so you shouldn’t settle for less when it comes to your scanner.

With The Scanner Shop, you can experience quick scanning speeds, cloud compatibility, OCR-powered text search, and plenty more, all from renowned brands like Canon and Epson.

Are you unsure which scanner suits your needs? Contact us today, and our team will be ready to assist you. Order today and streamline your workflow with the latest in scanning technology!