We all have piles of photos somewhere. Whether they’re all from one vacation taken two years ago or from long ago when camera flashes made everyone’s eyes red, photos are something we want to keep. The problem is, we don’t usually have all the space in the world for them.
Instead of keeping a giant 50-pound box full of photos in your basement, you could scan in photos and keep them available digitally. That way, you can reprint any older pictures and have them fresh and new for framing. This also keeps them from getting so worn, they’re barely visible anymore.
However, photo scanning can be a hassle. Not only can these convenient machines be pricey, they can also sometimes take a long time to figure out. No one wants to put precious childhood memory photos in a machine without knowing how to use it or if the picture will be safe.
Here at 10beasts, we know technology can be stressful. That’s why we’ve taken time to do the research for you, so you can know which 3D printing pens are worth reviewing, and which new gadgets and techs you should be considering. Since photo scanning is something we all look into at some point in life, we’re determined to the task easier on you by reviewing the top 6 best photo scanners available now.
Best Photo Scanner Reviews
Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Best Photo Scanner 2022
1. Doxie Go SE Wi-Fi
2. Plustek Photo Scanner – ephoto Z300
3. Epson FastFoto FF-680W Wireless
4. Epson Perfection V39
5. Jumbl 22MP All-in-1 Film & Slide Scanner
6. Canon Pixma TS9120 Wireless Inkjet All-in one Printer
1. Doxie Go SE Wi-Fi – Best Portable Photo Scanner
This one really has it all. From being portable to being able to sync with all of your devices, as well as a wonderful price and fantastic reviews, this scanner delivers professional results and can meet all of your picture and document-scanning needs (as well as anything else in your home or office you may need digitized).
About a foot long and 1.5 inches tall, this sleek scanner can be taken anywhere and connects to Wi-Fi easily. While it doesn’t come connected to a printer, it easily connects with printers already synced and paired with the Wi-Fi, so you can scan from anywhere and print easily. It also comes with its own scanning app to make the process seamless and perfected.
Here’s a breakdown of the Doxie Go SE Wi-Fi details:
- Weight: 1.98 lb
- Portable: Extremely portable and built for travel. This scanner was built for scanning easily anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection.
- Type: Feeder and app
- Power: Batteries. This has one lithium ion battery, which is easily recharged on the go.
- Ease of Use: This scanner is extremely easy to use and can be paired with an app for further convenience. It offers professional scanning in seconds with a feeder design.
Features:
- Cost-friendly
- Portable
- Sleek design
- Fantastic reviews
- Wireless scanning (integrated Wi-Fi)
- Scans in 8 seconds
- Rechargeable battery
- SD-card slot for available storage capacity
- Cordless
- App
- Compatible with Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, iCloud, etc.
- 1-year warranty and Satisfaction Guarantee
While we’re ready to rave about this portable and well-crafted photo scanner, there are plenty of reviewers who have highlighted some pros and cons you can skim here:
- Perfect for mass scanning
- Fast scanning
- As good as a flatbed scanner
- Works with Windows 10 and all other Google/AirDrop/Adobe Apps, etc
- Feels like a premium product
- Great customer service
- Perfect for travel
- iOS compatible (great for Apple users)
- Great product
- Small learning curb
- Wi-Fi setup can be confusing
- Doesn’t work with Ethernet connection (Wi-Fi only)
In the end, this portable scanner is a fantastic option backed up by excellent customer service. It is quick, easy to use, and connects to Wi-Fi for a seamless and convenient experience every time.
2. Plustek Photo Scanner – ephoto Z300 – Best-Reviewed Picture Scanner
Designed in a classy blue color and reviewed highly on Amazon, this feeder-style photo scanner is excellent for home scanning. It’s lightweight and has multiple functions, which make it perfect for keeping it next to an at-home computer for regular use.
Not only does this scan pictures in 2 seconds, but it can also scan documents, papers, letters, and so forth easily and quickly. With great marketing and fantastic reviews, it’s really no wonder this great option made our top 6 best photo scanners list.
Interested in more details? Here’s the breakdown:
- Weight: 3.26 lb
- Portable: Lightweight and moveable. Larger than Option #1.
- Type: Feeder
- Power: Cord. Plugs into desktop computer or laptop.
- Ease of Use: This scanner is easy to use for those who need to scan pictures quickly and effectively. You can scan over 300 pictures in one hour, blazing through the process.
Features:
- 2-second scanning
- Excellent reviews
- Photo editor/enhancer program included
- Works with Mac and PC
- Scans documents, pictures, drawings, receipts, bills, etc.
- Quick editing software
- Clue color
- Good, cost-friendly price
- Plustek roller is gentle on older pictures
If you’re excited to learn more, try reading some of these pros and cons other customers have posted in reviews:
- Easy to use
- Good for old photos
- Fast scanner
- Worth the money
- Good price
- Takes only seconds
- Time saving scanner
- Perfect for baby boomers with old pictures
- High quality scans
- Pretty quiet
- Not too many buttons
- Each scan is a separate document (no combining while scanning)
- Didn’t work too well with some Mac computers
3. Epson FastFoto FF-680W Wireless – Best Fastest Feeder Scanner/Best Feeder
While this epic scanner is pricier than most on this best-of list, it is for good reason. This Epson machine can scan 1 picture per second and offers crystal-clear resolution and Safe-Touch technology.
This is likely the fastest personal scanner available from a highly reputable company. It has great reviews, incredible scan speeds, excellent features, and a quality, durably-built frame that doesn’t take up too much space.
Here are the need-to-knows accompanying this Epson technology:
- Weight: 8.2 lb
- Portable: This scanner is moveable but not really built for frequent adjusting or constant room-changing. While it’s not a bulky scanner, it’s meant to be mainly stationary.
- Type: Fast Feeder
- Power: Wireless/Comes with power cord and USB
- Ease of Use: This scanner is easy to use and provides quick results. It can have a brief learning curb for the buttons, but it comes with easy-to-follow instructions.
Features:
- 1-second scanning/extremely fast scanning capabilities
- Safe-Touch photo handling for older pictures
- 300 dpi
- Epson FastFoto software is included
- Wireless scanning
- 2-sided scanning
- Auto upload & backup
- Quick share technology
- Mac and Windows compatible
- Great company
- Good reviews
As this is in the higher price range for scanners, this is a great quality investment for small businesses, busy homes, frequent family history/historical document research, and other fast-scanning needs. Here are some highs and lows customers have brought up:
- Priceless scanner, wonderful quality
- Churns through piles of photos effortlessly
- Best scanner for digitizing photos
- Fast and worth the price
- Good enhancement capabilities
- Easy to set up
- Great quality
- Color corrects with good results
- Unbelievable speed
- Difficult/lacking software for graphic design needs
- Pricey
- Learning curb
If your main goal is to blaze through piles of pictures and get on to the convenient editing and sharing software, this high-tech scanner has you covered.
4. Epson Perfection V39 – Best Cost-Effective Flatbed Photo Scanner
In contrast with Option #3, this scanner is budget-friendly and has the classic flatbed design. Also designed by Epson, you can expect high-quality scanning with great resolution at a fraction of the cost of many scanners on the market today.
This is perfect for scanning larger documents and prints as well as pictures and anything else you may need scanned. It comes with Advanced Digital Dust Correction and Epson software for editing or correcting pictures and papers after being scanned. The Epson Perfection V39 has good reviews and lots of potential for all of your scanning needs.
- Weight: 3.4 lb
- Portable: If you need to move this scanner around, that can be done easily due to its lighter weight and sleek design. However, it can also be used as a barely-moved scanner.
- Type: Flatbed
- Power: USB-powered through connection to computer. The USB cable is included.
- Ease of Use: This scanner is easy to set up and use, and it comes with easy-to-follow instructions on an informative DVD.
Features:
- Flatbed design
- 4800 dpi for detailed, clear images
- Epson Document Capture Pro included
- Epson Photo Scan software included
- Easy-to-use buttons and controls
- Instructional CD
- USB cable included for power
- Advanced Digital Dust Correction feature
- Kickstand-design
- Great price
- Good reviews
Here’s what customers have been saying about this scanner:
- Lightweight design
- Good price
- Good quality images
- Decent speed
- Greatly simplifies photo scanning
- Easy to get started
- Affordable, easy-to-use option
- Clear results
- Some customers reported compatibility issues with Windows 10
5. Jumbl 22MP All-in-1 Film & Slide Scanner – Film And Slide Scanner Best
If you’re specifically looking to digitize films and slides, the task can seem ominous and never-ending. Scanning these in a regular flatbed sounds long, and the feeder scanners are often too wide and could have complications.
Never fear, 10beasts has your back. The Jumbl Film & Slide Scanner is built to scan in these items specifically, and it comes at a decent price for decent reviews. This requires no phone scanner or crazy connections.
Here are some details:
- Weight: 8.8 oz
- Portable: Very
- Type: Feeder/Slide-and-Film-specific
- Power: Wired
- Ease of Use: This scanner is relatively easy to use for those who have never tried digitizing film or slides before.
Features:
- Speed-load adapters for 35 mm negative and slides
- 110, 126, and super 8 films can be scanned
- Speed loaders mean no reloading each slide
- Can improve image quality
- No computer required
- Saves to internal memory or memory card (memory card not included)
- Can connect to TV, Mac, and PC
- Good price
- 2.4-inch color screen design
- Cleaning brush included
Since there aren’t too many film and slide scanners out there with as many positive reviews, we’ve decided to include some of the pros and cons listed in these:
- Easy to use
- Great results
- Great color
- Better value than expected
- Saved lots of money digitizing negatives with this instead of hiring
- User-friendly
- Perfect for digitizing
- Quality product
- No complaints
- Small design, big savings
- Color quality can be improved
6. Canon Pixma TS9120 Wireless Inkjet All-in one Printer – Best Versatile Photo/Slide Scanner
This excellent home scanner can cover everything you need done for an affordable, wonderful price. Not only does it have fantastic reviews, but it provides excellent quality and easy use.
If you’re hunting for a scanner that can print, copy, scan pictures, documents, and slides, and which can work wireless and give stunning print quality, this is the right scanner for you.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Weight: 17.92 lb
- Portable: No
- Type: Feeder
- Power: USB/power cord (wireless)
- Ease of Use: Easy to use with clear instructions and many features to choose from.
Features:
- Wireless
- Inkjet
- All-in-One Printer/Scanning/Copying/Mobile Printing/Airprint/etc.
- CD/DVD/Blu-Ray Disc Printing
- Stunning quality
- Great reviews
- Compact design
- 2-sided
- Affordable
Here’s what customers have been saying:
- Great print quality
- Easy to set up
- Works great
- Compact printer
- Fast printer
- Fantastic customer service
- Great product
- Just what was needed
- Great for photos
- Set of ink tanks not included, just startups
Buying Guide
You might be looking at scanning old, slightly blurry pictures that are dear to you. Maybe you run a business or a blog and you need to scan in pictures, slides, or other things to make things easier on you. Whatever your purposes, there are things to consider before buying a photo scanner.
Type
Do you need it to be a flatbed or a feeder? Maybe something handheld or an app? Decide if you’d like a stationary scanner or if portability is your biggest concern. You might work on-the-go a lot, which would make Option #1 the perfect fit for you (it’s portable and very well-rated). If you’re looking at something to use occasionally, there are free and purchasable scanner app options out there too (although they’re not usually meant for pictures).
Price
This is something we all take into account naturally, but it is important to note here. If you’re planning on scanning in the long run, as for business, investing in a great or quick-paced scanned like Option #3 is probably going to be very worth it. However, if you’re doing a one-time minimalist paper purge and you mainly need to get pictures digitized, a more cost-friendly option is probably what you’re looking for.
One Or Two-Sided
Several pictures have sweet old messages written on the back with the dates of when they were taken and some are blank. Do you need a two-sided scanner? Flatbeds often offer scanning both sides, and some feeder ones are catching up in this aspect as well. If it’s just a few photos you want the fronts and backs of, you could still use a one-sided scanner and simply scan both sides and file them together. It’s up to preference here.
Speed
Time is money. Option #3 is one of the fastest, professional picture and document scanners out there, which can scan a picture per second if you need it to. Feeder scanners tend to be faster, but flatbeds can also be relatively quick if you know what you’re doing. If you have a need for speed, invest in one that can move a little quicker.
Printing And Copying
If you need a scanner that has printing, copying, and possibly faxing properties as well, there are many great options to pick from today. Actually, more and more regular printers on the market are making scanning an option, as well. Copying and printing and scanning go hand-in-hand.
Ease Of Use
Will it come with a learning curb? A lot of scanners do, and some of them make life as easy as possible while delivering good results. If you need the ease and usability of an app, those options are out there. If you need as few buttons as possible, or if you prefer scanning controlled by a smartphone or other gadgets, or if you prefer lining up several photos to scan at once… these all need to be taken into account when you’re buying one of the best photo scanners available.
How Often You’ll Use It
If you’re branching into family history as you scan in old pictures you found while cleaning out your grandparents’ basement, you might be using photo scanners a lot. Perhaps you have the desire to dejunk your house and follow the Marie Kondo method of tidying up. Decide if this scanner will be used every day, once a week, or once per year, and pick one that meets the needs of frequency.
Tips And Tricks For Photo Scanners
There are some big and small things you can do to make scanning in your pictures something that makes your life easier, not harder. Some of us run businesses or work two jobs, and some of us are getting into family history or trying to preserve older memories.
For each purpose behind the scanning, here are a few quick tips:
- Organize the pictures first. This streamlines the entire process if it’s done at the forefront. Instead of taking a million years to go through the tiny thumbnail pictures on your computer right after scanning in hundreds of pics, take the time beforehand to separate them by year, month, trip, age, people, whatever you want.
- Create files second. Even before scanning, you can set up the files each scanned block of pictures will go into. This also streamlines the process and seriously cuts back on the time it would take to organize pictures after they’ve been digitized.
- Set up time blocks. You could create a system as you’d like it. Many people scan one year of pictures, take a break, then the next year… or you could set up time blocks. For example, scanning for 25 minutes before a 5-minute break. Every couple of 25-minute time blocks of scanning, you could take a thirty-minute break.
You could scan for an hour and then take a break for an hour. Whatever you want. Just have a system so you don’t get burned out too fast and stop the project mid-way.
- Check the first few pictures before moving on. Nothing is worse than scanning in over 300 pictures and then realizing the scanner’s settings were wrong the entire time and they’re all blurry or black. While it might seem like common sense, try scanning in a batch and then go through the digital copies to make sure everything looks right.
- Scan several at a time. Several scanners offer the ability to scan in several pictures at once and then separate them later as a digital copy. This can save buckets of time. Rather than placing one pic, scanning, filing, and repeating, you can scan in several at a time, file, finish faster, and then separate them easily later on.
- Finish organizing files. Once the ominously large pile of pictures have all been scanned in and double-checked, you can finish tweaking dates of files and where they’re stored. You can delete duplicates (if you didn’t weed them out in the initial sorting) and you can label them more clearly if that’s the desire of your heart.
- Clean the scanner. After a long time of use, dust from old pictures and spills from the coffee you were drinking tend to show up on the scanner. Once you’re done with the entire process, it’s a good idea to give your scanner friend a good wipe-down.
- Upload to a cloud (if you haven’t already). This is the easiest way to make sure that when your computer crashes someday, all of your beloved pictures aren’t lost to the wind. Upload the images to a cloud of your choice and make sure they’re backed up and secure.
- Edit pictures. There are some fantastic apps and programs out there for helping restore particularly old pictures. Some of your favorites might need a little exposure adjusting or some lighting changes. If you don’t want to do this right now, no worries. The digitized pictures are completed and you have a very long time you could work on them.
- Decide what to do with the physical pics. If you’re seriously cutting back on your belongings to adjust to a minimalist lifestyle, you can give them to a family member who wants them or you could toss them. Many choose to still keep the pictures in photo books or mail them to loves ones. Whatever you decide, make sure they are organized.
Why Scanning Photos Is Important
Photo scanning can take up a lot of time, depending on how many boxes of old photos that have been hiding in your attic for over 10 years. Blocking out time to sit and scan tons of pictures can sound frustrating. You’ve got better things to do.
If you’re trying to decide why you should scan in all of these images, here are some good reasons to keep in mind:
- Decluttering. Pictures and boxes of old documents can take up a lot of space. Also, having the knowledge that those boxes, which have been sitting and collecting dust for the last decade, are full of things you need to go through is daunting and quite frankly stressful.
Besides the stress and the space the boxes take up, they’re usually not pretty boxes, either. If you’re working on decluttering your home or making sure that the stressfully obscure items are taken care of, scanning photos is a huge relief.
- Memories. A walk down memory lane can be very beneficial. You might be planning on decluttering one minute and then looking through pictures of your children growing up or the garden you worked on with your mother the next. Reminiscing is a powerful tool we can use to feel more centered and happy, which is always needed.
- Knowledge of the past. Our loved ones won’t be with us forever, unfortunately. Scanning in pictures now and possibly captioning or labeling them with details as to who is in it, where it was taken, when it was taken, and so forth is important to do to remember later, and our loved ones can help us with the details they remember.
- Protects the pictures. So many things can damage pictures. Oftentimes, pictures are kept in envelopes or stacked against other images, which causes rubbing and wearing down of the materials, which means the pictures won’t be as clear or they might just disappear. Water, fire, sticky toddler hands, getting lost in a move… anything can happen to those precious images. Keeping a “physical copy” only can result in losing them.
- Backing up important images/Digitalization. While only one or two physical copies of a photo exist, scanning in a picture allows you to upload it to a cloud, download it on computers, post it on social media, keep it handy on your cell phone, and so on. Keeping it backed up ensures your pictures will be safe and sound for a long time.
- Easier to share. Instead of mailing the picture to family and friends, or making countless copies to keep track of, you can scan in pictures and then share them as you please, whenever you please.
Next time your son or daughter asks what your hair looked like in the 80s, you won’t have to go look through hundreds of pictures to find the good one you’re thinking of. Instead, you can pull it up and send it to them via text so they can laugh right away.
- Photo books. Wouldn’t photo books be easier to make with physical copies of pictures, as opposed to digital ones? Not really. Making a photo book from physical copies entails buying the album, organizing the pictures, inserting all the pictures… and in the end, it’s usually not as cute as a digitally-created album made on Shutterfly or another online photo book creator.
With digital copies, you can easily pick the album design, insert adorable quotes and label dates, pick pictures in high resolution, decorate the book, and have it printed with the pictures directly on the page instead of in plastic slots. This makes scrapbooking easy and cute.
- Organization. You might be good at organizing physical pictures; you might not be. Most of us aren’t. With multiple copies of certain ones, plenty of confusingly similar time periods and haircuts, and so many years of pictures behind us, it’s definitely easy to pile them all in one big box and plan on sorting them out later. Later could be right now.
Only instead of letting them get mixed up again later on, organizing them and then scanning them allows you to place pictures in different files, label them, and have things perfectly organized for your next picture book.
- Scanning has never been better. Right now is a great time to scan pictures, because it’s never been easier. Scanners have never been so readily available and easy to use. They haven’t ever been as cheap as they are today. They’re on click away on Amazon.
Not to mention, putting off scanning pictures is the same thing as putting off organizing physical copies. Knowing you need to scan pictures in at some point makes you feel slightly guilty over a span of years. Scanning now is a relief, a fun time, and a therapeutic activity.
Conclusion
Finding the best photo scanner for you can be a pain. Luckily, this list of the best photo scanners available now is here with the details and tools you need to compartmentalize your things and make life easier.
Now that you know why to scan pictures, which photo scanners are best, how to scan, and all the benefits that follow, hopefully you can make an educated decision about which scanner to go with. Since we’ve done the research for you, scanning pictures has never been this convenient. Family memories and important documents can be preserved the best by using one of these top 6 best photo scanners.
Like this? Then we bet you’ll love our other guides on mice for hardcore gaming and portable DVD players.
Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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