A Guide To Sheetfed And Flatbed Scanners

Last Updated on April 14, 2021 by Christian Ralph

No matter what industry your company operates within, it’s likely that you will need a high-quality document scanner to create digital files of physical documents.

However, there are different types of scanner that you may pick depending on your business’ requirements – sheetfed and flatbed machines.

In this article, we’ve shared the two main types of scanner and the difference between them, along with exactly how your business can use them for your marketing activities and aid with organisation:

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What is a scanner?

A scanner is a machine that creates a digital copy of a document or piece of paper. It works by placing the physical item within the machine and converting the image into a file that can be stored on your PC or laptop. These digital copies can then be transformed into image or text files depending on the software being used.

Sheetfed scanners

Sheetfed scanners are the better option for those wanting to create large volumes of digital files. They have the ability to scan multi-page documents at high speeds, without the need to feed single pages manually, therefore enhancing the productivity levels in your office.

Flatbed scanners

A flatbed model is the smaller type out of the two and works by placing paper onto the scanning panel. Although flatbeds are able to scan documents at a higher quality than the sheetfed alternative, they are much more time consuming as they cannot scan as fast.

This type of scanner is most commonly used within businesses that have a requirement for quality over quantity and are more suited to scanning marketing material or photographs, hence why they are the most popular option for home use.

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How your business can use a scanner

Whilst scanners are one of the pieces of office equipment that have become less popular since the introduction of newer and smarter digital technology, sheetfed and flatbed scanners have additional features that your business can use, including:

Sending files to customers

Depending on the type of business that you run, you may need to physically sign documents such as contracts.

You can do this by including a scanner within your printing set-up; simply print off the document you need to sign, use a pen to add your signature, scan the final document and send it back to the customer via email.

Not only is it much faster than the post, but you can also keep a copy for yourself and your business’ accounts.

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Duplicating handouts

You can also use a scanner to duplicate handouts that you wish to give to your staff. Items such as handwritten department to-do lists, deadlines and important tasks can be duplicated using a scanner and shared with the rest of the team to aid with organisation.

Scanning promotional materials

When it comes to creating promotional materials to market your business, you can use a scanner to create a copy on your computer. For example, you can scan parts of magazine cut-outs where your company have featured and display these on your business’ website to prove your authority and credibility.

As you can see, there are a variety of uses for a document scanner and finding the most suitable one for your business’ requirements is key to having a seamless and organised system.

If you would like some assistance on how to determine which model is best, we’d love to help; simply get in touch with our team of experts today.