An executive trying to make his office paperless couldn't find a duplex scanner that would direct-scan to PDF. He asked us, and we found a few.
Philip Cheresh is tired of wasting time. The San Francisco-based mortgage loan specialist has been trying to go paperless, but it's a mighty large task, given the amount of paper crossing his desk.
From tax returns to mortgage agreements, Cheresh has been looking for a way to scan his files into PDF documents that can then be stored on an external disk.
The problem, he noted, is that most of his papers are double-sided, meaning that to be truly efficient, he needs a duplex scanner that captures both sides at the same time.
A search for a duplex scanner that also does direct PDF conversions left him frustrated, he said. He found models that did one but not both tasks, and finally asked PDFzone for some help, adding that he'd pay up to $2,500 for a suitable model.
The Quest
Fortunately, it's likely that Cheresh can use some of his budget money for wining and dining clients rather than scanner purchasing.
In general, any scanner that has TWAIN drivers can be made to do direct PDF conversion. In other words, even if a duplex scanner doesn't boast about its PDF capability, it may have a right to make such a claim if it's TWAIN-compliant.
TWAIN defines a standard software protocol and application programming interface for communication between software applications and devices like scanners that capture images. The standard was developed by a consortium formed with representatives from Aldus, Caere, Eastman Kodak, Hewlett-Packard and Logitech.
Click here to read about software that converts scans directly to PDF.
Because it connects hardware and software easily, the way TWAIN is used to make a duplex scanner into a PDF-making machine is through a simple configuration step during scanner setup. When the user is asked what application to use to store a scan, choosing Adobe Acrobat as the default will create PDFs automatically during scanning.
Although not all scanners are TWAIN-compliant, many newer models are, and they come in a range of prices from companies like Fujitsu, Panasonic, Canon and other scanner manufacturers.
According to reseller Technology Galaxy, one of the most popular scanners that do both duplex work and direct PDF conversion is the Canon 2080, which sells for about $650. Because the scanner has PDF scan capability built-in, it doesn't need to be tweaked through software configuration as much as the merely TWAIN-compliant scanners.
With this capability, the 2080, as well as other scanners that do direct PDF and duplex duties, shaves a few seconds off each scan. In the greater sweep of time, a few seconds may not be much, but when Cheresh has a 100-page double-sided file in front of him, that saved time will feel like days.
Another choice is the HP Scanjet 7650 Document Flatbed Scanner, which was just recently introduced and retails at $699. The machine does up to 12 pages per minute, with preview scans within about 6 seconds. An included software package allows for organization of digital document files, as well as scan to PDF with one step.
No matter what model Cheresh chooses, it is likely that he won't have to spend anywhere near that $2,500, noted Technology Galaxy. Thanks to the TWAIN standard, Cheresh can go paperless faster without such a bite taken from his budget.
PDFzone's search for the perfect scanner continues. Click here to read Part Two.
Can PDFzone help you solve a problem? Just ask. Click here to e-mail Editor John MacKenna.
Document Management 
