We review the Fujitsu Scansnap ix1500 color duplex document scanner. It is the newest scanner with touch screen for Mac, PC and also great for cloud storage.
As the official replacement for the Fujitsu Scansnap IX500, we expect the ix1500 to be just as simple to use as the model it is replacing.
| Model | Scanning size | Speed | Connectivity | Price | |
| 1 | Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500
| 216 x 360 mm (8.5 x 14.17 in.) 279 x 432 mm (11 x 17 in.) with carrier sheet | Simplex / Duplex: 30 ppm at 300dpi Color | USB 3.1 and Wi-FI | Check the Best price on Amazon Now |
| 2 | Fujitsu Scansnap IX500
| 216 x 360 mm (8.5 x 14.17 in) 279.4 x 431.8 mm (11 x 17 in.) with Carrier Sheet | Simplex / Duplex: 25 ppm at 300dpi Color | USB 3.0 and Wi-FI | Check the Best Price on Amazon Now |
| 3 | Epson DS-575W
| 216 x 320 mm (8.5 x 14 in) 297×420 mm (11.5 x 17 in ) with Carrier Sheet | Simplex : 35 ppm Duplex : 70 ipm | USB 3.0 and Wi-FI | Check the Best Price on Amazon Now |
| 4 | 215.9 x 297 mm (8.5 x 11.5 in ) | Simplex : 30 ppm Duplex : 60 ipm | USB 2.0 , Wi-FI and LAN Cable | Check the Best Price on Amazon Now |
If you want to learn more about the old model, then read our review on the Fujitsu Scansnap ix500 scanner.
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Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500 specifications
PFU markets this scanner, just like most models of the Scansnap series, for personal and small business office use. For example, it will sit very well in an accountant or law offices.
Looking at the driver, technical specifications and software included, such as OCR or Scansnap Home, the equipment promises a lot. If you also take into account the touchscreen interface and a decent scan performance, then you can start to understand what the fuss is about.
The image sensor is probably the first thing you will look at. In this case, the sensor is CIS. This means highquality scanning, but not the best scanning quality.
Scanning Quality
As much as these CIS sensors are evolving, they are still lacking the image quality of an average CCD sensor. Still, I would not worry too much. The optical resolution is 600dpi on this image scanner, which is enough for just about any scanning task.
The quality of the scanned images is very good. Yes, it is a CIS scanner, therefore it’s not suited for scanning artwork, but for the most part, images will look very good. Remember, the Fujitsu image processing features are very good indeed. Just make sure you create specific profiles for your scanning jobs.
For 99% of the scanning, you will be fine and never notice a difference. Stay away from fine art and photos, and you will be fine. I would also suggest you build scanning profiles for different materials or even for different users.
For each profile, you can assign an icon to improve efficiency. I can stress enough to personalize your profile icons so you can easily spot which ones to use.
Paper handling
Scan Speed is one of the most important factors when you evaluate a scanner. In this case, the IX1500 can scan at 30 ppm color, grayscale or 60ipm in duplex mode. Yes, this is a very low speed for a production scanner. But as a personal scanner, or for low office volumes, you will be fine. Being a duplex document scanner, it will go through your small batches quite quickly.
The Automatic Document Feeder Capacity is average. More expensive document scanners, such as the fi7160, for example, are quicker, but the document feeder ADF is only 50 pages larger. While it could be higher, 50 is still enough for this kind of document scanner. Remember, the Scansnap IX1500 scans face down, so you can load it while it’s scanning.
Regarding paper thickness, I would say it is quite a nice value. At 40gsm it will scan thinner paper than you will most likely ever encounter. Looking at the 209 gsm value, I would say that is in the industry standard. The straight paper path allows scanning papers of different sizes and thickness. It will easily scan a form, invoice, or other internal company documents.
Last, but not least, the IX1500 duty cycle is around 400 pages per day. This is more than enough for what you will use the scanner, most of the time.
Please explore all scanning modes that Fujitsu offer for this scanner, to see which one suits your project best.
Connectivity
Connectivity is also interesting. The USB and WI-FI combo makes this scanner a really nice choice for most environments. Use the USB connection when you have to scan larger batches, and for that occasional couple of pages, the WI-FI will prove great. This scanner will support 2.4GHZ and 5 GHZ wifi connectivity, although only the 2.4ghz is available with direct connect mode.
If wifi is not available, you can use the USB cable and make this a desktop scanner for PC and MAC. This will turn the equipment into a dedicated scanning station better suited for larger batches. Scanning via USB is recommended when you are using the scanner as a dedicated workstation.
Through the scansnap connect application you can scan directly to IOS or Android mobile devices. This only works via Wifi. Especially being a scanner for busier environments, scanning to smart devices will save a lot of time.
Fujitsu Computer Products is pushing this product as the smart home color duplex document scanner which you can use to scan directly to Mac and PC.
Scansnap ix1500 Features
The 4.3 inch touch screen. We think you will like this feature as it allows for quick scanning at your fingertips. Having that big touch screen is mandatory these days.
On the color touchscreen, you will work with large icons and the user experience is fairly good. Don’t expect Apple or Android experience, but I would say it allows for easy and intuitive scanning. Everything is available at the touch of a finger.
The ix1500s touch screen works as the control panel for the operation of the scanner. All the scanned data can be managed from the control panel, including scanning profiles, destinations or even file naming.
Intelligent Maintenance and consumable replacement
Maintenance notifications will save you quite a bit of time. They will “ring you up” whenever for example, it detects streaked images caused by dust. It will quickly show you the source of your problem so you can clean the interior of the scanner or if needed, to replace the consumables.
Especially the dust detection feature is of real help. Even if this feature does not detect some streaks, the streak reduction option will correct the image for you. It is a very nice automatic image correction feature, that sometimes works wonders.
The Consumables expected lifespan is around 200.000 documents. This value is just huge. Only a couple of departmental scanners achieve such values. For an entry level scanner, this is unheard of. This feature should be the main selling point of this scanner. In practice, not many users will swap the consumables during the lifetime of the equipment.
The intelligent maintenance features, lead to clean images and less rescans. This in turn, improves the overall productivity and greatly lengthens the scanners working life.
Media Handling Features
Multifeed sensors are a nice addon for an entry level scanner. Combine them with the feeding technology and you will get production level feeding of documents through the machine. I can’t see scanning environments nowadays without intelligent multifeed detection. Without it, we would miss too many documents in the normal scanning process.
Automatic size detection lets you manage various documents and batches in one go. The scanner and software will automatically detect the size of each document and crop it accordingly. This feature is especially nice to scan business cards or small sized documents.
The blank pages detection feature is available as you would expect with such a sheetfed scanner. This detects and removes white or blank pages automatically from each batch, even when scanning color pages. For example, I use it when I duplex scan mixed document batches, that are both single and double-sided.
There is also an option to buy a carrier sheet or a photo carrier, as Fujitsu calls it. This is a highly transparent PVC that should be used when scanning highly fragile documents, photos or other paper forms that can be easily damaged. The carrier sheet will last around 500 scans, but should be replaced sooner if there is visible damage to it.
Software Features
Scansnap Cloud application simplifies the transfer of image files directly to your online storage solution. As we’ve mentioned, Evernote, Dropbox or Google Drive or other popular cloud apps can be integrated directly with your scanner.
The scanner will output just about any file format you can think of. PDF, Jpeg and Tiff is possible, while with the OCR function allowing you to create Word or a Searchable PDF file. Resolution will go up to 600 dpi monochrome, grayscale or color.
Scansnap ix1500 Software and Driver
Most users will prefer operating this scanner as standalone. This means that they won’t connect it to a computer, rather they will connect the Scansnap directly to their network.
We expect most users to operate it through the scan to email function. This is the most frequently used feature in a network scanner and the IX1500 will most likely be used like this. At the same time, you can use the IX1500 to scan to Evernote.
I have seen that Evernote still has a lot of users, and this function will definitely be useful. You can upload your files directly into Evernote, using just about any file format you can think of.
If you have bough this device already, the following link will take you the Fujitsu Scansnap ix1500 Driver and Software download page.
Scansnap Home Review and OCR
PFU delivers this scanner with Scansnap Home. This is a software that can organize your personal details and is designed to be easily connected to the Scansnap range, including the IX1500. As you build more experience with the Scansnap Home software, you will notice the exact areas where this software shines.
While Fujitsu claims this is a software for personal use, you can successfully use it in your company for basic tasks. It doesn’t have complex features, but it’s free and it’s more advanced than storing into a folder.
Also bundled with this Fujitsu scanner, you should have an Abbyy FineReader for Scansnap. Just like with other models of the Scansnap, it is not the most advanced Abbyy version, but the OCR engine works as expected.
You can do most OCR operations you would do with a more advanced version of Abbyy. Just take the source files and drag them to Abbyy and it will OCR them immediately. But we love that we can use ScasnapHome and OCR together, to better file our documents.
System requirements
System requirements are pretty standard, and the scanner works with all the major operating systems. This includes Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7, while for Mac it should work for Mojave, High Sierra, and Sierra. Even if you connect it directly to a computer, the requirements are basic.
All the Scansnap software delivered in the box will help you with the scanning, including the Nuance power Pdf. But while it will help you achieve highquality scanning, it does not mean it will work on every OS.
In fact, the above mentioned OS, are all supported through drivers, but individual compatibility must be checked first. For example, the Optical Character Recognition software might not be compatible with all MAC Os’s. The Scansnap document management software which you might use to scan receipts will only work on certain windows systems. And so on.
Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500 alternative
In this paragraph, we will focus on the common alternatives you can get for the IX1500 scanner. These are scanners that are more less in the same spec range as the IX1500, and are priced more or less the same.
We must tell you that specs are never the entire point. Therefore, we also recommend you also check the reviews of other users. Some devices are very good, but their usability is poor, therefore you should also consider it when buying a machine.
Scansnap ix500 vs ix1500
| Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500
| Fujitsu Scansnap IX500
| |
| Scanning area |  A4 – 8.5 in x 15 in |  A4 – 8.5 x 14.17 in. |
|---|---|---|
| Long Document | 300mm (118.11 in.) | 863 mm (34 in.) |
| Connectivity |  USB 3.1, WiFi | USB 3.0, Wi-Fi |
| Document Thickness | 5.4 to 56 lb | 11 lb to 56 lb |
| Daily Duty Cycle | 500 sheets | 500 Sheets |
| Hole Punch Removal | No | No |
| Document Separation | No | No |
| Barcode Recognition | No | No |
| Price | Check price on Amazon | Check price on Amazon |
As we’ve already told you, the Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500 is now replacing the old Scansnap IX500. While the older model was the first scanner with touch screen, the new one continues down that path.
The IX500 was already a very good scanner. When it came out, we think that it was pretty much the benchmark wireless scanner in this price range. Now, the ix1500 turns out more pages per minute than the IX500, around 30PPM.
Besides minor improvements, such as scanning speed or a bit faster USB connection, the biggest improvement is the SDK package.
The IX1500 is a more updated scanner in terms of possible integrations with current Cloud or Web based solutions. Given the price point which is more or less the same, we think it’s a no brainer to buy the Fujitsu IX1500 scanner over the old model. Just click here to check the price on Amazon for this scanner.
The only reason we think you might consider the old Scansnap IX500 model is if you are using a custom developed software that has already been integrated with the IX500.
In such situations, integrating the IX1500 on short notice might be too expensive. But this thing aside, if you were to compare Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500 vs IX500, the first will always perform better.
Brother Ads-2800w vs Fujitsu ix1500
| Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500
| Brother ImageCenter ADS-2800W
| |
| Scanning area | 8.27 in x 11.69 in | A4 – 215.9 mm x 355.6 mm ( 8.5 in. x 14.0 in.) |
|---|---|---|
| Long Document | 118.11 in | 215.9 mm x 5,000 mm ( 196.9 in. ) |
| Connectivity | USB 3.1, WiFi | Gigabit Ethernet, Hi-Speed USB 2.0 or Wifi |
| Document Thickness | 5.4 to 56 lb | 27 – 413 g/m2 |
| Daily Duty Cycle | 400 sheets | 3000 Sheets |
| Hole Punch Removal | No | Yes |
| Document Separation | No | Yes |
| Barcode Recognition | No | Yes |
| Price | Check price on Amazon | Check price on Amazon |
One of the Fujitsu IX1500 alternatives is the Brother ADS-2800W, which is the update of the ADS-2700W model.
As you can see, both scanners come with Wireless and USB connection. They make good file senders, whether you are scanning a batch of 1-2 sheets or a larger batch. Connect them through the USB and they’ll make for the perfect desktop scanner, for light production.
Both scanners have a similar scanning speed, although when enabling different features, you might see a drop compared with the rated scanning speed.
The Brother ImageCenter ADS-2800W only has an USB 2.0 connection, but this won’t harm it too much. I guess the transfer speed won’t suffer too much in most cases.
So choosing between the two is more of a personal preference, as the price is similar, therefore this might be a viable alternative. You can check the price on Amazon for the Fujitsu ix1500 or the Brother Imagecenter ADS-2800 scanner.
Should you buy the Fujitsu ix1500
The first thing I am expecting from Fujitsu regarding this scanner is the price level. You can find the IX1500 on Amazon or on ebay. This way you will find the best IX1500 deal.
I can’t really say what I would pay for it. While there are environments where 600 $ would be a steal, there could be others in which they would never pay that price. Guess it all depends on what you do with it.
I must say I am expecting the price to be around 500$. If it is around that price, or even lower, I am sure the machine will be a great success. While it comes with a standard power cord, I am wondering how difficult would it be to connect it directly to a 12V power supply, for example in a car.
The second thing I am expecting is SDK and driver integration into third-party software or applications. These days, good hardware is just not enough. I would say that good hardware is mandatory, but without integration options, it is a dying product. So Fujitsu will have to deliver in this area.
Last but not least, I expect the scanner to come with SWAP warranty and 3-year warranty extensions. What this means is that if your IX1500 breaks down, another one will be sent to you, while this will be collected. It’s a small machine, it’s not that heavy, I do expect this option to be available.