10 Best High Volume Document Scanner | #1 Speed in 2023

We tested the 10 best high speed document scanner devices you can currently find on the market. If you are looking for a fast or high volume document scanner, we have tested each one of the following and rated them accordingly. In our experience, the FI 7700 is the best all rounder of the ones we tested, but the other devices are not lagging far behind.

If you are remotely familiar with production document scanners, you know that a high volume document scanner is used specifically for large quantities and mass document scanning projects. These are not your random portable scanners, these devices are mainly suited for mass digitization, with a large automatic document feeder and really good scan quality.

A high speed scanner great when you want to do paper scanning at high scale, to improve the current business process in an organization. You will be looking not for one scanner feature, rather you need a bundle of features that any production image scanner should have. 

Click here to use this easy tool to help guide you through the scanner selection process. 

A high capacity document scanner is the scanning equipment which is reliable enough to process large amounts of pages. These machines are built specifically for huge volume projects, where productivity is critical. Most often, this is a high speed document scanner, faster than the average scanning equipment. 

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1. 1. Best High Volume Document Scanner in 2022
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Fujitsu FI 7700 – Low Volume Commercial Scanner

• This is a very good and fast document scanner. It also includes a flatbed, therefore, you can scan just about any paper from a single batch.
• Scanning speed is at 110ppm or 220ipm in duplex mode. This is fast enough to process a lot of documents.
• ADF capacity is limited to 300, which is on the low side. Still, you can feed it while it’s scanning so this really helps.
• Fujitsu bundle the scanner with a great software. Paper Stream Capture is free and does a really good job at large batch scanning. The Fujitsu Web site gives you permanent access to drivers, software and any updates available. 
• While doublefeed detection is available on any scanner nowadays, intelligent multifeed function is something you must have. This allows you to easily skip false multifeed detection, while maintaining productivity levels very high. 

Our verdict

Out of the devices we ran in the test and based on our experience with other devices, this is our top pick. We found the ADF and flatbed combination to be really useful. For example, in one of the test we ran a mixed size document batch, and I had to use the flatbed quite a lot during the process. That really helped my productivity. Yes, it is slower than the FI 6800, but in the end I got a significant productivity increase just because it was easy to switch between the flatbed and the ADF for documents that are thicker or in bad condition.

Is it the fastest scanner? No! but it is definitely the best highspeed scanner you can buy, because of the versatility it offers. It’s priced a bit more expensive than your average commercial scanner, but it will run without any problems all day long. We had no reliability issues whatsoever when using it, so this is an important thing we took into account when we rated it. 

What we recommend is to use it for mid volume scanning and production projects, such as accounts payable or for healthcare providers with various scanning tasks. 

It might seem that the Panasonic Kvs7097 low volume production scanner does more or less the same thing, but trust us, the Fujitsu is miles ahead. And with the integrated control panel, you will be able to quickly handle any notifications you get that might stop the scanning process. 

My colleagues in the testing department found the machine to be versatile enough to process 1000 scans per day or 20000 documents a day. You can scale volumes up easily and with the free scanning software, you are buying a real work horse.

Fujitsu Document Scanners offer a free software bundle, so you can do intelligent document recognition and processing. You will save money on not needing to buy extra software. It also features SDK tools, so scanning directly to an electronic document management system is possible.

Fujitsu FI-6800 – Mid volume production scanner

This is the second best document scanner in our testing batch. I think it would have been at the top, if it weren’t for the fi 7700.  Main takeaways from our experience with this device are the reduced weight and size for its capabilities. My colleagues started moving it from a table to another to process different batches and setup was very easy and quick.

Compared to Fujitsu Scansnap models, this has a better feeding mechanism, higher quality CCD sensors and it’s built with production scanning in mind. Usually, it’s either Fujitsu or Kodak Alaris, with the perfect page technology, that fight for the highest quality in the scanning market.

We love that we can get high quality scans, from any photo and document you throw at it. Even scanning photos is possible given the really good capturing unit. I have seen some of our colleagues using this machine as a photo scanner, because the preferences are easy to set and the scanner delivers great images from the get go. Sometimes you won’t even have to to do further photo editing, which is really impressive. 

At the same time, the ADF can hold up to 500 sheets and scanning speed goes up to 130ppm. This machine is capable of scanning  50.000 sheets every day, without you having to worry about reliability. It’s little brother, the Fujitsu Fi6400 is also a great option, depending on the speed you need for your project. But all in all, the versatility helped us put the device at number 2. 

The only downside we face during the test was that you can’t attach a flatbed unit to it. But as I’ve heard, Fujitsu are working on this. Considering the low price and small form factor, this scanner is ideal even for busy scanning projects. 

Panasonic KV-S8127 – Industrial document scanner

I think this was one of the good surprises we had during the evaluation period of these devices. This is the most recent addition to the Panasonic range of scanners. They were missing an updated high end scanner. With the KV-S8x27 series production machines, they have both a 120ppm scanner and a 140ppm scanner with the Panasonic Kvs8147 model.  We see this device as close to an industrial scanner as possible. It has all the features you need to scan all day, and I must admit, the price is really good.

One of the things we really love about this scanner and what makes it an industrial scanner is the ADF capacity. You don’t often see 750 sheets hoppers these days. Where everyone has been reducing the form factor, Panasonic scanners are now available with a larger ADF. Some will argue that wireless connectivity is missing, but to be honest, you can’t really scan huge batches of office documents even with a wireless highspeed transfer.

This high speed document scanner connects through a USB cable, just like most other high volume document scanners on the market. It means that this is a dedicated machine, which you will be using through a dedicated computer or workstation. It does not have LAN, but I guess a SILEX device will let you connect it to your local network if you really need it. 

I personally think it’s right up there with the FI-6800, the only difference I see is that the Pansonic has a CIS sensor. Other than that, Panasonic have built a great color duplex document scanner and you should definitely consider it. Parameters are easy to set, the scanning software is good, but I won’t recommend it for scanning photos, given the CIS sensor. One thing that this kind of sensor allows is for cost savings, and Panasonic have transferred these costs to you, so you will be paying less than expected. 

As mentioned, wireless connectivity is missing, but this is a production scanner, not a digital sender such as a Fujitsu scansnap or a Brother ADS2700W. I guess this won’t affect you too much, as buying such a devices will mean you are scanning a lot of documents. So all in all, I can consider the Panasonic to be very good when scanning office documents, or this was the feeling we got when playing around with the machine.

Canon Imageformula DRG2140 – Fast scanner at an affordable price

When we first got the Canon DRG2140, we immediately focused on running it through a network of computers.  This means that when comparing to a Fujitsu FI7600 you will much easier transfer the scanned documents to the computer you want. It’s the option we were waiting to test, as we think it can provide significant added value for a lot of scanning projects we have. 

Lan Connectivity has not been used much in professional imaging applications. It was reserved in the past for flatbed scanners and other office products. It just wasn’t worth it for large scale document capture. But as we increase the optical resolution, the files tend to get bigger, and the lan connectivity really helps when transffering large amounts of data. 

Just imagine doing 600dpi duplex scanning and transfering through a USB 2.0. As documents pass through the sheetfed scanner, huge amounts of data will clog up.  Practically Canon is bringing network scanners to production environments, implementing a scanner feature that not many high speed scanners have. 

This won’t be an issue with your regular photo scanner or even flatbed scanners. It will mostly be an issue with scanners that work through a document feeder. A good example is the Canon Imageformula drg2140, which feeds documents using the sheet feeder at a rate of 140 pages per minute. 

All in all, we really like this scanner. We found it to be easy to work with, although it could have had a better scanning software. Also, the scanning quality was not bad for documents, but we found that the image we scanned were not up to fujitsu standards if we are to be honest. But this we expected, because we ran the photos through a CIS scanner.

What is a high speed scanner

This machine is a sheet feeder equipment that provides fast scanning of documents. They are reliable enough to process tenths of thousands of pages, over 1, 2 or even 3 working shifts. For example, a compact desktop scanner would not be able to scan documents this entire time, as it was not built with this in mind. 

Some scanners will run 24 hours a day without breaking down. The feeding mechanism and paper path are built specifically for large daily duty cycles and high scanner speed. Also, the same feeding mechanism, should be able to handle different paper sizes and thicknesses.

A sheet fed highspeed production scanner has to feature 3 of the following things: fast scanning, large feeding capacity, and robust built quality. Compared to your standard office document scanner, it should be able to run constantly, without stopping all the time because of high volumes.

You need high-speed scanning because productivity these days is critical. Especially for large scanning jobs, you need to have and be able to maintain an above average productivity level. Such machines are actually the fastest scanners you will find on the market.

The fewer times you have to load the paper into the scanner the more time you will save. Therefore, having an above average scanner feeder will help you decrease production times and improve the process efficiency. It’s not enough to use fast scanners, if you constantly have to load the paper feeder. For example a Brother Imagecenter ADS2800W is a really good scanner, but its Adf feeder will hold less than 100 pages, which is really not suitable for high speed scanning. 

Last but not least, the build quality of the machine is critical. Remember, a high speed production scanner is like a small factory. Therefore you need good reliability to reduce downtime and therefore increase productivity.

Best production Office Document scanners

As we have mentioned before, the best production scanner at this moment is the Fujitsu FI-7700. This will probably work very well in most office scanning environments, and it can also work well enough in an office environment. But do go through the following guide to get a better idea. 

The best high volume document scanner that you can buy is the one that achieves all your tasks with the minimum costs ( running and purchasing costs). Especially in an office environment where there is a real need to be eficient.

Let’s try an example just to give you a rough idea of how to choose such an equipment. Your scanning project means you have to scan 1 million documents each month for 12 months.

Since you only have 1 operator and the working week has 5 days, you will have to scan around 60000 documents each day. The first thing you need to do is select a scanner with a capacity that matches this value.

Let’s say the operator works for 7 hours each day. Just by doing simple maths, you will need to scan around 10000 documents every hour. This means a scanning speed of over 200 PPM.

Then we go to other aspects such as color, formats or even the cost of consumables. Always focus on what you need and your decision will be much better. We have always thought that choosing the best office document scanner requires a bit of analysis. 

Cheap High Speed Scanners

I would say that currently, the best cheap high speed scanner on the market is the Fujitsu Fi 7160 or the FI 7280 if you can find it under 1000 US Dollars. But do check the rest of the list in our table of document scanners for highvolume scanning under 1000 dollars. These are not actual portable scanners, but should be easier to move. 

They mostly use an usb cable but some also feature wireless or even LAN connectivity. For example the Canon Imageformula r40 is a really good small scanner. Nothing flashy there, 40 pages per minute and a duplex feature is just about the most you can extract at that price point. It’s definitely better than a flatbed unit like the Canon Canoscan Lide or even an Epson Perfection model. 

A good alternative to the Canon Imageformula R40 is the Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500, or the new model the Scansnap IX1600. Another small scanner that should do wonders, and at a really affordable price point. Personally, I think both models are better alternatives compared to a Brother Imagecenter ADS2800W or even a Visioneer Patriot. They are built by manufacturers that also build high volume production models, therefore there is some pedigree there. 

If you want to improve and spend a bit more, you should look at an entry level Fujitsu FI 7160 scanner or even an entry level Panasonic scanner. It’s definitely an improvement over the IX1500 model, and will be perfect as an receipt scanner, which a lot of users are searching at this price point. Personally, I would spend over 1000, and get the FI7280 flatbed unit addon, it’s a great feature to have. 

How to compare high capacity document scanners

When you start the buying process for a high capacity document scanner, you immediately wonder what your options are. And trust us, there are a lot of options out there. Immediately you realize you have to compare the scanners. The scanning element is just one of the things. Highvolume scanners must work on all fronts, hardware, software and usability. 

Comparing high capacity document scanners is not difficult, but it can prove quite tricky sometimes. Therefore, think on your feet and immediately start writing down the characteristics of your scanning projects. Elements such as color grayscale and bitonal scanning are considered standard. Automatic color detection is again a standard thing, even for a cheap scanner like the Visioneer patriot. 

This is the foundation when choosing a high speed production scanner. There are different terms and specifications when it comes to document scanners, but we have prepared below a glossary with explanations for most of them. These elements apply to both highspeed document scanners and slower document imaging devices. 

High speed document scanner price

So how much does a high-speed scanner cost? To give you a rough estimation, anywhere from 5000 to 1 million dollars. And I am not joking. There are high speed production scanners that cost 1 million dollars.

If you are wondering how much you should be paying for your equipment, you will have to reverse engineer the process a bit. Start with your project. What are the requirements? Depending on specifications, a high-speed scanner will cost more or less.

Don’t pay for high speed scanners if you don’t need them. Maybe your documents are black and white and 1 sided. Don’t pay for a duplex color scanner if it’s not required. Only do this when you have color documents in large quantities. 

Remember, there are situations when a 5000 scanner is expensive, and the one that costs 1 million is actually cheap. Prices are a relative thing. Always analyze what you need, and don’t pay more for features you are not using. Your project will tell you how much you can actually spend on a sheetfed scanner and also make money with it.

High Speed Document Scanner Glossary 1

Scanning size – Most production machines are A3 format scanners. I can only think of one A4 scanner that can be used for larger volume projects, and that is the Panasonic Kvs2087. But that equipment is a departmental scanner and should be used for busy office scanning environments. Stick to an A3 scanner when you want a real workhorse. Also check if it can scan wide format documents, such as narrow but very long paper sheets.

PPM/IPM – These acronyms stand for pages per minute and images per minute. The bigger the value the better. There are Kodak scanners available that will scan at over 400 images per minute. The i4000 series scanners and especially the i5000 series that Kodak Alaris market as the ultimate production machine for volume scanning. 

ADF Capacity – Most document scanners have an automatic document feeder. You use it to load paper into it. Again, the higher the value, the less loading cycles you will have to do during a job. Usually, the higher the feeder capacity, the better. 

Scanning Resolution – This refers to dots per inch. Most scanners will have the ability to scan from 150dpi to 600dpi. A scanner providing higher resolution values will be helpful, but such projects are very rare. General image quality is probably more important than resolution.

High Speed Document Scanner Glossary 2

Paper Thickness – This value is calculated in GSM, and most scanners will accept a value from 60 to 220gsm. Your equipment must be able to handle a wide variety of documents such as thin paper, thick paper, special paper such as a books magazines, and even very small documents such as business cards.

Duplex Scanning – This specification means that the scanner is able to process both sides of the document through one pass. Color duplex scanners are mandatory in any highvolume scanning project. 

Color – Most scanners should be able to do Black and White and Color. You will also have to check the actual scanning quality. For a highquality image, certain factors such as image sensor, software and hardware image processing functions are critical. 

Daily Duty Cycle – The duty cycle refers to the average number of documents you scan during a day. The price of Consumables and supplies is related to the daily duty cycle. The higher the volume of pages per day the cheaper the consumables are. A desktop scanner won’t be able to scan tens of thousand of documents every day. 

OCR – Optical character recognition is critical when you are processing large amounts of paper documents. It’s not enough to have it, you also need good OCR accuracy. Creating a searchable PDF is just the start. OCR process automation features enables users to increase efficiency and also do intelligent document recognition and data capture when needed. 

Drivers – You might struggle to find drivers for both PC and Mac, but in most cases we suggest focusing on good PC drivers, when you are scanning large volumes of documents.

High Speed Document Scanner Glossary 3

Barcode reading and detection – Highvolume Production scanners will use barcodes to recognize and detect key info input data, that is afterwards processed and uploaded to databases. When you do bulk scanning, you want documents to be structured by the metadata they contain. Barcodes allow this to be partially or fully automated. 

Receipt scanners – Scanners that are purposely designed to optimize the scanning of notes and receipts. This means that hardware elements, such as intelligent document protection, which protects thing paper during scanning, have been enhanced on the device. Also, the image enhancement is specially designed to optimize for text elements, rather than images and drawings. 

Manual document feeding – Whether you are using a midvolume production scanner or a really fast one, there are some documents that will only work when you scan them manually. For those documents, most manufacturers implement a manual scan mode. Users slip the documents manually into the scanner, usually by hand. The speed has been reduced and the mechanism is much more delicate in its purpose. 

FAQ about high speed document scanners

This FAQ is a guide to ease your entry to the world of document scanning and high level production scanners. We think it will help you understand better what to ask from suppliers and manufacturers when trying to buy your new device. For others, it will be a jump start on what to do if they suddenly find themselves in this world of document scanners.

What is the fastest scanner for documents?

The Fujitsu FI 6800 is still one of the fastest and more affordable document scanners currently on the market. Of course there are faster document scanners out there, but this one is a very good compromise between price, speed and quality. If you want to learn more about being a really fast scanner, go back to the beginning of this article and check out the fastest scanners available on the market right now.

If you are looking for the fastest scanner out there, we can tell you that you probably didn’t even know this brand existed. The Hemera scanners are still the fastest document scanners available, and most likely you will never be able to use their extremely high speed, because you are not fast enough at preparing documents for scanning. We always enjoyed seeing one of these devices at work, they are so sleek and fast. But for most users, they will be too fast and you won’t have enough documents to feed to make it worth the money.

What is the highest quality scanner?

At this moment I think the Fujitsu FI 7700 has the highest quality that is usable on the market. There might be scanners that achieve relatively higher image quality, but the Fujitsu can reliably do this scan after scan, without major hick ups. The product is so well optimized, that even scanning at 600dpi is an effortless process. I fully recommend this device if you want to scan at relatively high quality in a more productive manner.

Is 600 dpi good for scanning photos?

For most photos, scanning at 600dpi optical resolution will be more then enough. Actually, even 300dpi should be enough, if you are not planning on doing crazy resizes, such as 10x for example. We think that resolution will not be the main issue you will face when scanning photos. Color reproduction and tonal accuracy will be significantly more complicated to achieve, rather than the optical resolution of the image.

Start high volume document scanning now

As you can see, selecting a machine for high volume document scanning is not difficult. First, you have to understand the required specifications of your project.

• Fast scanning is one thing when you are processing large amounts of documents, but it also depends on the document size.
• Then you have to consider the reliability of the scanner. Can it withstand long working hours at really high document scan speed?
• Consider the daily duty cycle of the scanning equipment. The higher the volume it can run during a day, the cheaper the consumables and supplies are.
• Then you have to check the bundled software and how can this help you based on the document type you are scanning.

These are just some aspects to consider.

Luckily, vendors are willing to help you with advice and tips to improve scanning speed and productivity. Some will also extend their limited warranty, to suit your scanning projects. To get a really good document scanner for PC, that also supports documents of various types and sizes, you have to do your research.

Still, with practice, you will quickly see which is the best high volume document scanner for you.