Types of Scanning from a Photocopier

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These days photocopiers are so much more than just photocopiers. They are becoming an integral part of most offices. They are equipped with a plethora of features which can increase productivity within the office and streamline workflows which were once time consuming and inefficient. In this post we are going to look at one of the most commonly used features of the modern photocopier. Scanning from a photocopier.

Scanning from a Photocopier

The function of scanning is something which has become commonplace in every business these days as the trend of digital media is becoming ever more prevalent. This combined with demand for all-in-one, do-it-all devices means that scanning from a photocopier diminishes the need to have an office full of smaller machines for each task. The fact that copiers are already geared up to cope with large documents being fed into them means they are perfectly equipped to handle the majority of scanning jobs with ease.

Types of Scanning

There are two main types of scanning which are used today. These are scan-to-email and scan-to-folder. Each have their pros and cons depending on the office environment in which they are used.

Scan to Email

Scan to email is becoming the most popular form of scanning from a photocopier. The reason for this is that everybody in business now has an email address that they can access. This means that you can send secure, confidential documents and information straight into an individual’s email inbox . Other than security, the other benefits of scan to email are that the setup does not rely on the user’s PC or Mac. Meaning that they can retrieve scans from anywhere that they can access their email i.e. phone or tablet. Once setup, scan to email usually only requires maintenance of the address book in order to update users as needed. Storage can also be managed very well providing that users are archiving or deleting emails that are no longer required.

One downside to email scanning is the size limit of attachments. Most email providers allow a maximum of 10Mb. This should be sufficient for most office documents. However when scanning large amounts of high resolution colour documents 10Mb will soon be reached.

Scan to Folder

Scanning to a folder is a form of scanning which has been in general use for much longer than email scanning. It provides a very stable, easy to use platform in which to handle documents. Scans are sent to a folder on a PC or server. These can then be accessed by either a single person or it could be a shared folder which the whole office can access. Simplicity is one of the biggest appeals of scan to folder but it also has its drawbacks.

The main issue is that any changes that are made to PC’s, servers or the network can easily disrupt the scanner. Storage also needs to be checked regularly. As scan folders can build up quite rapidly if users are not deleting documents after use.

Looking for help with scanning from a copier?

If you are having trouble with your scanner and would like some advice on setup we are here to help. We can also provide a range of multi-function devices to suit all office types. If you would like some assistance please feel free to give us a call.

About the author 

John Hynes

Working in the printing industry for 35 years (office equipment servicing and maintenance), John - Managing Director of Copy Print Services - started as a hands-on technician repairing all kinds of equipment.

He always kept up to date with the “evolution” of the machinery and worked on the latest equipment that would give the customers the most efficient way of producing a document.

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