When choosing a scanner you should first consider whether you need to use your scanner to scan photos, documents, or receipts. If you’re planning to scan a mix of all of these materials, or are shopping for a scanner for use at home, it may be a good idea to find a reliable high resolution photo scanner that is large enough to scan documents as well. From there you’ll also need to choose between a flatbed, sheet-fed, drum, or handheld scanner.

The four most popular types of scanners are flatbed, sheet-fed, handheld, and drum scanners. Today, many consumers opt for flatbed scanners because of their convenience and the greater resolution they may provide, but sheet-fed scanners also remain a popular choice amongst document scanners.

The higher the “DPI” (or Dots Per Inch) the higher your scanner’s scanning resolution. While modern scanners can exceed well over 1000 DPI, most consumers find that scanning a document at 300-600 DPI will allow for an acceptable resolution. However, if you’re going to be scanning a high quality image, you’ll want to opt for a much higher DPI.

The two most popular types of scanners are flatbed and sheet-fed scanners. While Sheet-fed scanners can quickly scan documents, their main pain point is that they won’t be able to scan a book or anything other than a sheet of paper. Flatbed scanners on the other hand can of course scan anything that can be placed flat on the scanner’s glass surface, and typically produce higher quality scans.

You can use a document scanner to scan photos, you’ll just need to enter the correct photo specs (sizing information) before scanning. Keep in mind of course that photo scanners typically produce higher resolution scans (and the higher the “DPI” the higher the quality of the image the scanner can produce) so if you’re looking for a universal scanner you’re probably better suited purchasing a photo scanner and using it to scan documents as well.