Flatbed scanners simply cannot compete with your smartphone and a Scanner Bin. Improved resolution and color rendering compared to popular flatbed scanners. Compare to 1200 DPI. Takes a fraction of the time to scan at a fraction of the cost. Not to mention that flatbed scanners end up adding a lot of hazardous e-waste to your local landfill.
Solve the common issues with smartphone scanning. Provides a contrasting background for consistent edge-detection and auto-cropping. Controls the lighting and provides stability and proper positioning while you scan with your smartphone.
Scan photographs, receipts, letters, notes, artwork, fragile documents, etc. Also used as an aid for the blind or visually impaired or as a document camera for remote learning. When you aren't scanning, turn on its side to use as a desk-side bin to toss in the items you want to scan later.
This version is the lowest cost option for a scanner solution. It is also simplified for set up and use, and therefore is recommended for those who are blind, visually impaired or have movement disorders.
Use with popular FREE APPS for document scanning like Adobe Scan, Scanbot, Evernote Scannable, CamScanner, and Prizmo Go
Product Specifications
Product Dimensions: 13.9 x 11.4 x 0.7 inches
Item Weight: 8.4 ounces
ASIN: B00XM7LKZM
Item model number: 8541730083
Customer Reviews: 4.1 out of 5 stars 1,185Reviews
Best Sellers Rank: #119,901 in Office Products (See Top 100 in Office Products) #137 in Document Scanners
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer: No
Date First Available: May 14, 2015
Manufacturer: Scanner Bin, LLC
Country of Origin: USA
Minimum System Requirements: Windows 7
UPC: 634301725289
Product Information
Product description
Three uses for the Scanner Bin
Scan documents
Use as a desk-side bin
Use as a document camera
What is it?
We stand behind our product
Get quick answers to any questions
If you are missing anything on the packing list, let us know and we'll send it
If you are not satisfied, we will make it right
The Scanner Bin is a carefully designed camera stand that works with your smartphone to scan documents. When it's not used for scanning, it serves as a bin to hold the papers that you want to scan later.
It eliminates the common problems with scanning documents by consistently aligning your phone to the paper, controlling the lighting, providing a contrasting background, and holding paper flat.
The Scanner Bin is protected by US Patent 9,742,952 and additional patents pending
The Scanner Bin logo is a registered trade mark (Reg. No. 6,068,171)
How does Scanner Bin improve the smartphone scanning performance?
Controlled lighting
Issues: glare on glossy paper (like photographs and many mailed letters), shadows cast by your hand/phone or other sources, scanning software tries to over-correct for lighting uniformity and makes text illegible
Solution: for glossy documents, keep the flash off, and position the scanner bin so that a light source can illuminate the paper without large shadows. The Scanner Bin will block the light from the other directions, including overhead. For further improvement, you can purchase the LED add-on kit. For non-glossy documents, keep the flash on and block unwanted light with the Scanner Bin.
How does Scanner Bin improve the smartphone scanning performance?
Auto-crop with contrasting background
Issues: scanning apps have a handy feature that detects the edges of the paper and cuts out the rest of the background automatically. However, it only works if the paper and the background are different colors.
Solution: the Scanner Bin provides a consistent backdrop that contrasts with most colors of paper so that the scanning app software can easily detect the edges of the paper and automatically crop the image accordingly.
How does Scanner Bin improve the smartphone scanning performance?
Consistently aligning the smartphone to the scanned object
Issue: when you scan with your smartphone, you need to hold the phone in the proper position, relative to the scanned object. This can slow down the process or cause issues with the image quality.
Solution: the Scanner Bin utilizes adhesive foam bumpers to position your phone in the same location for each scan and allows for hands-free scanning with your smartphone.
How does Scanner Bin improve the smartphone scanning performance?
Scanning folded paper
Issue: flatbed scanners (although painfully slow) have a significant advantage over smartphones when it comes to scanning folded paper (most letters and receipts)
Solution: sold separately, we provide a carefully-selected transparent "Flat Sheet" (8.5"x11") that can be placed over the paper to keep it flat for scanning
Scanning with your phone achieves higher image resolution than 1200 DPI in a fraction of the time
Those with movement disorders or visual impairment
Anyone who needs to scan documents, photos, receipts, or other objects
Anyone who wants to improve the performance of their Scanner Bin
Compatibility
Smartphones and tablets
Smartphones
Either Scanner Bin version
Set-up process
Simplified
Assemble Top Panel, Insert Side Panels, Setup LED panels
Attach LED panel to Easy Setup Scanner Bin or use Stabilizers and LED Panel to illuminate from two directions on Adjustable Scanner Bin
Adjustability
Limited
Distance of smartphone to document, position of smartphone, position and distance of LED strip
Position of LED strip
LED lighting
not included
From two directions
From one direction
Flat sheet for scanning folded paper
not included
Included
Included
Scanning platform size
9.5" wide x 14" long
up to 12.5" x 17.5"
not applicable
Scanner Bin included?
✓
✓
Sold separately
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the equivalent DPI?
You can achieve better resolution than the 1200 DPI settings on leading flatbed and photo scanners.
Does it come with an app?
No, it is designed to work with all popular scanning and camera apps.
Recommended app settings?
If the item is not glossy, then use the flash of the smartphone. If the item is glossy, use an external light source (like our LED kit). Tap the screen to focus on text or lighten an area. Select "auto color" in Adobe Scan and "lighten" or "magic color" in CamScanner.
Is this cardboard?
Yes. We evaluated the use of a variety of materials and cardboard gets the job done at the lowest possible cost.
Which devices are compatible?
We are unaware of any smartphone models that do not work with the Scanner Bin if you use scanning apps that do not automatically zoom in. The Scanner Bin is not optimized for use with tablets, but some do work.