Best Book Scanners

The Plustek Opticbook 3600 is probably the most popular home book scanner you will find. Mostly because it is affordable for the average user.

It is a flatbed scanner that is designed to allow the book to hang over the edge while scanning. This protects the book's spine from the potential damage. It also allows better scanning of the edge of the text.

Plustek scanners utilize a "shadow elimination element" technology to reduce shadows and text distortion that can occur when scanning books, particularly the text around the spine. It is an A4 scanner, meaning it can scan documents up to 8.5 x 11.5".

The Plustek Opticbook 3600 Plus is essentially the same as the Opticbook 3600 with all the same technology and design features. It is an A4 book scanner with a 1200 dpi resolution.

What you get with the "plus" is the ability to scan directly to PDF, based on the Plustek provided software. If PDF is your desired output then spending the extra money may be worth it.

The Magic Wand Scanner by VuPoint is a great alternative to a traditional flatbed book scanner like those made by Plustek. Especially for anyone who can benefit from having a portable book scanner for library use as well as home use.

The Magic Wand scanner is relatively cheap ($100) and has great customer reviews. If you do not need high-quality scans, this mobile book scanner could be a great alternative to buying a flatbed book scanner.

The con is the Magic Wand scanner will not provide as good of a scan quality as far as resolution. You can only capture a 600 x 600 dpi resolution versus 1200 x 1200 dpi using a Plustek Opticbook 3600.

If your book scanning will involve random hardbacks and paperbacks to load onto your ereader or iPhone, you may be able to use a regular scanner. But the problem with using a flatbed scanner to scan books is that the pressure on the book spine can ultimately ruin the book. If you are scanning rare or expensive books, this just won't due.

A book scanner is designed to both alleviate pressure on the book spine while also allowing access to the print close to the spine for good quality. Unfortunately though, the selection of book scanners is somewhat limited for home use.

While Canon and Epson make great photo scanners, Plustek is the leader so far in affordable book scanners. These aren't exactly what the archiving department at your large university library is using, but the book scanners by Plustek are optimal for most bibliophiles and researchers.

Some people also utilize a large format scanner for scanning large books. These are not specialized book scanners so some spine damage may occur, but they alleviate the need for stitching scans.