Canon image FORMULA R40 guide

Canon's imageFormula R40 Office Document Scanner ($247) is an entry-level to midrange sheet-fed desktop document scanner designed for use in home-based or small offices and workgroups. Like our recent Editors' Choice, Fujitsu's more expensive Image Scanner fi-800R, this affordable desktop digitizer is relatively fast and accurate, and it comes with a well-rounded software bundle that covers most types of business-oriented scanning, including basic document management and business card archiving. Unlike several competitors, such as the Brother ADS-2700W Wireless High-Speed Desktop Document Scanner (another PCMag top pick), however, the Canon's connectivity is limited to USB, which precludes network and mobile device support. Otherwise, it's a capable desktop scanner for smaller enterprises.

Neat and Nimble

At 9.6 by 11.4 by 9.9 inches (with its trays closed) and weighing 6.2 pounds, the R40 is a few inches taller, longer, and heavier than the Brother ADS-2700W mentioned above, but the Fujitsu fi-800R, which is sort of a cross between a portable and a desktop model, is only about a third as high and half as long. Two other close competitors, Panasonic's KV-N1028X and the Alaris E1035, are slightly bigger and heftier, but not enough to matter much. All these document scanners except the Fujitsu increase in length by a factor of two or three when their trays are extended and they're in service, significantly increasing their desktop footprints.

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As I said, the R40's sole connectivity option is a USB 2.0 port on the back of the device. With it you can connect to a single PC, but you don't get networking or mobile device support. Of the other models mentioned here so far, both the Fujitsu and Alaris are also limited to USB. The Panasonic and Brother, conversely, can connect via Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB, and Wi-Fi Direct (a peer-to-peer protocol for connecting mobile devices to the scanner without either being on the same network). The ADS-2700W goes even further by connecting through Near Field Communication (NFC) and allowing you to scan to a USB thumb drive.

You can initiate scans from the R40's control panel, shown below, or from a couple of the bundled apps, discussed momentarily. The panel consists of a monochrome display for selecting numbered workflow profiles, a selection button for scrolling through profile numbers, Start and Stop buttons, and a manual feed toggle for adjusting for thicker documents such as ID cards. You can create and edit profiles using the supplied software.

The R40 can scan documents as small as 2 by 2.1 inches and as large as 8.5 by 118 inches. Its automatic document feeder (ADF) holds up to 60 pages, and its maximum volume rating is 4,000 scans daily. By comparison, the Brother's ADF holds 10 fewer pages with a daily duty cycle of 3,000 scans, while the Panasonic's ADF holds 75 pages and its duty cycle is 5,000 scans daily. The Fujitsu fi-800R's ADF is, at 20 sheets, much smaller, though its daily volume rating is 500 scans higher.

Software for Most Tasks

In addition to the standard TWAIN driver that connects you to most Windows and Mac programs that support scanning, the R40 ships with Canon's CaptureOnTouch, Readiris, and Cardiris. CaptureOnTouch is a full-featured scanner interface with basic document management features. It provides a range of options that allow you to quickly and efficiently scan documents and distribute them to various nodes across your management system. It's also the utility you use for creating and editing profiles for selection from the R40's control panel.