The Scan to PDF utility scans to your choice of an image PDF or searchable PDF (sPDF) file.
The Epson Scan utility calls up the Twain driver so you can use it directly.
The supplied software includes four separate scan utilities (Epson Scan, Scan to PDF, Document Capture Pro, and ArcSoft Scan-n-Stitch Deluxe), a Copy utility, Twain and WIA drivers, which let you scan directly from almost any Windows program with a scan command, and Easy Photo Scan, which not only scans, but lets you send your scans to a choice of destinations. Unlike the Epson V19, however, the V39 comes with a scan utility that includes an option to scan and save to Microsoft Word format, which at least gives you an optical-character recognition (OCR) capability. You might find using the kickstand preferable, however, as it takes up less space.Īs with the Epson V19 and a growing number of other low-cost scanners, the V39 comes with essentially no applications, so you have to rely on websites like Evernote and assorted free downloads like Picasa for tasks like managing documents, organizing and editing photos, and otherwise working with your scanned files. I prefer the flat-on-desk position, because using the kickstand makes it harder to position the photo or document on the flatbed. You also have the choice of either putting the scanner flat on your desk or using its integrated kickstand to position it in a not-quite-vertical angle to your desktop.
All you have to do is plug in the cable and install the software. It gets both power and data over a single, supplied USB cable. Setup and Software The V39 measures 1.5 by 9.9 by 14.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 3 pounds 6 ounces. However the V39 did a little better on text recognition in our tests, which is just enough to give it the edge. The Canon 220 and V39 are more directly comparable, and can both scan to editable text format. The Epson V19, for example, lacks software that will let you scan and save to an editable text file, a feature that most people need at least occasionally.
The V39, Epson V19, and Canon 220 all offer high-quality photo scans, but differ in other capabilities. However, the other three models offer 4,800ppi, which lets you crop in on a much smaller section of a photo, enlarge it, and retain more fine detail than you can with a lower resolution. The Canon 120 offers 2,400 pixel-per-inch (ppi) optical resolution, which is far higher than you need for scanning photos to view on screen or print at their original size. All of these are highly capable alternatives, but not quite a match for the V39.
There are only a few general-purpose flatbeds today that share the V39's lack of a film-scanning feature, including the Canon CanoScan LiDE 120 Color Image Scanner ($199.00 at Amazon), which is our preferred pick for a budget home scanner for snapshot-quality photo scans the Canon CanoScan LiDE220 Color Image Scanner ($111.00 at Amazon), which the V39 replaces as our Editors' Choice and the Epson Perfection V19 ($69.99 at Amazon). More important, it delivers enough to make it our new Editors' Choice for a budget home scanner for high-quality photo scanning. The V39 ($99.99 at Epson) leaves out the ability to scan film, so you don't have to pay for the feature if you don't need it, and focuses instead on giving you higher-quality scans for photographic prints than most MFPs can manage. Most flatbeds today can scan film, a design choice that's largely a response to the popularity of MFPs, which rarely include film-scan capability. The Epson Perfection V39 ($99.99) is basically a throwback to the kind of flatbed scanner that used to be standard. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.