Legal-size scanners are scanners that can scan documents printed on legal-size paper. Most scanners nowadays can do that. But not all of them do. Also, the available scanners vary in reliability. Some scanners are better than others. And some scanners are much better than others.
The thing is that legal-size scanners are neither free nor cheap. One scanner costs you a fair amount of money. Therefore, you should pick wisely. You want to get the best scanner that is fit within your budget. We can help you with that. Here are the best legal-size scanners available today.
In this article
What Does Legal Size Mean?
Before we proceed, let's first discuss what legal size means. It refers to paper with a width of 8.5 inches and a length of 14 inches (22 x 36 cm). However, please note that these dimensions are for what's considered legal size in America. If you are in other parts of the world, the measurements may change.
What types of documents are usually printed on legal-size papers? As the name suggests, legal-size paper is commonly used for legal documents. These include contracts, court forms, and other legal paperwork.
5 Best Legal Size Scanners
Legal documents are important documents. So you'd want to back them up. Digitizing the document allows you to do that. Plus, it allows you to find or access the document even when you don't have the printed copy at hand. To do this, you need a scanner that supports legal-size papers.
Here is a list of our top picks:
Epson Scanners
Epson is a company that does not need any introduction. They create some of the most reliable printers and scanners. Here are their two best legal-size scanners in 2024.
Epson DS-1630
Price: $263.99
The Epson DS-1630 is one speedy scanner. It has a scanning speed of 25 ppm. Therefore, it is a fantastic option if you need to scan multiple files. Additionally, this legal-size flatbed scanner also boasts an optical scan resolution of 1200 dpi. This ensures good image quality.
Another noteworthy feature of the Epson DS-1630 is that it comes with the Epson Scan 2 software. It provides you with an OCR tool and other document management tools. So you don't have to buy another program to make the scans editable.
Epson DS-320
Price: $272.00
The previous Epson legal-size scanner offers an incredible scanning speed. But it is not the peak. This one is. The Epson DS-320 offers a blistering scanning speed of 50 ppm. On top of that, the Epson DS-320 has an automatic document feeder. It allows you to scan multiple documents quickly and without much effort.
And that is not all. The Epson DS-320 also offers a duplex feature. This feature allows the scanner to scan both sides of the document without you flipping the paper over and scanning again. You can save lots of time with this. And would you believe that a powerful machine like this is so easy to use? It's amazing.
Brother Scanners
Brother is another known machine manufacturer. They produce high-quality printers, scanners, and more. As with Epson, some of the best legal-size scanners came from this company.
Brother DS-640
Price: $99.00
This legal-size scanner is perfect for you if you're constantly on business trips. It is a lightweight, portable scanner that allows you to digitize documents on the go.
One of the best things about this scanner is its price. The Brother DS-640 costs only $99.00. You don't have to spend as much as when buying a different scanner model. Just don't expect it to have the same speed and image quality offered by more expensive scanners.
The Brother DS-640 also has an accompanying OCR and document management software. It makes the scanned text searchable.
Brother ADS-2700W
Price: $650.00
The Brother ADS-2700W is an expensive legal-size scanner. But its amazing features justify its high price. First of all, it has a touchscreen interface that lets you preview and edit scanned documents.
The Brother ADS-2700W also offers automatic duplex scanning. And it clears empty images automatically. Furthermore, it boasts a scanning speed of 35 ppm.
That is not all. The Brother ADS-2700W also has a compact design and flexible connectivity options. Because of that, you can easily fit this legal-size scanner even in smaller workspaces.
Plustek
Plustek is a well-known hardware company. The last legal-size scanner in our recommendations comes from them. Here it is.
Plustek OS 1180
Price: $349.00
The Plustek OS 1180 comes from a series of stylish flatbed legal-size scanners. It features a slim design that allows it to fit in many places.
This legal-size scanner has 4 buttons connected to the accompanying software. The four buttons are for scanning, OCR, email, and PDF. With these buttons, Plustek OS 1180 streamlines your workflow.
Also, it's worth noting that the Plustek OS 1180 can scan with 1200 dpi.
The only downside is that the Plustek OS 1180's document feeder can only contain 1 sheet.
Best Legal-Size Scanner App
At this time, because of technological advancements, you don't actually need a scanner to scan files. You can use your mobile phone to scan the documents! All you have to do is download scanner apps. These allow you to take pictures of a printed file using your phone's camera. Then, the app converts the captured image into document files.
The best scanner app you can find now is Wondershare InstaScan. It is a feature-rich, 100% free scanner app for iPhones. Here is a tutorial on how to use it.
Set Paper Size to Legal
Step 1 Install Wondershare InstaScan on your iPhone through the App Store. Launch the app when done.
Step 2 Tap the Settings icon on the top left of the InstaScan screen.
Step 3 Select Default Page Size.
Step 4 Choose Legal.
Scan a Legal-Size Document
Step 1 In the main interface, tap the green Scan button.
Step 2 Select one from the different scanning modes.
Step 3 Put the document on the viewfinder and capture it.
Step 4 Wondershare InstaScan will assess the quality of the scanned document to determine if it meets the criteria for a PDF.
Step 5 If you scanned multiple pages, you can rearrange them.
Step 6 Tap the Next icon to proceed to the part where you can adjust the pages.
Step 7 You can edit the scanned document in the next window. Tap Crop, Filters, or Brightness to use the editing features.
Step 8 Tap Organize to Add, Delete, Copy & Paste, or Merge pages.
Step 9 Select Done to save the scanned document.
Can You Convert Pre-Scanned Documents to Legal Size?
Yes, and it's super easy. You can use Wondershare PDFelement, one of the best PDF solutions on the market. It has page editing features, which allow you to change the scanned document's page size.
Furthermore, Wondershare PDFelement has an OCR function. It can convert image text to searchable or editable text. Do you know what's the best thing about it? Wondershare PDFelement's OCR feature recognizes over 20 languages! Thus, you can use it on many scanned legal-size documents.
Here's a tutorial on how to OCR and change the paper size to legal:
Step 1 Launch Wondershare PDFelement on your computer.
Step 2 Open the scanned document.
Step 3 You will see a Perform OCR button at the top of the screen. Click it. If it is your first time using this feature, PDFelement will prompt you to download the OCR functionality first.
Step 4 Select between Scan to editable text and Scan to searchable text in image.