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Scanner Bin - The Clever Document Scanning Solution

Free shipping on orders over $29.99

$12.95

$ 6 .99 $6.99

In Stock

About this item

  • 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 Description

Three uses for the Scanner Bin

scan documents with smartphone and scanner bin

Scan documents

use scanner bin as a desk-side bin

Use as a desk-side bin

scanner bin used for remote learning

Use as a document camera


reviewing scan from easy set-up scanner bin
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

What is it?

  • 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.
  • Recommended scanning apps: Adobe Scan (most recommended), Scanbot, Evernote Scannable, Camscanner, Photomyne (photos), Prizmo Go (blind & visually impaired)
  • Designed, manufactured and packed in the USA
  • 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)
a scanned image is distorted due to the shadow cast by the smartphone used to take the image

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.
a scanned image is distorted due to the shadow cast by the smartphone used to take the image

Controlled lighting

scanner app on smartphone automatically detects the edges of the doc and auto-crops background

Auto-cropping

bumpers are used to consistently align the smartphone to the scanned object

Shaking hands or alignment issues

flattening a folded receipt with a transparent flatsheet for smartphone scanning

Scanning folded paper

Scanning with your phone achieves higher image resolution than 1200 DPI in a fraction of the time

comparing scanner bin resolution to 1200 DPI of flatbed scanner

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.

Quiet one
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2025
Haven't use it yet. It solid clean well made. I'll come back do a better update give star nicely made scanner. UPDATE .Did everything the seller said it better than buying a flatbed scanner.Thank you
ranchhand
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2025
What would you expect for a very inexpensive item made of corrugated cardboard? But it solves a real problem if you want to use the high quality camera in your phone to take consistent scans of documents very affordable. The add-on kit with an LED light strip helps a lot with shadows and adds some simple cardboard stabilizers. This is a good solution if you want to scan dozens of items but appears to be too fragile to scan many hundreds and it is hard to use without bumping the box. Scanning apps highly recommended by the seller. I chose CamScanner.
Lord High Poohbah
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2025
I feel completely ripped off by this cheaply made product. The idea behind it is great, but the execution is terrible. The materials feel flimsy and low quality, definitely not worth the price. It doesn’t hold its shape well, and the overall construction is nowhere near sturdy enough for reliable scanning.On top of that, the setup is frustrating, and it doesn’t improve scan quality enough to justify the cost. Honestly, a stack of books and good lighting would do a better job. If you’re considering this, save your money and find a better solution. Not recommended.
J
Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2023
This is so simple-and it works! I had my doubts at 1st,but it really works-for documents and photos. i was amazed. You dont need the LED lights,you can use the light from a lamp-we did,lol.When ur done,fold it up,keep it flat and put it away-so dam simple to use,lol.
Julie
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2021
I am ecstatic with how this simple way of scanning pictures & documents works! I transfer my pictures to my I-Phone and the phone does all the work of aligning for me. I just have to use my forefinger and thumb to stretch the picture to the right size by placing my fingers on my phone. The phone does all the work. It takes less than a second. I then have the picture captured in my phone, send it to my email. From my email, I transfer the picture to one of my picture files in my computer. It is so quick & easy. For a document, I place the document in the box, adjust it as described for pictures and am able to save it to my documents in my computer. The documents & pictures stay saved in my photos of my I-Phone until I delete them. I've been using this mainly for my genealogy. The price is extremely low and worth every penny I spent on it. The diameter of the box is 9-1.2" by 11-1/2". The picture of it & it's description are pretty clear.
Kindle Customer
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2021
I don't need a fancy scanner. I need something occasionally to get important documents scanned. This fills that easily. Adobe scan app is their top recommended scanning app currently. I didn't bother trying any of the others, but there are multiples listed. One app even reads the document to you. The developer wants this to be a low cost way to make people scanning needs accessible. It definitely does that. My phone's flash is a little bright, so if I want a really nice quality scan of something I'll set up a different light source or make sure the box is in a darker area. The box is a quality cardboard that withstand being set up and broke down a bunch of times as well as support your phone's weight. The box when folded up fits nicely in a my file draw, so its tucked away safely until I need it next. I will not leave it out unattended or my cats will lay in it. I'm sharing this listing out to my facebook page and a couple of groups so friends know about it. Its just too good of an idea. When I ordered it, I didn't see the option for the white box or the LED add on kit. I think the white box might work better and the LED add on kits definitely would hurt. If you need to go cheap, the brown box by itself will definitely get the job done. The other options just make an even nicer scan and probably takes this up to a great cheap addition for an home office or small business who doesn't need to scan things often.
Shannon Ellard
Reviewed in Canada on February 16, 2021
I really can’t believe I bought this. The apps for scanning are fine without using this. This is a cardboard box with holes. Period. My cats love it though! Great cat toy.
tdavis
Reviewed in Canada on January 18, 2021
I ordered through Amazon.ca and it was shipped from the US. It took a little longer to reach me but was certainly worth the wait. The cost is very reasonable. Like many during the pandemic, I have begun working from home full-time. I was beginning to think I might need to get a scanner for occasional use. But then I realized that I have a company-provided iPhone 11 Pro that has more cameras and processing power than any inexpensive scanner: pair that with the free Adobe Scan app and I already have everything I need. These document scanning apps use image processing to correct for camera shake and skewed images, however the results aren't always satisfactory. The main problem you'll have is with lighting: holding your phone camera directly over a document interferes with the lighting and exposure setting. Enter the Scanner Bin. There are a few other devices for sale that offer similar functionality but, after reviewing them all, I feel the Scanner Bin is the best. It is certainly the best when dealing with the lighting issue because it blocks out most exterior light, allowing your phone camera to set the optimal flash and exposure settings. I took the time to place my phone in the best position (I recommend you remove your phone case if you have one) and set the bumpers so that it's same time. Very easy. You won't be sorry for buying it.
Barry
Reviewed in Australia on June 19, 2020
Still need to get light right
Lee
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2020
We bought this just to try it out for quick scans. It gets the job done quite well, but there are a couple of issues:1. There were no bumpers included to help align the phone. This is not a major issue for us, because we all have different phones (better left off anyway).2. For what we paid, it is extremely fragile. It should be made of somewhat thicker/sturdier cardboard.
Tony Williams
Reviewed in Australia on January 31, 2020
- I liked the ease and accuracy of taking a picture of a document.- I didn’t like the fact that it is not foldable, hence not portable.- I wish it had an internal light source even at extra cost.- the quality of the cardboard could be improved and be more durable.
Bryce Roth
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2019
I bought this product as a lightweight, inexpensive scanning tool for my grandma who has very limited sight. She has struggled in the past with bulkier plastic scanning tools that were more expensive and less effective than the Scanner Bin. I set the bin up for her and she was immediately able to scan documents for her apps to read back to her. Since she is easily able to scan documents without fiddling with the bin for too long and is able to store away for when guests come over, the Scanner Bin is a great product that has all the capability of a more dedicated scanning stand for a fraction of the price. My only issue with the product is that it is a little hard to set up if you have trouble seeing, but there is no way around this issue because if the product shipped assembled it would run the risk of getting damaged in shipping. Otherwise, the Scanner Bin is a cheap, easy to set up tool that gets the job done.
Shayna
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2019
This is an inexpensive, effective way to scan documents and I love that it's easy to fold up, carry with me to other locations and set up in a couple of seconds. (It can be stored flat so that it doesn't take up extra desk space, unlike a traditional flatbed scanner.) I used it to scan a stack of papers I needed to get to my students quickly, and I'll probably take it to registration next semester in case we have something we need to scan to another office right away. Once you have the camera position for your phone marked with the sticker strips, you can instantly put papers and your phone in the right position to take an accurate, well-oriented scan. Sure, it could be made of heavier, more durable material, but that would make it less portable and importantly, less affordable. I'm also excited about what this can do for people with low vision who use reader apps.