An In-Depth User-Centric Review of the NAPS2 Scanner for 2024

The need to have physical copies of documents is becoming more and more obsolete, and so the demand for efficient document scanning software is rapidly increasing. Whether you need to digitise old documents, create electronic copies of important paperwork or letters, or if you just want to be a part of working towards a paper-free environment, you'll need the right technology to do so. Luckily, NAPS2 ("Not Another PDF Scanner 2") is a free document scanner which is completely free and is available now. In our comprehensive review, we'll delve deep into all you need to know about this innovative software, its pros and cons, a user-friendly guide to using it, and our thoughts on an alternative option - UPDF. Download and try it now.

What is NAPS2 Scanner, and What are its Features?

NAPS2 - which stands for "Not Another PDF Scanner 2" - is a free, easy-to-use open-source scanning software that allows the user to scan documents to PDF files as well as JPEG, PNG or TIFF files.

You can choose whichever driver (WIA or TWAIN) is best for your scanner, and the software compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. With NAPS2, it is possible to scan multiple documents at a time, which helps to eliminate tedious scanning tasks. You can also use NAPS2 in your native language as it supports over 40 different languages.

Aside from scanning documents to convert them into digitised files, NAPS2 has a variety of other features too:

• Rotate, Crop and Rearrange Images

Drag and drop images or documents into the user-friendly interface to be able to rotate, crop or rearrange them to your liking.

• Identify Text using OCR

You can use NAPS2's Optical Character Recognition software to search through text within your PDFs, which is possible in over 100 languages.

• Tools for Businesses

For power users and businesses, a command-line interface for automation and scripting is available as well as the NAPS2.Sdk scanning library for .NET developers. Portable archives are also available, which do not require any installation.

How to Use the NAPS2 Scanner

In order to get started with using the NAPS2 scanner, follow these simple steps:

1. Download NAPS2: First, download NAPS2 from the website's download page. For Windows users, select the "exe" option and then follow the instructions to install the program.
2. Create a Profile: Once you have it all set up, you'll need to connect your scanner and create a profile for it. Click the "Profiles" button from the menu, click "Add" and give your scanner profile a name.
3. Scan your Documents: Once you've created your scanner's profile, you can go ahead and start scanning your documents. Load your scanner with the document(s) required, click "Scan", and that's it!
4. Edit if Required: Once you have scanned your document, you'll see the thumbnail in the homepage; you can then rotate, flip, re-order or edit them as desired.
5. Save your Documents: After the scanning process is finished, you'll be able to choose which file type you'd like to save as.

What Scanners are Compatible with NAPS2?

With NAPS2, the user can easily scan from a range of devices. Compatible devices include Canon, Brother, HP, Epson, and Fujitsu among several others. Once you have finished scanning, choose whether to save your document as a PDF or as an image; you'll be able to choose from PDF, TIFF, JPEG or PNG.

You can also send your PDF in an email with just one click; select the pages that you'd like to attach, select them using the dropdown arrow next to the "Email PDF" button and click "Selected". Then, choose the email provider you'd like to send them with.

How do I Add a Scanner to NAPS2?

To add a scanner to NAPS2, follow these simple instructions:

• Launch NAPS2 and navigate to the "Devices" tab.
• Click on the "Add Device" button.
• NAPS2 will then automatically detect any connected scanners. Select your scanner from the list of available devices. NAPS2 supports 2 types of drivers: WIA and TWAIN. It's best to select WIA if you aren't sure which to choose, but if your device isn't showing up at this stage then switch to TWAIN instead.
• Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process.
• Once added, your scanner will be ready to use with the NAPS2 program!

Pros, Cons, and User Reviews of NAPS2 Scanner

We've delved deep into real user reviews of NAPS2, which has given us a great understanding of its positive and negative aspects.

SourceForge users have rated NAPS2 an excellent 4.8/5.

A real NAPS2 user left the following review on SourceForge:

"This program simply just works. I had a long document that my printer software would not fully scan. I tried several other programs that also did not work. I fired up this program, ran it through the scanner, and voila...perfect scan. GREAT job software writers. This should be on EVERY computer!" - Pctyson, SourceForge

The Best NAPS2 Scanner Alternative

If you need scanning software that you can use right at your fingertips via your mobile phone, or if NAPS2 simply hasn't worked out for you, download UPDF. UPDF allows the user to scan documents or images with your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch camera to be able to instantly convert it into a digitised PDF file.

There are two different ways that you can scan to PDF using UPDF for iOS.

Method 1: Select from photos app.

1. Tap the "+" symbol on the bottom right of your photos app
2. Tap "Scan"

2. Go to the photos app icon
3. Choose the images you'd like to import and tap "Add" at the top right to send to UPDF
4. Save the image by tapping the icon at the bottom right-hand side of the screen that shows the number of active scans
5. If you'd like to rotate, crop, edit or delete your scan, you can do so now.
6. Almost done - click the "Download" icon at the top right to add the files to UPDF.

Method 2: Take photos.

1. Tap the "+" symbol on the bottom right to access the import menu
2. Tap "Scan"
3. Aim with your camera and take a photo of the document you'd like to be scanned
4. If you'd like to rotate, crop, edit or delete your scan, you'll have the option to do so now
5. Click the "Download" icon at the top right to add the files to UPDF.

UPDF for Windows and Mac also has incredibly reliable OCR technology which can recognise 38 different languages and turn your image-only document into editable and searchable. You can seamlessly combine this feature with its PDF scanning abilities by using the iOS app; once you have scanned your PDFs using the iOS app, you can store them in the UPDF Cloud and then head to the desktop to utilise the OCR feature. Here are the instructions to use it:

• You can open the PDF file with UPDF on Windows or Mac. (Note: If your documents are stored in the UPDF Cloud, you can also open it on your desktop directly from the main interface of UPDF.)
• Click the "OCR" icon on the right toolbar and choose "Searchable PDF" as the document type, which will help you recognize the text on the image.
• Set the layout, document language, image resolution, and page range for the OCR process.
• Finally, click the "Perform OCR" button and select a folder to save the output document. You can get the editable and searchable PDF document in seconds!

Conclusion

From our extensive research, we've found the NAPS2 scanner to be a fantastic option for those looking to easily and quickly scan documents to be digitised into PDFs, meaning it's an accessible option for both individuals and businesses. Its user-friendly interface, efficient technology and multitude of available features have earned it high praise from its users - and the fact that it is completely free to use is an added bonus.

For those looking for an alternative that is mobile-friendly and more feature-rich, UPDF is the ideal solution. By downloading UPDF, users will be able to scan documents by simply taking a picture with their iPhone or Apple device camera - or by selecting existing pictures from their photo app - to then have them converted into a digitised PDF file. As technology evolves, software such as UPDF is essential in the pro-digital approach to managing documents and striving towards a paperless and more environmentally-friendly society.