Have you bought a Chromebook for your personal needs if yes then you may be wondering: what kind of scanner is supported with a Chromebook?
For starters, Chrome OS on your Chromebook is a mobile operating system, therefore, you cannot install normal drivers as you would on Windows or Mac computers.
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If you want a portable scanner, we have reviewed three scanners below. However, we recommend the Epson Workforce ES-60W. Its sheet fed mechanism and battery powered operation makes it a perfect for the portable nature of Chromebooks.
If you do not care much for portability and want a normal desktop scanner, we recommend that you go for AIO machine instead of standalone scanners.
Hence we recommend HP OfficeJet 5255 as the best scanner/printer/copier for Chromebook.
You basically need a WiFi capable with a Embedded Web Server or a WiFi Direct scanner in order to interface with your Chromebook. In addition to that, if your scanner supports an SD card or flash drive, you can scan via them as well.
Here we have selected the best scanners for Chromebook currently on the market. All of the suggested scanners can work with a Chromebook. We have also included an explanation as each of the scanners can be interfaced with a Chromebook.
List of Best Scanners for Chromebook
Here is a list of some of the best scanners for Chromebook.
- 1Doxie Flip – Recommended Flatbed Scanner for Chromebook
- 2Epson Workforce ES-60W – Recommended Sheetfed Scanner for Chromebook
- 3Epson EcoTank ET-3760 – All in One Scanner with A SuperTank
- 4HP OfficeJet 5255 – Budget AIO Scanner for Chromebook
- 5VuPoint ST47 – Wand Scanner
Let’s take a look at the short reviews of these selected scanners.
5 Best Scanners For Chromebook Reviewed
1. Doxie Flip – Recommend Flatbed Scanner for Chromebook
- Scan your story with Doxie Flip, the...
- Doxie is lightweight and portable – about...
- A unique removable lid lets you flip Doxie...
- Doxie is built for capturing your history and...
Doxie Flip is one of the most compact flatbed scanners in the market.
It is designed to be portable so that you can carry it around with your Chromebook easily.
The scanner is a lightweight and mobile scanner that gives excellent scans. One of the best aspect of this scanner is that it battery powered.
While it can only scan 4″x 6″ (A6) sized documents, you scan almost anything. The white lid on top is detachable.
This effectively allows you turn this scanner into a type of wand scanner. Once the lid is removed, you can place the scanner directly on top of an object or a book and press the scan button.
The package also includes a 4 GB SD card as well as an SD Card reader in case you do not have an SD card reader built in to your Chromebook.
Doxie Flip is an independent machine. You don’t need to have it attached to your Chromebook to scan. You can do so simply with a touch of a button on the go.
How Does Doxie Go Work with Chromebook?
Here is what Doxie officially has to say. Note: there is no Doxie Go app for Android/Chromebook yet, but the Doxie Official suggests the following:
Yes, to an extent. Doxie Go saves scans as JPEG files and effectively works like a digital camera, so Chrome OS will recognize it as such and offer to let you browse your scans, like camera images. You can also use an SD card for this purpose. – Doxie Go Help
As far as the compatibility goes, since this scanner scans to an SD card, there should be absolutely no issue with using it with a Chromebook. Therefore, as far as portability goes, this is one of the best scanners for Chromebook.
2. Epson Workforce ES-60W – Recommended Sheetfed Scanner for Chromebook
- Fastest, smallest and lightest wireless...
- Groundbreaking speed ― scans a single page...
- Wirelessly scan critical documents ― scan...
- Smart tools to easily scan and organize...
Epson ES-60W is a yet an another portable option for scanning with Chromebook.
Unlike the Doxie Go above, this is not a flatbed scanner. Instead it is a sheet fed scanner.
As far as connectivity and mobility goes, this scanner tends to take the lead.
The scanner has a built in battery so you can scan on the go.
Secondly, this is a Wireless scanner with WiFi capability. Therefore, you can interface with this scanner via your Chromebook Wirelessly using the Epson DocumentScan App. This app is available on all android devices.
As mentioned earlier, this is a sheetfed scanner. Therefore, while it has a fast scanning speeds and a great functionality for loose document scanning, you cannot scan books or other odd objects with it.
Besides that, this scanner has other robust functionalities despite its size. It has a fast scanning speed of 4 seconds per document, it can handle ID card and receipts easily and can scan documents that are all the way upto 8.5″ x 72″ long.
Here we aren’t just talking about a simple A4 sized documents. This scanner can scan an entire roll that is 72″ in length.
Besides that, if you have a Windows or Mac system lying around as well, you can utilize its powerful software as well – which you cannot use on a Chromebook unfortunately.
If you need a portable sheetfed scanner, then this is the best scanner for Chromebook.
How Does Epson Workforce ES-60W with Chromebook?
As mentioned earlier, Epson Workforce ES-60W is a WiFi scanner. You can download the Epson DocumentScan App on your Chromebook that will allow you to interface with this scanner.
Unfortunately, it does not have an SD card slot or Flash Drive support. So if the App fails, there is nothing else that you can do.
3. Epson EcoTank ET-3760 – All in One Scanner with A SuperTank
- Your busy office needs a printer that’s...
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ―...
- Dramatic Savings on Replacement Ink ― Save...
- Stress-Free Printing — Up to 2 years of ink...
If you do not want to go for a portable scanner like the ones that we saw above and instead want a normal scanner, we recommend that you go for an All in one machine instead.
An all in one machine allows you to scan, copy as well as print. There are affordable AIO as well as expensive ones in the market.
This Epson EcoTank ET-3760 is an expensive AIO. HP OfficeJet 5255 below is a budget AIO machine.
Epson EcoTank ET-3760 is expensive for all the good reasons though. For starters, it has one of the most robust scanner i.e flatbed ADF scanner. If you don’t know what that means. Basically, it has two functions in one.
It has a flatbed scanner for scanning books and odd objects as well as a 30 sheetfed Automatic Document Feeder on top so that you can bulk scan loose documents as well.
As far as scanning goes, this one takes the cake in this list.
Furthermore, this is more than just a scanner. This is also a printer with Continuous Ink Supply System (CISS). As such it has a huge refillable ink tank and has the capacity to print 7,500 black A4 pages and 6,000 Color A4 pages. Yet, the cost to refill the inks is minimal.
This is basically a professional grade All in One scanner that is suitable for those who have a huge volume of scanning and printing needs. It is quite suitable for small or medium offices.
How to Use Epson EcoTank ET-3760 With a Chromebook?
There are myriad of ways you can use this machine to scan with a Chromebook. The scanner supports connection via WiFi, WiFi Direct, Direct scanning to cloud and through a Flash Drive.
4. HP OfficeJet 5255 – Budget AIO Scanner for Chromebook
- Replaces the HP OfficeJet 4650, HP OfficeJet...
- Accomplish everything in your home office –...
- Ink delivered to your home: get your first 2...
- The power of your printer in the palm of your...
Here we have yet another All in One machine, but this time it is much much cheaper.
This is excellent in case if you want to use the printer occasionally. Overall, the print quality is quite respectable, but the ink will cost you.
Besides that, the scanner features a 35 sheet Automatic document feeder as well as a flatbed. Therefore, as far as the scanner is concerned, this is an excellent machine.
Now the question is, can you use this with a Chromebook? You most certainly can.
How to Use HP OfficeJet 5255 With a Chromebook?
Since this is a WiFi enabled printer, you can easily interface it with a Chromebook.
All in all, affordability wise, this is the best scanner for Chromebook.
5. VuPoint ST47 – Wand Scanner
Finally, we recommend a wand scanner.
A wand scanner works similar to any other type, except it's handheld and used for scanning the surface of almost anything flat.
VuPoint ST47 is, hands down, the best wand scanner in the market.
It has WiFi for easy interfacing with your Chromebooks as well as comes with 8 GB Micro SD Card. The scanner saves all the scan on the SD card installed hence you don’t need to be actively connected to a PC.
Despite being a handheld scanner, the scanning quality is on par with the standard. It can scan from 300 DPI all the way to 1050 DPI.
How to Use VuPoint ST47 With a Chromebook?
Using VuPoint ST47 with a Chromebook is pretty straight forward:
People Also Ask (FAQs)
How to Use the Embedded Web Service for Scanning to Chromebook
Use the following videos as guides:
HP
Epson
Do USB Connected Scanners work with Chromebook?
For scanners that do not offer wireless connectivity to your cloud storage means that you cannot scan over the network.
Chrome being a cloud computer, does not allow any USB connection to your scanner. However, if your scanner features SANE drivers, your Chromebook can support USB scanners.
What are the benefits of storing your scans to cloud storage?
There are several benefits for storing documents or photos to cloud storage like Google drive.
Better Accessibility
Scanning to cloud service lets you stay connected with your stored documents and photos anywhere in the world. Unlike the data stored in your laptop or smartphone, a cloud service can be accessed anywhere in the world only if you know the password.
Saves Space
Storing pictures or important documents in the cloud service keeps your system clean. The hundreds of photos if stored in your hard drive can slow the system down and affect its efficiency.
Disaster Recovery
Cloud storage is always reliable. It is a good idea to keep the backup of your important documents. Data stored in cloud service can always be retrieved even if your laptop is lost or destroyed somehow.
Easy sharing
Documents stored in cloud service can be easily shared with your clients and colleagues.
Conclusion
Here we looked at the best scanners for Chromebook. We made sure that these scanners are compatible and work reliably with Chromebooks.
Using a scanner on a Chromebook is not as straight forward as with conventional laptops. However, once you get used to it, it is the most convenient.
We looked at scanners from various price ranges. We also looked at flatbed, sheetfed, portable as well as All in One scanner.
Andrew White is the founder of TechGearoid, a leading technology review & information website that is designed to help consumers make better decisions when it comes to their IT purchases. As a specialist tech writer (nerd) with over 10 years of experience, he enjoys writing about everything there is to do with modern technology & the newest market innovations. When he isn’t providing value for his readers, he’s usually drinking coffee or at the beach. Andrew lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and family.