Scanners come in all forms and sizes. While most can scan flat documents fairly well, trying to scan pages from a book can be difficult and frustrating, while the finished scan can have curving text that disappears into the gutter between the two pages. As a result, it often takes several attempts on each page to get a barely acceptable scanned image. Some may even cut apart the book so that the pages can be laid flat on the scanner. Luckily, CZUR has designed a scanner that can easily scan books quickly with quality output images quickly and easily.
What Is the ET24 Pro Scanner?
The ET24 Pro Scanner is an overhead book and document scanner. It can also be used as a document camera for online meetings and presentations The scanner connects to a computer via a USB or HDMI cable. The included software supports Windows PC, macOS, and LINUX. TheET24 Pro Scanner is currently seeking funding on Indiegogo, with a pledge level of $399. The campaign has already exceeded its goal and the scanners are scheduled to begin shipping in May 2022.
New to Crowdfunding? Check out our crowdfunding primer.
Product Components and Specs
The ET24 Pro Scanner comes with the following:
- Scanner
- Black work mat
- USB cable
- Foot pedal
- Hand button
- Power adapter with convertors
- Finger cots
- Sidelights
- CD
- Getting started guide
- Instructions manual
Not only does the ET24 Pro Scanner come with several useful accessories, but they are also organized beautifully in the box with head components in their own labeled box. In fact, you will most likely want to keep the box either for storage or transporting between locations.
Here are the specs for the ET24 Pro Scanner:
- Sensor: CMOS
- Pixel: 24M
- Resolution: 5696 x 4272
- DPI: 360
- Scan Format: Flat single page ≤ A3; Books ≤ A4
- Scan Speed: Flat single page ≈ 1.5s / page;
- Books ≈ 1.5s / dual pages
- Image Format: JPG, PDF, TIFF
- Image Color: 24 bits
- Static File Output Format: JPG, PDF, Searchable PDF, Word, Excel, TIFF
- PC-Visual Presenter: 3072 x 1728 @ 12 Fps;
- PC-Scanning:1536 x 1152 @ 20 Fps
- Focus Mode: Fixed focus
- Scan Light Source: Natural light and LED lights
- Input:100 to 240V, 50/60Hz
- Output: 9V/1.5A
- Language: Support more than 180 languages
As you can see, the ET24 Pro Scanner offers some great features that allow it to be used for a number of different purposes other than just scanning books.
How to Use the ET24 Pro Scanner
The ET24 Pro Scanner is easy to set up to use. Install the CZUR Scanner software either using the included CD or download it from their website. While you are doing this, you can unpack the scanner and components from the box. Connect the power adapter to the back of the base of the scanner and plug it in. Connect the scanner to your computer using the included USB cable. For visual presentation, you can also use an HDMI cable to connect the scanner to your computer for a higher framerate. The hand button or foot pedal can be plugged into the USB slot in the base for capturing images. You can also use the capture button on the base of the scanner or capture from within the software.
The CZUR Scanner software is intuitive to use. At the top of the screen, you can choose whether you are scanning or using it for visual presentation. When scanning, there are several options including scanning a flat single page, facing pages from a book, as well as combining both sides of a document, or even manually selecting on the screen the portion of the view you actually want to be scanned. When using the device for visual presenting, there are tools for annotating the image such as drawing on or marking selections. You can also capture screenshots from the freeze-frame image as well as record a video of your presentation. Once you have captured images, there are options for editing batches. Finally, you can even export captures as editable Word or Excel files using the OCR feature.
Why You Should Get the ET24 Pro Scanner
As a high school teacher, I frequently need to scan documents as well as books. This became a necessity for online learning while our school was closed down for a few months due to COVID as well as when students had to stay home and quarantine. Even as online learning has decreased, I still scan articles or text from books so students can highlight or mark text for assignments. The ET24 Pro Scanner has made scanning so much easier. I like using the foot pedal along with the finger cots. While using both hands with the finger cots to help pull the book open and hold down the edges of the pages, I can then scan a spread of pages almost as quickly as I can turn the pages. I am very impressed with how the software takes the curves of the pages and straightens them out for the final image. It even divides the left and right sides into two separate flattened images that look like they were taken from single flat sheets. Not only does the text come out clear and distinct, pictures and drawings are also reproduced in the image with clarity and good color. The sidelights, which attach magnetically to the back of the scanner’s stand, are great when scanning glossy paper. You just turn off the top lights and then use only the sidelights. Furthermore, the software automatically straightens documents so you don’t have to spend time making sure the originals are positioned perfectly.
In addition to scanning, the ET24 Pro Scanner also works great for presentations. The document cameras we have at my school have a very slow framerate and standard resolution. The ET24’s resolution is much higher, and when connecting it to my computer with an HDMI cable, the framerate is great for demonstrations such as how to solve a math problem or annotate text. The ability to record your presentations is a useful feature so those who were not present for the live presentation can then view the recording at a later time. Instead of writing on the document being presented, the user can also use the annotation tools built into the software.
After having the opportunity to test out the ET24 Pro Scanner both at home as well as at work, I can say that I am very impressed with it. Previously, because it took more effort for lower quality scans, I usually avoided scanning items unless I absolutely had to. However, the ease of use and quality of the final product have me scanning more than ever. In fact, I have probably done more scanning in the past two weeks with the ET24 than the total scanning I have done for the past year. If you are in need of a quality scanner that can also be used for presentations, I highly recommend the ET24 Pro Scanner.
Check out the Indiegogo campaign for more information and to make a pledge.
Disclosure: GeekDad received a sample of this item for review purposes.
I bought a czur scanner which the advertisement promised to scan books and had curling software. It doesn’t scan anything. The software that came with it joins the images and leaves the scanner not working. I tried to use it on linux and it was not possible, I tried to use any other program to scan. nothing went right
Bad scanner, useless software.
Waste of time and money, I will never buy anything from Czur again.