Book Scanning Solutions
BDM ArcScan offers a leading range of professional Book Scanning Solutions to suit all requirements and sectors. Whether you are preserving fragile historical materials, digitising rare manuscripts or converting modern publications for digital access, we provide a wide selection of high-quality scanners from trusted brands to suit a variety of tasks, industries and budgets.
We supply advanced scanning equipment from leading manufacturers, including CZUR, VIISAN, Plustek and Unionovo, with models designed specifically for books, bound documents and oversized volumes.
These professional overhead book scanners support non-destructive scanning, helping to protect delicate pages, fragile spines and valuable bindings. This makes them ideal for libraries, museums, archives, educational institutions and creative professionals who need to digitise material quickly and safely.
Intelligent Features in Our Book Scanning Solutions
Many of our Book Scanning Solutions include intelligent features designed to improve efficiency and reduce post-editing time. These can include automatic page flattening, curvature correction, page edge alignment and built-in OCR processing.
Whether you need a compact desktop model for occasional use or a robust high-volume scanner for regular digitisation projects, BDM ArcScan can help you find the right solution.
Browse and buy our full range of Book Scanning Solutions online, or contact us directly for expert advice and personalised support.
Discover our Latest Book Scanning Solutions
VIISAN S21 A2 Overhead Scanner
The Viisan S21 is a high-performance overhead scanner with 20MP resolution, capable of capturing large-format items up to A2 size.
It features intelligent software, including OCR, auto-flattening, and finger removal for fast, professional results.
It’s thefore ideal for digitising books, documents, and teaching materials in offices, libraries, or education settings.
CZUR Overhead Scanners
CZUR overhead scanners deliver great image quality across a wide range of models to suit all tasks and budgets.
With their advanced AI-driven software, benefit from features such as OCR, auto-flattening, and curve correction for fast, professional results.
With a wide choice of models at affordable prices, there is a solution to suit offices, libraries, classrooms and other learning environments.
Plustek OpticBook A300 Plus
The OpticBook A300 Plus is an A3 flatbed scanner with a unique book-edge platen. This clever design allows you to place books right up to the spine.
This helps to remove issues such as gutter shadow and distortion. The result is clear, high-quality scans with minimal book curve.
As a flatbed scanner, it is also ideal for scanning other media such as documents, photographs, drawings and more in convenient solutions.
Unionovo Professional Heritage Book Scanners
Unionovo offers a range of professional overhead book scanners designed for high-volume digitisation in libraries, archives, museums, and educational institutions.
Supporting large formats up to A1, these scanners feature non-contact scanning to protect delicate bindings and fragile documents. Many models include a V-shaped cradle and platen, ensuring safe, ergonomic support for bound materials during scanning.
With advanced features like automatic page detection and image enhancement, Unionovo scanners use high-resolution DSLR cameras to capture sharp, detailed images. This combination streamlines workflows and delivers accurate, high-quality digital reproductions every time.
Renowned for their reliability and user-friendly design, Unionovo scanners offer professional features at an affordable price point, delivering efficient, secure solutions to modernise and optimise your digitisation workflow and productivity.
FAQs on booking scanning solutions
What is the best type of book scanner for fragile books?
For fragile, rare or tightly bound books, an overhead book scanner is usually the best choice. It captures from above, which helps reduce pressure on the spine and pages. That makes it a safer option for archives, libraries, museums and anyone working with delicate material.
What is a V-Shaped book scanner?
A V-shaped book scanner is a type of overhead scanner designed for fragile, rare or tightly bound books. It uses a V-shaped cradle to support the book at an angle, rather than forcing it to open fully flat. This helps reduce stress on the spine, binding and pages, making it a safer option for preservation and conservation work.
What is the difference between an overhead scanner and a flatbed scanner for books?
An overhead scanner captures the book from above and is often the better choice for fragile, rare or tightly bound material, as it helps reduce pressure on the spine and pages. A flatbed scanner can work very well for flatter originals and, in some cases, for books too, especially where a special book edge platen is used to reduce shadowing and support scanning close to the gutter.
The right option depends on the condition of the material, the image quality required and how often you need to scan. For delicate or preservation-focused work, an overhead scanner is often the safer choice. However, a specialist flatbed book scanner can also be a strong option for certain bound materials where a flatter presentation and high-resolution contact scanning are important.
Do book scanning solutions include OCR?
Many Book Scanning Solutions include OCR or support it through their software. OCR turns scanned pages into searchable text, which makes digital files easier to search, manage and use. This is especially useful for archives, libraries, researchers and businesses that need fast access to information within scanned books and documents.
Can book scanning solutions scan more than just books?
Yes. Many Book Scanning Solutions can also scan journals, magazines, newspapers, manuscripts, ledgers, loose documents, drawings and oversized material. Some ranges, such as from Unionovo, use digital DSLR cameras that can also be used as standard cameras or with other systems such as copy stands, giving added flexibility across different capture tasks.
Book edge flatbed scanners, such as the Plustek OpticBook A300, can also be used like a standard flatbed scanner. This gives you the versatility to scan more than just books, while avoiding the need for separate scanners for different tasks, helping to save both space and money.
What features should I look for in a book scanner?
The most useful features depend on your workflow, but common priorities include non-destructive overhead capture, page flattening or curve correction, OCR, suitable scan size, good lighting control and the right level of image quality. If you are scanning bound books regularly, features that reduce post-editing and protect the binding can make a big difference and help with increased workflow and productivity.
Are book scanning solutions suitable for libraries, archives and museums?
Book Scanning Solutions are widely used by libraries, archives, museums, universities and heritage organisations because they help protect original material while improving digital access. They are especially useful where collections include fragile, valuable or hard-to-replace items.
Can book scanning solutions handle large books and oversized items?
Many can. Some Book Scanning Solutions are designed to handle large books, newspapers, ledgers, maps and oversized archive material. The key is choosing a model with the right capture area and support for the type of material you work with most often.
How do I choose the right book scanning solution?
The right Book Scanning Solution depends on what you need to scan, the condition of the originals, the size of the material, how often you scan and the level of image quality you need. Some models are better suited to fast everyday workflows, while others are designed for fragile, rare or oversized material where careful handling matters more. Rather than choosing on price alone, it is important to match the scanner to your material and workflow.
If you are unsure which option is right for you, contact BDM ArcScan for expert help and advice. Our team can recommend the most suitable solution for your requirements, budget and scanning environment.
BDM ArcScan TechAssist: Free technical support for 12 months on all book scanning solutions
Every book scanning solution from BDM ArcScan purchase includes 12 months of TechAssist, our complete technical support service at no extra cost. Get help when you need it with telephone, email and remote access support, so you can set up quickly and keep scanning smoothly from day one.
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Telephone support for quick answers
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Email support for follow-ups and guidance
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Remote access support to help resolve setup issues faster
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Help with installation and setup advice
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Guidance on scan settings and workflows
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Why Choose BDM ArcScan for Book Scanning Solutions?
Expert Advice
With over 25 years of experience within the digitisation sector, you can trust BDM ArcScan to always be offering you the best expert advice and support. Whether you’re just about to start digitising, looking to improve existing projects or upgrading to the latest solutions, we can help you make that first step or make your projects work even better.
Fully managed services
Our project management team will make your digitisation project work seamlessly. Working closely with you, your project is our number one priority, so we ensure everything is carefully arranged and managed to suit your needs. With us taking care of collections, processing, sorting, and returning, you are always kept up to date to ensure your project is completed on time without compromise.
Fully trained technical team
Sometimes things don’t go to plan so that’s why BDM ArcScan has a fully trained support team available to get you back on track in no time at all. Our team is often able to respond and resolve technical questions in less than one hour with telephone and remote support. This all helps to reduce downtime and gives our customers that extra peace of mind that we are never too far away to help.
Customer Support
BDM ArcScan prides itself on offering exceptional customer care that ensures you always have our advice and support close to hand. Our fully trained sales and support teams know all there is to know about all things digital, so no question is too small or too big. Available by telephone, email and online chat, we are never too far away.
Complete in-house digitisation studio
Our state-of-the-art digitisation studio has been created to cover all forms of digitisation possible. From document, photo, and film to book and large format scanning, we have it covered. Run and managed by our in-house digitisation team, you can rest assured your project is in the safest hands possible with every step fully managed including collection, returning and if required, disposal.
Installation, setup, and training
Benefit from having your equipment professionally installed and set up to ensure you get the best results possible. Covering the UK, we can also provide complete user training on equipment features and software, ensuring you have the best possible start to begin your projects quickly without delay. Additionally, we also offer after care service and support plans including extended warranties for that extra peace of mind.
Please Note: Level of service/s offered can vary from product to product and is based on the level of service purchased. Some services may not be available or limited on certain products or level of service purchased. Please check specific product pages for more information or ask a member of the team for more information.