Plustek PS186 Scanner: In-Depth Review and User Opinions

The Plustek PS186 is an automated document scanner designed for use in home offices and small businesses. In this review, we will take an in-depth look at the key features and capabilities of this scanner to help you determine if it is a good fit for your needs. We will examine the scanner's design, scanning technology, document feeding system, connectivity options, bundled software, speed and image quality, ease of use, pros and cons, and more. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive overview so you can make an informed purchasing decision about the Plustek PS186 document scanner. Whether you need to digitize files, receipts, photos, or other documents, this review covers everything you need to know about this scanner's real-world performance and value.

Scanner Design

The Plustek PS186 is sturdy and compactly designed, measuring 12.2 x 7.2 x 7.2 inches and weighing 4.4 pounds. Despite its small footprint, it doesn't feel flimsy or cheap.

The scanner body is made of black plastic with silver accents on the sides and top. This gives it a clean, modern aesthetic that would look nice on any desk. Some users may prefer an all-black design, but the silver accents add a bit of visual interest.

At just over 4 pounds, the PS186 isn't the lightest desktop document scanner, but it's still light enough to move around easily. The compact dimensions ensure it doesn't take up much precious desk real estate either.

Overall, the design is well-suited for home office and small business use. The scanner looks nice, while remaining portable and space saving. Those with limited desk space will appreciate the small footprint.

Scanning Technology

The Plustek PS186 scanner utilizes CIS (contact image sensor) scanning technology to digitize documents. This scanning method uses an array of LEDs and photodiodes lined up across the width of the page to capture an image.

The optical scanning resolution is 600 dpi, allowing the scanner to capture fine details and small text clearly. For improved text legibility, the PS186 offers advanced image processing features like dynamic thresholding and grayscale imaging.

The scanner has several scanning modes including color, grayscale, and black & white. The color mode captures 24-bit color depth, while grayscale mode provides 256 levels of gray for better accuracy when scanning documents with faint markings and shaded areas.

For enhanced image quality, the PS186 can apply features like automatic cropping and deskewing to straighten pages and remove unwanted borders. Overall, the scanning technology allows efficient and accurate digitization of various document types.

Document Feeding

The Plustek PS186 has an automatic document feeder (ADF) that holds up to 20 sheets of paper at a time. This allows for efficient scanning of multi-page documents without having to manually feed each page.

The ADF can handle paper weights between 15 - 28 lbs, accommodating regular office paper as well as heavier card stock paper. You don't have to worry about your documents being too light or heavy for the scanner. Both thin receipts and thicker brochures can be scanned without issue.

The document feeder is reliable at pulling pages through one by one without misfeeds or jams. It works well for stacks of mixed sized documents too. You can load letter and legal sized pages together thanks to the adjustable paper guides.

Overall, the automatic document feeder makes it easy to get piles of paper scanned quickly. Being able to load 20 pages and walk away while the scanner ingests everything on its own saves a lot of time.

Connectivity

The Plustek PS186 scanner connects to your computer via USB 2.0. It comes with a USB cable in the box so you can plug it in and get scanning right away without needing to buy any additional cables or adapters.

Installing the drivers is quick and easy. Simply insert the included installation CD, follow the on-screen prompts, and the drivers will automatically install. Within minutes you'll be ready to start scanning. The installation wizard detects your operating system and installs the appropriate drivers for Windows or Mac.

The PS186 is compatible with modern Windows operating systems including Windows 10, 8, and 7. It also works with Mac OS X 10.8 or higher. So you can use this scanner seamlessly with most computers without any driver or compatibility issues.

Overall the connectivity of the Plustek PS186 is straightforward. The included USB 2.0 cable provides a simple plug-and-play experience. And driver installation only takes a few minutes before you are scanning documents and photos.

Software

The Plustek PS186 comes with dedicated software to handle all aspects of document scanning and digitization. Out of the box, it includes the following software:

• Abbyy FineReader Sprint - This powerful OCR software can convert scanned documents into searchable and editable files like Word, Excel, and PDF. It allows you to quickly extract text from scans and retain document formatting.

• Plustek DocAction - This is the main utility for scanning directly from the PS186. It streamlines the process with pre-configured one-touch buttons and allows you to send scans directly to cloud services or email. DocAction also handles image corrections, file conversions, and other optimizations.

• Plustek Presto! PageManager - This document management software helps you organize, edit, and share your scans. Features include annotations, redaction, Bates stamping, and more. It also integrates with document management systems and clouds.

• Plustek NewSoft Presto! BizCard - Optimized for digitizing business cards, this software can extract contact details automatically and export them to Outlook or Excel. It makes adding new contacts from business card scans fast and seamless.

The included software provides an end-to-end document scanning workflow that enhances the capabilities of the PS186 scanner significantly. Having these powerful tools pre-installed improves efficiency and ensures optimal quality results from scanned documents.

Speed and Performance

The Plustek PS186 offers fast scanning speeds, making it efficient for digitizing large volumes of documents. It has a rated speed of up to 30 pages per minute in grayscale mode at 300 dpi. Color scanning is slightly slower at 15 pages per minute at 300 dpi. These speeds allow you to scan hundreds of pages in just a few minutes.

For heavy daily use, the PS186 has an impressive daily duty cycle of 3,000 sheets. This durability ensures the scanner can handle frequent scanning tasks in busy office environments. The document feeder has a 50 page capacity, letting you load a sizable stack for unattended scanning.

Combined with the automated document feeding, the PS186's speed capabilities make it suitable for applications like archiving records, digitizing filing cabinets of paper documents, or converting paper forms into editable digital files. The faster performance reduces the time needed to complete large scanning projects.

Image Quality

The Plustek PS186 scanner delivers impressive image quality that rivals more expensive models. It scans documents at up to 600 dpi optical resolution, producing clear and sharp images.

One standout feature is the 48-bit color depth, which captures over 280 trillion color variations. This allows the scanner to reproduce fine gradients and subtle tones accurately. Photos look vibrant and detailed.

The PS186 also includes several useful image enhancement tools. Color Dropout removes red, green or blue color channel information to improve OCR accuracy. The Deskew function automatically straightens crooked pages. Advanced image processing ensures consistency between scans, correcting variations in brightness or contrast.

For delicately aged or worn documents, the scanner offers an Auto Rotate and Straighten setting along with Despeckle to clean up the scan. This makes the PS186 well-suited for archiving old photos or records without damaging them.

Overall, the image quality is impressive for a desktop document scanner in this price range. The high color depth and built-in image corrections result in scans that look great while still reflecting the original document. For home office and small business use, the PS186 delivers professional quality scans.

Ease of Use

The Plustek PS186 is designed to be easy and intuitive to use for anyone. The controls are simple and straightforward with just power, start, and stop buttons on the front. To scan, you simply load your documents into the 50-page automatic document feeder, select your settings, and press start. The document feeding works reliably to digitize stacks of mixed paper sizes and avoids misfeeds or jams.

Maintenance is also designed to be minimal on this scanner. The rollers are easy to access and replace when needed. The scan glass can be cleaned with included cleaning cloths and fluid. The waste ink container is also conveniently located externally to empty ink when prompted. The overall workflow is streamlined so anyone can quickly load documents and scan without hassle or complexity.

Pros and Cons

The Plustek PS186 scanner has several notable pros and cons that are worth considering.

Pros:

• Fast scan speeds up to 50 pages per minute at 200 dpi make it easy to digitize large volumes of documents quickly.

• Automatic document feeder holds up to 50 pages for unattended scanning.

-Ultrasonic double-feed detection helps prevent misfeeds.

• Includes decent document management software for organizing scanned files.

• Good image quality with 600 dpi optical resolution and 48-bit color depth.

• Compact size takes up minimal space.

• Easy to use with intuitive buttons and setup.

• Supports common file formats like JPG, PDF, and searchable PDF.

Cons:

• No wireless connectivity or mobile app support for scanning on the go.

• Small 2.4” LCD screen can be hard to navigate.

• Lacks advanced features like duplex scanning and business card scanning.

• Some users report inconsistent feeding from the auto document feeder.

• Mediocre OCR accuracy according to some reviews.

• Software could be more robust compared to higher-end scanners.

Overall, the Plustek PS186 offers very fast scan speeds and an automatic document feeder at a reasonable price point. But it lacks some of the connectivity, software features, and robust build quality of more expensive models. For basic document scanning it provides good value, but power users may want to consider a more heavy-duty scanner.