The Canon DR-M1060 may be one of the most expensive scanners we’ve reviewed yet. But it’s by no means alone in a £1500+ marketplace. Indeed, as a sheetfed that can use its automatic document feeder (ADF) to process large volumes of A3-size documents, it’s positively cheap. See also: best scanners of 2014. In fairness, there aren’t many models that can offer the same facilities, and none of them can do this for the same price. The Epson WorkForce DS-5000N is a similarly-priced model, but is limited in its quantity of scans – you’ll have to pay an extra £1000 for the DS-6000 if you want a full ADF. Xerox has a number of models, but the likes of the DocuMate 4760 are going to cost you another £400 to £500 on top of this Canon’s price, while the more affordable DocuMate 4830 lacks the specification of the DR-M1060. Given all that, the £1700 price tag suddenly starts to look like value for money – on paper, at least.
Canon DR-M1060 review: small for an A3 scanner
At first glance, you don’t get much for your money. Given its A3 size, the DR-M1060 is a rather diminuitive model. Two trays slot in and out for easy transport, but you must take care to extend them fully – failure to do this makes the Canon rather prone to chewing up sheets during the scan process. The DR-M1060 has a depth of 246 mm when packed up, but measures 440 mm when fully extended. It’s not terribly deep for an A3 model, although we would recommend leaving plenty of room in front of the scanner so that you can lay down A3 documents fully. The input tray could have been a bit longer, but we appreciate Canon’s determination to keep the footprint down. The DR-M1060 is comfortable with A3 paper, though, and can even handle larger sizes – A1 is available in Folio mode, although you’ll want to stick to A3 and smaller for the best results. The interface is USB only, so there’s no network connection to scan from afar. The Canon can take in as many as 60 sheets at a time, and has a very robust advertised duty cycle of 7500 scans per day. By way of contrast, the rather more expensive Xerox DocuMate 4760 is rated at just 5000 scans daily, while the 4830 is specified for just 3000. The control panel is relatively simple, but informative. The Job Number display doubles up as an error indicator, giving you different codes to distinguish between feed problems, skewed source material, double feeds and open compartments. When we say compartments, there is really only the main one, and clearing blockages is a simple matter of opening the cover and removing the paper. There really is very little to confuse users. The clever ultrasonic gadgetry can detect double feeds, and will halt the scan process instantly. This does offer some protection to your documents, although you may not want to risk your most precious source material inside any sheetfed. See all printer reviews.
Canon DR-M1060 review: double feed detection
The double feed detection wasn’t totally flawless, and could be stumped by sticky notes and postage stamps. On these occasions, though, a DFR button can be pressed to tell the scanner to continue on its merry way. Most of the time, though, the only button you’re likely to need is the Scan activator. In typical modern-scanner-style, one touch of this initiates the scan, and fires up the software. The Canon’s software bundle defaults to CaptureOnTouch, and this program is perfectly adequate for most everyday office tasks, allowing you to turn out PDF, JPEG, TIFF, BMP and PowerPoint files, and to then whip source material into Evernote, SharePoint, and other third-party programs. The uncluttered interface doesn’t overwhelm you with options, and the results are smooth. Batch scanning, however, will be performed more easily using CapturePerfect, and this powerful package allows for a high degree of customisability, while increasing the range of results. PDF enthusiasts will like the inclusion of eCopy PDF Pro Office, and Kofax VRS offers an alternative to the Canon titles.
Canon DR-M1060 review: print speed
Given the relatively modest size of the DR-M1060, we expected it to struggle more with A3 documents. However, it made short work of our test bundles, scanning a 20-page bundle, for instance, at the rate of 39 sheets per minute (or 78 pages per minute) at a resolution of 200 dpi. We pushed this figure to almost 100 pages per minute using A4 material. Even at 300 dpi, the scanner managed 28 sheets per minute (56 ppm) in A3, although 600 dpi was a little slow, at 9 sheets (or 18 ppm). Our mixed bundle worked well, and we were able to process a range of different items, including embossed business cards. The scanner wasn’t particularly keen on documents with rough edges, and we did experience the odd problem with pages ripped from magazines. In general, though, the DR-M160 scanned smoothly. The results were very nice, with good attention to colour, and clear edges to the characters. Barcode detection isn’t included as standard, although you can add such facilities as an option. See also: best scanners of 2014.
