Scanning made easy Don't Sleep on NAPS2

How to scan documents with the NAPS2 software

- BY ANDREA CIARROCCHI

Figure 1: Select your device in Profile Settings.

In this article, I'll introduce you to NAPS2 (short for Not Another PDF Scanner) - a versatile open source application for document scanning that works across multiple platforms. First and foremost, NAPS2 was designed with ease of use in mind, and it supports various scanner interfaces, including WIA, TWAIN, SANE, and eSCL (more on SANE and eSCL shortly). Users can organize scanned pages as needed and export them in formats such as PDF, TIFF, JPEG, or PNG, and the software also includes OCR functionality for text recognition.

Besides its straightforward graphical interface, NAPS2 can be operated via the command line, and it features a developer library for integration into other applications.

Among those, Scanner Access Now Easy (SANE) serves as an open source framework and API for managing image scanners and related devices on Linux and Unix-based systems. It simplifies interaction with scanners by providing standardized drivers that handle hardware-specific details, enabling seamless application compatibility.

Meanwhile, eSCL, also known as AirScan, is a modern protocol for network-enabled scanners and multifunction devices. It uses HTTP to facilitate scanning over networks and is widely adopted by manufacturers. Unlike SANE and eSCL, WIA and TWAIN are specific to non-Linux environments.

Installation

NAPS2 depends on the GTK 3.20, glibc 2.27, and libsane libraries. Software packages can be obtained from the NAPS2 download page [1]. For instance, as of this writing, Ubuntu users should download the file naps2-7.5.2-linux-x64.deb. After downloading, the application can be installed using a graphical tool such as GDebi Package Installer. You can either right-click on the file and choose