My old laptop died that I used to use this scanner on with no issues (I think it was originally Windows 7 that was upgraded to Windows 10). My new desktop has Windows 11 and each time I want to use the scanner, I have to re-install the TWAIN software to get the scanner to work as the software 'forgets' what scanner is attached to the computer. After I finish using the scanner and some unknown amount of time passes, the software 'forgets' again what scanner it is connected so and I have to re-install the software the next time I want to use it. Totally unacceptable and no workaround seems to be available from Canon other than to keep reinstalling the software each time I want to use the scanner. I would have returned the scanner if this has happened from the word go.
Put the rating back up to 5 star after I deleted the Canon scanner software on my computer and re-installed it completely. Voila, no more losing the connection between the software and the scanner. Yeah, for all the years I've been using computers, I should have thought of removing and re-installing the software. With that issue gone, it's a really nice scanner especially for scanning significant numbers of pages.
I was looking for a printer so I could put several boxes of old engineering paperwork into electronic format.
So far, I've been really impressed with the R40. I can scan with my current printer but it's sloooooow, noisy and less than stellar quality. Definitely not a candidate for what I wanted to do.
Setup was easy. You have to download the software which is 525 Mb. I missed the note on the download page directing US customers to an download link. My download speeds weren't great but it did come down. Installation went with no problem.
Pros
1. Fast. The first time I ran about 4 or 5 pages through it, the scanner was set on 200 dpi greyscale and the pages just whipped through the feeder. I thought both sides could not have scanned but everything was there. Even on 300 dpi color it's pretty fast (max is 600 dpi). Compared to the scanner built into my printer, it's another whole other level of speed. I can't prep the next batch in time to keep up with the scanner.
2. The scanner says it will rotate pages into the correct orientation and overall it does a really good job. I finally found the section in the scanner software that allowed me to rotate a page that scanned in the wrong orientation (having it worked into a right mouse click with some other options would be useful Canon). I want to do some more testing but a couple of tests I did with flipping some pages or putting all the pages in upside down had them all come up in the right orientation (as mentioned, I had some early problems with some scans but that doesn't seem to be an issue now).
3. Handles flimsy magazine paper with no real problems. Ragged edges don't appear to be a problem but any amount of glue from the backing left on the pages and they don't feed properly causing a jam. Any amount of glue is bad. If you run your fingers down the edge and can feel bumps, remove it, trim the edges, whatever. If you can see a flat line of glue, trim it off. Sometimes it will feed, sometimes it won't.
4. Compact, nice small size. With the document feeder installed and extended as well as the output tray, it's about 12" high by 15" deep by 11" wide. Remove the feeder the retract the tray and the dimensions are about 7.5" high by 6.5" deep by 11" wide.
5. All necessary cables are provided. Small point maybe but there's nothing more annoying than getting a new toy and finding out you need to go out for a cable. While many of use have boxes of old cables, that doesn't mean we will have the right one.
6. Return shipping is included if I need to return it or don't like it, I don't think that's going to be an issue. Return shipping can be a nasty surprise.
7. The power supply handles 100V to 240V, doubt I will take it on a trip overseas but it's a nice feature to have.
Cons:
1. The software version of the manual is useless. I had pages that were upside down and do you think 'rotate' or 'rotate pages' came up with useful information? If you said yes, you be wrong.
2. I finally figured out how to scan and then get the file written to my hard drive by setting up a one-touch button. Before that, sometimes when I hit 'finish', the file would write to my hard drive, other times it would not or I had no clue where it went to. Drove me crazy at first and really slowed down the overall speed.
3. Does an okay job on pictures but if I was going to scan a lot of pictures, this would not be the scanner I would pick. I didn't take anything off my rating as that was not my purpose in buying this scanner but I'll note it.
2023 comment
Last point I'll add is when we came back from a 6 month cruise I decided to save all the daily cruise reports just in case I wanted to go back some time and see what we did on some day. It didn't take very long to scan that many pages, even less when I changed from full color to greyscale which was more than adequate for what I wanted. Full color looks good but does make some big files though that's not much of an issue given the multi Tb hard drives that you can get now.
Canon imageFORMULA R40 Office Document Scanner For PC and Mac, Color Duplex Scanning, Easy Setup For Office Or Home Use, Incl
4.3 | 2,138 ratings
Price: 239
Last update: 01-11-2025
About this item
Stay organized: Easily convert your paper documents into searchable digital formats.Grayscale : 8-bit, Long Document Mode : Up to 118”.Has Greyscale: Grayscale:- Simplex: Up to 40 ppm ; Duplex: Up to 80 ipm
Reliably handles many different document types: Receipts, photos, business cards, reports, contracts, long documents, thick or thin documents, and more
Fast and efficient: Scans both sides of a document at the same time, in color, at up to 40 pages per minute, with a 60 sheet automatic feeder, and one touch operation
Broad compatibility: Windows and Mac TWAIN driver included
Easy Setup: Simply connect to your computer using the supplied USB cable
Bundled software: Includes easy-to-use Canon CaptureOnTouch scanning software (Win and Mac) plus free licenses for Readiris PDF and OCR software and Cardiris business card software (Win)
Backed by a one-year warranty and US-based technical support
Reliably handles many different document types: Receipts, photos, business cards, reports, contracts, long documents, thick or thin documents, and more
Fast and efficient: Scans both sides of a document at the same time, in color, at up to 40 pages per minute, with a 60 sheet automatic feeder, and one touch operation
Broad compatibility: Windows and Mac TWAIN driver included
Easy Setup: Simply connect to your computer using the supplied USB cable
Bundled software: Includes easy-to-use Canon CaptureOnTouch scanning software (Win and Mac) plus free licenses for Readiris PDF and OCR software and Cardiris business card software (Win)
Backed by a one-year warranty and US-based technical support
Product information
| Product Dimensions | 10 x 12 x 10 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 6.17 pounds |
| ASIN | B07YNK4S9Y |
| Item model number | 4229C001AA |
| Customer Reviews |
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars
2,048 ratings
4.3 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #7,674 in Office Products (See Top 100 in Office Products) #7 in Document Scanners |
| Date First Available | October 8, 2019 |
| Manufacturer | Canon |
Top reviews from the United States
Anon
Great little home scanner. Worth the price if you have a lot of scanning to do. Back up to 5 stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2020Dave Stevens
Game-Changer for Time Management: Canon imageFORMULA R40 Scanner
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2024
David Rar
Solid
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2023StL Sue
Fantastic speed
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2024