Scanner Profile (Node Type)

scanner Scanner Profiles store configuration settings for operating a document scanner. Scanner Profiles provide users operating the Scan Viewer in the Review activity a quick way to select pre-saved scanner configurations.

A Scanner Profile stores configuration settings for a specific capture device, such as a document scanner, and controls how that device operates during scanning. Scanner Profiles are essential for organizations that use multiple scanners or require device-specific settings to ensure consistent, high-quality image capture across different workflows.

What is a Scanner Profile?

A Scanner Profile specifies which hardware device is used for scanning, how documents are fed and oriented, and what image processing (if any) is applied to the scanned images. Each profile acts as a reusable template, allowing users to quickly select the correct device and settings for a given scanning task.

Key properties of a Scanner Profile include:

Device: The specific capture device (scanner) to use.
Feed Orientation: The direction and rotation in which documents are fed and scanned.
IP Profile: An optional image processing profile for device-specific cleanup.
- Applying an IP Profile at scan-time will slow down scanner throughput. We recommend using the Image Processing step to clean up images instead. This will both (1) allow you to process tasks in parallel, speeding up the overall image cleanup operation, and (2) utilize hardware acceleration to improve various IP Commands.
Max Idle Time: The maximum time (in seconds) the scanner can remain idle between page loads.

Why use Scanner Profiles?

Scanner Profiles provide several important benefits:

Standardization: Ensure all users scan documents with the correct settings, improving consistency and quality.
Efficiency: Quickly switch between different devices or scanning scenarios without manually reconfiguring settings.
Device-specific processing: Apply unique image cleanup steps to images from specific scanners, if needed.
Reusability: Save and share profiles across users and Batches, supporting team-based and multi-device environments.

How are Scanner Profiles used?

Scanner Profiles are used throughout Grooper wherever scanning is performed, using the Review activity's Scan Viewer tab. When a user initiates a scan, they can select a Scanner Profile with pre-configured settings that determine which device and hardware settings will be used for that session. The selected profile governs all device interactions, page orientation, and any device-specific image processing.

Typical operation

Open a Batch in the Review activity.
Select the Scan Viewer tab to access scanning controls.
Using the "Download" button, choose a Scanner Profile to select the device and settings.
Scan documents directly into the Batch, using the configured profile.

Creating a new Scanner Profile

New Scanner Profiles should not be added in the node tree.

While it is possible to manually add a Scanner Profile to a Project with the "Add > Scanner Profile" command, you should not do so. You will not be able to fully configure the Scanner Profile if you do. You will not be able to select an ISIS or TWAIN device.

The right way to add a new Scanner Profile is from the Scan Viewer.

To create a new Scanner Profile in Grooper:

Prerequisites

Before attempting to create the Scanner Profile, ensure the following:

Grooper Desktop is installed and running.
The scanner is connected to your machine.
The scanner drivers are installed on your machine.
A folder is added in the Project where Scanner Profiles can be stored.
In the Review step's "Scan View" settings, ensure:
- The folder from step 5 is selected for the "Scanner Profiles Folder".
- The "Allow Edit" property is enabled.
- The "Allow Upload" property is enabled.

Configure scanner settings from the Scan Viewer

Open a Review task configured with a Scan Viewer.
- This can be done from the Batches/Tasks page by creating a new Batch.
- Or, if you have Design page permissions, you can use the Review step's Tester tab:
  1. Go to the Review step configured with a Scan Viewer.
  2. Select the "Tester" tab.
  3. In the Test Source panel, select a test Batch.
  4. Press the Test button (play_circle).
Select the "Scan View" tab.
Press the "Scanner Settings" button (tune).
Using the "Device" dropdown, select the device you are using to scan. This will be "ISIS device" or "TWAIN device" depending on what drivers are installed on your machine.
- Most document scanners can use either ISIS or TWAIN drivers. Of those two, using ISIS drivers is more common because they tend to scan at a higher speed.
Using the "Device Name" dropdown choose your scanner model.
- BE AWARE: You will only see devices whose drivers are installed on your workstation. Drivers must be installed before this step.
Configure any remaining Scanner Settings if necessary.
- These default settings work for most users. Commonly configured settings include Feed Orientation to indicate the orientation in which pages are scanned and Scan Once to dynamically generate black and white images to reviewers.
Select "OK" when finished.
Press the "Device Settings" button (adf_scanner) to configure settings unique to your scanner model.
- These settings will also be stored by the Scanner Profile.
- This is where you will find settings such as color mode, dpi, duplex options or any other settings your scanner model has to offer.
- You will see the Grooper Desktop status change to "not found". That's ok. Grooper Desktop must momentarily stop running to configure the device settings.
Grooper Desktop will open the scanner's device settings.
After configuring the scanner's settings as needed, select "OK".

Save the configuration as new Scanner Profile

Now that you've selected a scan device and configured any necessary settings, you can save the current configuration to a new Scanner Profile.

In the Scan Viewer, press the "Upload" button (upload) to open the "Save Scanner Profile" window.
Enter a name for the Scanner Profile.
Press "OK" when done.

You've now created a new Scanner Profile. It will be stored in the Scanner Profiles Folder location.

Max Idle Time: Important configuration note

The Max Idle Time property sets the maximum amount of time (in seconds) the scanner can remain idle between page loads.

The default value is 5 seconds.
Many users find 5 seconds not enough time to load pages before a timeout occurs. Adjust the "Max Idle Time" as needed to give your scan operators sufficient time to load paper into the scanner.
The BIS scanning department sets this value to 30 seconds.

What is Scan Once?

The Scan Once setting in a Scanner Profile is designed for scenarios where you want to capture multiple color versions (such as color, grayscale, and bitonal) of a single scanned page in one pass through the scanner. Instead of scanning the same page multiple times to get different image types, Scan Once allows the scanner to acquire all desired versions simultaneously during a single scan operation.

"Scan Once" does not enable continuous scanning in Grooper. This is a common misconception. Continuous scanning is either enabled in your scanner's Device Settings and/or using the "Scan Repeat" command in the Scan Viewer.

How does it work?

When Scan Once is enabled, Grooper will prompt the scanner to capture all configured color modes (for example, color, grayscale, and bitonal) in one scan.
This is especially useful for high-speed or production environments, as it reduces wear on documents and speeds up the scanning process.
The resulting images are saved as separate versions for each page, allowing you to choose the best image type for downstream processing or archiving.

Should I use Scan Once?

Use Scan Once when you need multiple image types (color, grayscale, bitonal) for each scanned page, but want to avoid scanning the same page multiple times. This is ideal for archival, quality assurance, or workflows that require both high-fidelity and space-efficient images.

How do I configure Scan Once?

Either:
- Open the Scanner Settings (tune) in the Scan Viewer.
- Or select a Scanner Profile in the node tree.
Locate the "Scan Once" property and set it to "Enabled".
Set the "Default Pixel Format" to the option of your choosing.
- The selected format determines how images are displayed by default in the review UI.
- To use Scan Once, the scanner should be configured to acquire images in color or grayscale.