CZUR Aura Pro Portable Book Scanner, A3 Document Scanner, Auto-Flatten & Fingerprint Removal Technologies, Multi-Language OCR, 90° Foldable, for Mac & Windows

I initially purchased this for the purpose of converting piano scores into PDFs. For pianists, the ability to turn pages on a tablet using a pedal instead of hands can mean a lot. This product not only met my needs but also delivered exceptional results with text. I believe it's a solid investment, especially when compared to other book scanners I've tried, which often have noticeable flaws. Some features: 1. Easy setup. I despise spending an hour on setup, only to then feel like I'm studying for a test to learn how to use a product. 2. Save space. I put it on a speaker stand when I’m not using it. 3. Good software. Haven't encountered any issues with it so far. 4. The auto-flatten function is magic. This is something a flatbed scanner just can't achieve with a thick book. The deskew and OCR features are also invaluable. 5. Quick scanning capability. I can scan hundreds of pages within an hour. 6. Top-notch text scanning. Its performance exceeded my expectations. One last tip: Don't forget to adjust the lighting for optimal results.

I bought this scanner to help with my genealogy research. I often go to libraries/archives and use my phone to take pictures, so I wanted a scanner that was portable and would be allowed at those places (i.e. wouldn't damage old books/documents by pressing them onto a flatbed). I had been using my phone, but I don't like the disadvantages (it doesn't always take the best photo, and I hate the auto file naming, so you have to later figure out what you've got) so I was ready for something new. I'll review the scanner itself separately from the software. The Scanner (5 stars) The scanner does a high-quality job on scans of most documents and books. It's super easy to set up - just plug in the cords and go. It does need to be plugged into a wall outlet. I had no problem laying out the mat and having it stay flat which another reviewer complained about. I simply rolled the mat in the opposite direction, then laid it out on the table. The scanner is light-weight, so will be easy to transport to archives and libraries. The foot pedal is helpful for pressing "scan" when holding a book open. It has a felt-like bottom, so it doesn't slide on wooden floors. It's not a required piece of the scanner - you can use the scanner without the foot pedal. When scanning glossy pages (like those in page protectors) or photos, the side lights are a must. Without the sidelights, the top light reflects and you get a huge glare in the middle of the page. Using the sidelights mainly eliminates that glare. You do still need to check the positioning of the page, though, because a reflection of the lights themselves can be seen if you're not careful. The side lights were one of the reasons I picked this model. I like the way the camera arm folds into the center of two upright supports. It'll be perfect for looping my Kensington lock through and locking the scanner with my computer in case I need to step away from a library table for a few minutes. This was another reason I picked this model. The scanner software does a fair job of eliminating the cots from a page. However, just be aware that it doesn't work perfectly in all cases. One of the books I scanned has a flower border on many of its pages. The cots were automatically blurred out but the software obviously can't reconstruct what was under them. But it worked better than I expected on that book. The Software (4 stars) The installation was easy. If you provide your email address, you are provided a link to tutorials to help learn to use the software. For the most part though, the software is simple enough to use without needing them. The FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City provides CZUR scanners, so if you've been there, the software will feel familiar. When scanning, you have the option to choose single pages, facing pages (like a book), manual selection (i.e. choose which portion of the page you want scanned), or combine sides (used for IDs to combine both images onto one sheet of paper). I haven't used the combine sides option, but the others all work great. The software does a fair job of OCR - although, it had trouble reproducing an 1990s-era computer printout which was justified into Word. The large spaces between words seemed to give it some trouble. The same printout, when exported as a Searchable PDF allows search as you would expect, so it was the layout that was the problem, not the OCR. I was able to load in pictures of a multi-page document that I had taken on my phone and the OCR did a fantastic job given the pages weren't overly straight, and some were skewed quite a bit. There are several options that you can perform on one or multiple images - rotate, crop, rename. You can also adjust the contrast, sharpness, and modify the color settings. You can load in a folder of images (even if not scanned by the scanner) and can use the software to manipulate them and export them. I've done this on some scans made on my phone. It's also nice because you can scan now, export later. Some software drawbacks (and why I only give it 4 stars) When scanning multiple books / documents, you can choose which images you want exported - either "all" or a selection. If I'm scanning large documents or a chapter of a book, I'd rather each get their own folder. The only way I've found to do that is to shut the software down and restart. The software uses its own style of UI (i.e. different look-and-feel from Windows / Mac). For pop-up windows, you need to be aware of which button is the default. For example, when prompted to overwrite a file, "cancel" is the default, but in other cases, "continue" is the default. In all cases the continue button is the one that appears "highlighted" (it's blue). So, hitting <return> may not be what you want, using the mouse is the best way to make sure you are selecting the correct button. There doesn't seem to be a way to rearrange images in the viewer. You can do so right before you export (you need to click the "Show Sort window" box). This is a bit clunky if you have a large book - the window is of a set size, and is hard to read page numbers in it. And the software doesn't remember the order, so if you want to produce both a pdf and a word document, you have to redo the sort. On the plus side, this is mainly just a limitation for documents scanned previously. If you are in the process of scanning a book (or have just finished), you should double-check each page. For pages that were not scanned well, or accidently skipped, you can use the "Rep" to replace the image or "Ins" to insert an image. This means that you really shouldn't need to rearrange the pages right before exporting.

Like: -Easy to setup and install -Good Quality images -Automatic OCR -Supports several output files - Fast Scanning Needs Improvement -Auto enhance sometimes removes pages or rearranges the text -Instructions are a little clunky -Hard to get back into box -Finger remover doesn't always get it 100% -Software is a little unintuitive Overall this is a good value if you're an amateur archivist and don't need it to be perfect. The pro one might be better but I haven't tried it. It worked well for my needs CZUR if you're reading this, your book scanner is awesome and I love it. My main complaint is that its hard to get it back in the box. In your next version add a small bevel to the foot pedal and power adapter so the user can wrap the cord around it. I have included a mockup to give you an idea of what i mean. The Mat could use a box or something so it stays rolled up, maybe velcro straps instead of paper ones . Or some kind of dowel to make it easier to roll. You also have some extra space in the foam packaging that you could make little cut outs for the plug adapters as well. Again, love the product, but putting it away again could be easier.

As someone whose professional work is unrelated, I have developed a deep personal interest in studying the Okinawan language (Uchinaaguchi) because my ancestors are from there. Many of the most valuable materials for this field, especially those related to "Ryuka" poetry, are quite old. Some of these books were published 60 to 70 years ago and have never been reprinted. They are extremely difficult to find, even in Japan, and often very expensive. Over the years, I have managed to collect more than 100 of these rare books and had them shipped to the US with me. A large number of these books are quite extensive, often 500 pages or even exceeding 1000 pages. When studying an archaic language in poetic form, without abundant external resources, it is necessary to constantly reference and search through these materials. However because many of these books are so fragile, I sometimes hesitate to flip through the pages out of concern for damaging them. I have long been aware that book scanners exist, since I have used PDF books before, but I never looked into how they were created. I own a traditional Brother printer/scanner, and once I attempted to scan a 200 page book using it. The process took more than an hour and was physically exhausting. I had to flip each page, place it face down on the glass, and wait 7-8 seconds for each scan. With hardcover books, the weight and awkward positioning made the process even more inconvenient. After that experience, I could not imagine scanning the rest of my collection. That was when I came across CZUR. I decided to purchase the CZUR Aura Pro. It is not the most advanced model I believe, but since my primary goal is to digitize books with good clarity and OCR functionality, I believed it would be sufficient. A few days ago, the device arrived, and I immediately began scanning. For a 500 page book, the entire process took only about 20 minutes. The experience was effortless. The foot pedal is especially useful as it allows me to scan continuously without waiting for each page to process on the computer. Each scan takes only 1-2 seconds. Most of the time is actually spent adjusting the book position since the center line shifts depending on thickness and page turning. The OCR function is also quite good although it has some limitations. Many of the books I work with contain a mix of modern Japanese and Okinawan language, written in kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Because Okinawan differs semantically from Japanese and often includes uncommon or small kana, the OCR cannot always recognize everything accurately. This is understandable given how niche the language is, and I do not expect significant technological investment in this area. Even so, the results are still very useful. I still read the physical books for extended study because it is easier on my eyes, but when I need to quickly search for something, the scanned images are extremely convenient and save a great deal of time. Overall, I highly recommend this scanner. I have recommended it to other Okinawan language enthusiasts, and we are considering building a shared digital library of these rare materials.

I had some skepticism when I first ordered this. I was copying yearbooks and scrapbooks into my computer using a flatbed scanner, as I figured that my children and grandchildren would just throw them away after I was gone. I couldn’t be sure about that but considering their lack of interest in looking at these old books, I figured that it was a strong possibility. Anyway, I was scanning each page of a yearbook into a flatbed scanner, which was tedious, and I thought to myself there must be a better way of doing this. So I went online, and saw the Czur device, and I thought, “well for $300. You can’t go too wrong”. I ordered it, and set it up, which was easy.. The documentation that comes with the device is pretty sparse, but their are plenty of online tutorials and I quickly started using it. After an half hour of experimenting, I found that I could copy extensive year books in less than five minutes. It scans them into JPG format, and then converts them into a PDF, tiff, word document, searchable PDF, and some other formats depending on your preference. You can use a foot pedal, or switch on the automatic page turning recognition for scanning, either one worked fairly well for me, but I found that I needed to use the finger cots because some of the books were quite curved and I needed the foot pedal for those. I’m old, so , as mentioned, I had to go online to look at the video tutorials on how to use the finger cot, but once I did, it was very straightforward. Scanning takes only a second or two for each page and it can preserve them as I said, in any format you want, but I use the high-quality PDF, My yearbooks have a lot of photographs as of course, do the picture scrapbooks (which are mostly photographs) with some writing on them, but the device copied them faithfully. Naturally, for the photo scrapbooks, you don’t get the same picture quality as you would with a dedicated photo scanner like the Epson FF – 680, but you don’t have to take the pictures out of the scrapbook with the Czur. Most of the time I had to use the side lamps to copy the photo Books, as most of the pages were laminated or had a plastic cover sheet which creates a glare when the overhead lamp is on., When you turn on the device, the default scanning lamp is on the arm of the scanner. Those are easily turned off by touching the button on th back where the side lights are attached and that turns them off and the side lights on which reduces glare. The quality of the pictures are very good, as I mentioned, and if you don’t want to enlarge the scans to make a poster or something, then they are quite acceptable. All in all, this is a tremendous timesaver over a flatbed scanner, and I highly recommend it for people who want to archive their old documents, yearbooks, or scrapbooks.

Here's the short form TL;DR: Pros: -Small, easy to store -Easy set up, physically and software-wise -Physical quality of the scanner and packaging are impressive Cons: -Seems designed for text and more matte papers, not photos/art and glossy paper -Related to above, lighting options create glare on glossy paper -Related to above, struggles to autodetect dark pages -Lackluster detail capture on art and photos It's alright. I don't think it's a bad scanner, I just think it's not ideal for my purposes. It definitely seems more suited for text. If you want to digitize art or photo books with large glossy pages, I would seriously recommend either making sure your environment is set up with good lighting so that you can turn off the scanner's light, OR just go with a different scanning option altogether. I also just don't think the scanner does a great job accurately capturing images. Even with the resolution and DPI cranked up, it just never quite got there. Colors don't get captured quite as well either. I spent about 2 hours trying different settings and messing with the exposure and the colors to try and more accurately capture the colors, and once again I just couldn't quite get it. Another reason I think the scanner is geared toward text: the black mat. The scanner autodetection of pages and such worked well when scanning light-colored pages, BUT! If I was scanning anything with dark pages, it would struggle and frequently cut off parts of the page. I believe the scanner is designed around expecting that stark contrast of white pages and black text against the black scanning mat. So once again, just not suited for my purposes unfortunately. It worked well enough for what I needed, which was digitizing some photo books I bought for art reference. Thankfully in this instance I didn't *need* perfect captures. We moved to a smaller apartment with limited space so I really liked the idea of this fairly compact scanner, and being able to digitize and offload the large physical books. But in the future I'll be looking for a different scanning option.

I have a large collection of vintage magazines, many of which are crumbling and fragile. And yet, there are many stories in them I’d like to read. What to do? Scan them for preservation and readability! Flatbed scanners are hard on books and magazines, and can damage them severely. I considered which book scanner to buy for some time, looked at reviews, etc.. Eventually, I decided, for the sake of portability and quality, to go with the Aura Pro. I like it; it serves my needs well, even better than my flatbed scanner for some kinds of flat ephemera. While it is true that the higher end CZUR scanners might show better results in some cases, this one meets my needs. It’s easy to use and I can scan a pile of materials fairly quickly. The foot pedal is a great feature. I especially like how the scanner flattens pages, also how it handles batch edits and conversions to searchable PDFs. I’m planning to use the live feed feature soon and am looking forward to seeing it does as part of my toolkit for distance teaching. In summary, I’m pleased with the scanner and recommend it.

As I said, I loved it while I had it and it worked great (except...). The user interface was understandable, the set up went fine, and I was off scanning. Maybe I got the runt of the litter, but the first day, after unpacking, setting up, and using, it started acting up. After about 200 pages (the number varied greatly each time) the user screen started getting streaks across it and then went white. The scanner won't scan if it doesn't "see" anything. The first time this happened it cleared on its own after about a minute. Later times I had to shut down the scanner and the program for about ten minutes before it would work again. I am returning it. I will try this scanner again, once my return goes through, because I did like how fast and easy it was. Replacement has been working beautifully. I have scanned 10 books and over 3000 pages

El scanner se ha utilizado para digitalizar documentos y libros, los primeros muy bien, los segundos también, dependiendo del tipo de libro, en libros grandes no tiene dificultad, en libros pequeños de más de 100 pp. es muy difícil mantenerlos abiertos, podría mejorar la técnica. Sin embargo lo recomiendo ampliamente porque cumple su función, lo he comenzado a usar y ya me ha dado utilidad, tarda sólo unos 2 o 3 segundos para ver la imagen muy nítida en la PC o laptop. Si quisiéramos mejorar pediríamos una funda para mantenerlo en desuso.

Beautifully packaged, sleek design, very intuitive to use. I bought it to digitize my old journals - it was fast, easy, and high quality!! Came faster than predicted. Very happy with everything. Worth every penny!

رائع

Primero deben instalar el software y conectar el escaner a la computadora. Que no les pase como a mí, que no encendía el escaner, y ya estaba conectado a corriente, llegué a pensar que no funcionaba.