News

DataMaster Lab Award for Scanners 2022: the Easiest to Use

22 June 2022

DataMaster Lab is completely independent from the equipment manufacturers whose products we test.

We derive no revenue from testing, nor from our evaluations, certifications - and not from our Digital Imaging Awards either.

We have been testing printing equipment since 2009, and our services are dedicated to helping sales and marketing teams who distribute copiers, printers, and, since 2020, scanners. We know what buyers need. We know how to differentiate products in the office market place.

When a scanner is easy to use, everyone in a team will be able to benefit from it - not just the tech-savvy. Users will be more productive, will make more of complex features and functions - and they will be happier too.

There are two sides to making a scanner easy to use. Firstly, it needs to be simple for first-timers to do what they need on day one. Also, both the hardware controls and the software need to be well designed, so someone who uses the machine a lot can change settings quickly.

We have standardised tests and long questionnaires which ensure this rather subjective subject is reviewed objectively. In addition to screen size, job set-up (simple and complex), we score a machine on how easy it is to get from box to fully functional.

DataMaster Lab's Usability tests look at the machine interface, the driver and all the software provided with the product. Our test engineers evaluate machines of every brand, and these rigourous analyses are both scientific and objective. The winners of this Award are products which, due to their design, enable and empower users to utilise the complex features which the devices and their software provide.

The Award is available to subscribers to the sales-enablement service DataMaster Online on the product pages of the machines concerned, and from our public website. High-resolution versions of the Awards and Rosettes are available upon request.