Description
About this item FAST SPEEDS – Scans color and black and white documents a blazing speed up to 16ppm (1). Color scanning won’t slow you down as the color scan speed is the same as the black and white scan speed. ULTRA COMPACT – At less than 1 foot in length and only about 1. 5lbs in weight you can fit this device virtually anywhere (a bag, a purse, even a pocket). READY WHENEVER YOU ARE – The DS-640 mobile scanner is powered via an included micro USB 3. 0 cable allowing you to use it even where there is no outlet available. Plug it into you PC or laptop and you are ready to scan. WORKS YOUR WAY – Use the Brother free iPrint&Scan desktop app for scanning to multiple “Scan-to” destinations like PC, Network, cloud services, Email and OCR. (2) Supports Windows, Mac and Linux and TWAIN/WIA for PC/ICA for Mac/SANE drivers. (3) OPTIMIZE IMAGES AND TEXT – Automatic color detection/adjustment, image rotation (PC only), bleed through prevention/background removal, text enhancement, color drop to enhance scans. Software suite includes document management and OCR software. (4)
With its compact design and simple workflow applications, the Brother DS-640 mobile scanner is ideal for on-the-go, small office/home office professionals. It scans color and B&W documents at up to 16ppm. The DS-640 measures less than 11. 8 inches long and weighs about 1. 5 pounds, so it’s easy to take with you wherever you go. The DS-640 handles a variety of documents up to 72 inches long and up to 72 pounds. bond weight paper. Easily scan business cards and plastic ID cards through the same location as other documents. Power the DS-640 scanner through the included micro USB 3. 0 cable to a laptop or PC to enable true on-the-go scanning from virtually anywhere. The included software lets you to scan to multiple “Scan-to” destinations including File, Image, OCR, Email, and cloud services. The DS-640 enables you to optimize images and text for storage and retrieval. Included document management and OCR software enables you to turn your hardcopy documents into editable Microsoft Word files for easy storage, retrieval and usability. Enhance scans with automatic color detection/adjustment, image rotation (PC only), bleed through prevention, background removal, text enhancement and color drop. Image optimization lets you enhance scans for optimum imaging. The DS-640 is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux and supports TWAIN/WIA for PC/ICA for Mac/SANE drivers. The DS-640 scanner includes a one-year limited warranty. Disclaimers: Color and monochrome scan speed, letter size paper at 300dpi. When connected to a PC with applicable software. Drivers and bundled software available via download at solutions brother. Internet connection required. Refer to User Guide for more information.
German –
5.0 out of 5 stars
2021 14″ Macbook Pro (M1)
This scanner has been working great since I purchased it about two months ago. I’ve already scanned close to 500 papers, and it’s still working like day one. Much better than the Epson-ES50 and Epson-RR60 I had to return after one week of use. Combine this scanner with a case, and it’s a solid piece of portable equipment to have. I usually carry this in my backpack with my MacBook, and other office things.Cons: Finding the correct program, especially for Mac users, was somewhat difficult to find on the manufacturer website. The link provided with the instructions is outdated, and was dead. I had to search on Google to get to the appropriate page, and even then it was still difficult to find. Not sure if this is the same issue with PC users.Another downside to this, is the image after scanning. If you need to scan a receipt that was crinkled up, the scanner is going to image the crinkled lines, which can look kind of weird.Another downside to this scanner is that, ON RARE OCCASIONS, the scan can appear a little sideways. I’m not really sure what causes this. I believe it’s because of the way, YOU as the person, insert the paper to get scanned.A final downside to this scanner, is if you try to quickly scan the next paper, just as the previous one is finishing, it’ll cause the scanner to jam. Just lift the cover and close it, and it’ll remedy the issue.I will update if I encounter any major issues.
17 people found this helpful
Indiana Opera Buff –
5.0 out of 5 stars
AN AMAZING AND FUN LITTLE MACHINE
I am not a techie. I was surprised that I could manage to set this up on my own. My download speed is quite slow because of where I live so the download time for the free Brother download took a long time. Nevertheless, I am now scanning everything in sight, including my plastic driver’s license, and photographs, and copies of bills and e-mailing them all over the place! And once they are scanned, I can also print them off with my printer. It is great fun. I learned from the reviews that for what I had to scan, the setting should be for JPEG. I also adjusted the quality to the highest possible resolution just because that’s how I like it. I don’t have much to scan so I wasn’t worried about computer space. There is an add-on app for Kofax PDF Standard. YOU DO NOT NEED THIS. They give you a free trial, but if you purchase it, it costs $129. It also takes up a massive amount of computer space and slowed down my computer. I took a risk and uninstalled it, and voila! I can still scan just like before. Don’t pay attention to the reviews complaining about the location of the cord and how it gets in the way of scanning. They fixed that problem long ago. The cord is on the side and does not get in the way of anything. I am disabled and can’t drive somewhere to make photocopies. Even if I could drive, I can’t stay standing in one spot for more than a few seconds without risking a partial seizure. I have been paying someone every time I needed photocopies made, which was more often than you would think. Not having to worry anymore about photocopying has lowered my anxiety. I love this thing!
13 people found this helpful
George –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Slickity and small
Awesome little scanner smaller than a keyboard.Pros:smalllightweightfastworks wellCons:Installation not so slickityDoes not play well with other Brother devicesI tried to install this on my desktop PC and the installation said it failed, but it still went on and it works. However, every time I insert a piece of paper and press the scan button, I have to wait for some app to pop up on the scree and then I have to choose which Brother scanning app I want to use.I did not have this problem, nor any other problem, when I installed it on my laptop.Now I commented on the installation process. To install, the quick guide tells you to plug it into a USB port, then go to the brother support web page and follow the prompts. Well, you have to find the device, download software, then do the installation. During the installation, it tells you to unplug the device before continuing. Doesn’t make sense.
3 people found this helpful
T-Body –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice little scanner
I just got the DS-640 and so far it does the job for what I mostly needed it for, which is saving long receipts. It took a while to load the software and the updates. You can add some of the additional software that is available also. I Kofax Power PDF only gives you a 15 day trail and then you have to pay $120+ for a subscription unless you already have one. This one will be uninstalled. The updates were a little tricky. You have to click on each one until all the items are updated. To update the Software Update Notification Updater you have to download it from the Brother website (the update tool does not do it automatically). I have not played with all of the options yet but in order to scan in long receipts you have to choose long paper (narrow width) as the document size. You can save them in different formats and to different locations. Just what I was looking for. After reading some of the other reviews I was hesitant to purchase it. I have used other Brother products and they have all been reliable. Hopefully this one will to.
One person found this helpful
John –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Time saver
This is super convenient for uploading document to the cloud, scans multiple page documents into one pdf.
One person found this helpful
Thomas G. Field, Jr. –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent hardware; terrible software and website
Brother’s software is useless for Macs with current operating systems. Fortunately it isn’t needed; Apple’s ImageCapture.app meets the need flawlessly. Unfortunately, thanks to their opaque instructions , I spent hours before finding an admission that their software is useless with Mac OS10.2, combined with a mention of ImageCapture.
5 people found this helpful
Megan Cambron –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compact and Handy
I ordered this scanner to scan in all my document I have kept in a filing cabinet so that I can go digital and get rid of the filing cabinet. It was easy to setup and very user friendly.
2 people found this helpful
Harry Homebody –
5.0 out of 5 stars
STINKBUG IN THE BOX!
My delivery was fine but there was a living stinkbug in the box. I never want to see this again!
One person found this helpful
karen b. –
3.0 out of 5 stars
works good…..until
Works good until it doesn’t. Just stopped working after a year. Can not get it to work again.
THREE BOY DADTHREE BOY DAD –
5.0 out of 5 stars
THIS IS AMAZING
The media could not be loaded.
This scanner is amazing. I had a D*xie scanner that stopped working. The Brother was smaller and had the ability to do higher resolution scans. I bought it and I love it. Incredibly easy to use. Fast. Reliable. Software is user friendly. I would like to have more scan size options but not a big deal I just choose a larger size and crop out the blank space. In tandem with that you can’t do a high res scan (limited to 300×300 dpi) when you choose auto size but like I said I just choose a slightly bigger area and crop the dead space. Sometimes I will get a white line ir spec of dust but that’s not the machines fault at the 1200×1200 dpi I like to scan at. Takes me about 15 seconds to rescan after a quick dust swipe. Love, love, love this. I can crank out all of the family’s hundreds of prints in no time at all; as well as documents and newspaper clippings.
28 people found this helpful
Sandy –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exactly what I was looking for!
I’m head over heels for this little scanner! It’s exactly what I needed. Setting it up was a breeze. It’s light and seems built to last, just in case you plan to carry it with you on the go. Fast scans with good quality left me happily surprised – a steal for the price!
4 people found this helpful
Joey –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Document Scanner
If you are looking for a document only scanner, this is a good solution. If you are looking for a photo scanner with high quality resolution, I suggest you look for other products. Scanning the photos is a breeze but the picture quality even on the highest settings are not usable in a professional photography environment. Take the money you would spend on this product and invest it in something with more capabilities & higher picture quality.
2 people found this helpful
Speerdo –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect except for one major flaw
The media could not be loaded.
Head and shoulders better than flatbed scanners. Fast, quiet, and easy. Just make sure a previous doc/photo is done scanning before you insert the next or you’ll trigger a document jam and have to lift the top of the scanner and close it again to reset everything. I just scanned 60 photos in 5 minutes. With my old HP Envy (that had an auto document feeder) it would have taken me 20 minutes to do the same. No brainer purchase if you’ve got numerous shoe boxes full of old photos.UPDATE: So one super annoying issue with this scanner is that if the scanner becomes disconnected at any point during scanning, you will lose all the photos you’ve scanned in that session. I don’t really know why, but my USB hub blipped after scanning 300 photos and the software threw an error and they were all gone. Why? That is bad design. Disconnecting the USB device is in no way a reason that all those photos should have to be scanned again. Brother’s software is a bit older and uglier, but it generally does the job. They just need to fix this one HUGE issue. Absolutely infuriating that I will have to rescan hundreds of photos. two stars docked for this issue.
31 people found this helpful
Mark Faber –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Scanner
I purchased my Brother scanner back in February 2021 and it was definitely worth it! The device is very light, easy to store, and is quickly activated once I plug it into my laptop. Once you plug it in to the laptop/computer, all you need to do is open the Brother iPrint&Scan application and you’re ready to go! You can scan items of various sizes, including small photos, drivers licenses, legal papers, etc. The quality of the scans is excellent. I like how you can preselect the files where you want the scanned items to be saved on your computer. The device intermittently updates; you are notified of this automatically.
5 people found this helpful
Miguel –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Uses a non-standard comms cable
I assumed this would be USB-C connected, but it uses a USB 3.0. Who has an extra one of those lying around?I need a scanner for travel that fits in my tight luggage setup, and don’t need another cable flopping around in there getting tangled up on my pen or whatever. So this one gets returned without turning it on. Bought another brand that uses USB-C.
Charles Z. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to use
This is a really nice scanner at a god price. It’s easy to set up and use. We needed to scan some documents to save important information on our computer. We were also able to scan and email some documents. Highly recommended.
One person found this helpful
lisa lisa –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to use
Good price, fast shipping, easy to use with laptop. Highly recommend this product!!
Anita Maxson –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Small and fast
I need something to scan handwritten notes to attach to documents for future reference. Fits the bill perfectly. I keep it on my desk top and scan as I go. It is very fast and documents are very clear. I would say the only draw back is it is not a PDF document. Hasn’t been a problem for me yet. It was easy to install. Happy with my purchase.
3 people found this helpful
Regijo –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to use
This little scanner is quite handy when I don’t feel like running from room to room using the scanner on my printer. At first use, the image was fuzzy. After changing the resolution, it was fine.
One person found this helpful
CGA72 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprised, in a good way!
My work computer is unable to link up with my home printer due to security constraints. Wasn’t a big deal until I started working permanently from home and was scanning documents by using my personal computer and then emailing to my work email. I don’t have as much physical paperwork anymore but I do every now and then. And the many steps to get a document to my work computer were becoming a hassle. I bought this on a whim and then let it sit unused for 6 months.I finally installed the software and drivers today and was so surprised at how quickly it scanned my test pages! It sent the page through within seconds and I thought it would take several minutes to load the image but it was virtuously instantaneous!For the price and my needs, this works perfectly. It fits in my laptop bag so when I do have to go on-site (without access to a company printer), I’ll have options that I didn’t have before. I highly recommend this (even though I’ve only scanned 10 pages…). I don’t foresee any issues but again, my scanning needs are very light. I can see if you need to scan large documents that it could become frustrating by only scanning one page at a time and would recommend that you look for a higher capacity scanner. But for my needs, PERFECT!
8 people found this helpful
Janes2000 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Small footprint for such a useful device. Great value.
I was a bit skeptical about whether I’d get value for the money from this scanner but now that I’ve been using it for a month to scan every document in my house, I’d buy it again 100 times over. If you’re thinking of going paperless, GET ONE!
Myron Abernathy –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Plug and play and go
This was the fastest installation I ever did. The scanner produces up to 600 dpi quality.
Anonymous –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very glad I made this purchase
I’d been searching for a scanner for a while before I found this one. I actually purchased something similar, but I returned it for various reasons. I hoped I wouldn’t have the same issues with this scanner and I can honestly say I’m not disappointed. I use this scanner regularly and I would recommend this purchase to anyone wanting to scan paperwork, receipts, etc. I’ll try to cover my experience from the beginning as well as I can, but I’ve been using the scanner for a couple months now so I may miss a couple parts of the of the setup process.1) The product is very lightweight and easy to use.2) I remember the software being easy to download and install. I was not required to register my product, provide my personal details and agree to any policy for tracking my usage and data (this is why I returned the previous scanner). There are a couple of additional downloads available during the setup process. I only remember one, which is called Kofax. This is just a free trial so if you already have a program for PDFs, it’s not necessary to install this.3) For me personally, the online user manual on the Brother website wasn’t the most intuitive. That doesn’t mean it will definitely be difficult to understand, this was just how it seemed to me. I wound up looking a few things up on Google to get started.4) After plugging the scanner into the computer, the “iPrint & Scan” program will have to be opened and you’ll click “Scan” for every page. If the scanner does automatically feed the pages, I haven’t figured out how to do it. Otherwise, you’re scanning one page at a time, but it scans very quickly.5) You’ll need to select the paper size before each scan, so I usually batch what I’m scanning so that I don’t have to keep changing the size (ex, scan all receipts at once using Long/Narrow paper size)6) If you’re scanning something such as a packet of papers like an apartment lease agreement, there’s an option to “Add Pages” so that you can save the whole agreement as a PDF instead of just single pages.CON FOR ADDING PAGES: You’re not able to change the paper size. If you’re scanning a packet of papers that are a mixture f Legal and Letter, you’ll want to choose Legal for all pages because you can’t change the paper size with the “Add Pages” function. This can cause some pages to be slightly different in size when saving as PDF, but this has yet to really affect any of my scans negatively7) Make sure that when you’re saving your documents, you’re saving to the correct folder. A lot of my scans are separated into monthly folders on my computer and I’ve mistakenly saved things to the wrong place.PRO FOR SAVING SCANS: If you forget to save a scan before scanning another page, a dialog box will appear indicating that it wasn’t saved.8) After a certain amount of inactivity, the scanner turns off on its own.I hope this review is helpful for anyone who takes the time to read it.
33 people found this helpful
Dee –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very handy scanner for everyday and professional projects
Perfect scanner for pictures, documents, etc It is compact, I can stick it in my laptop case and take it with me when needed. It will scan single or multi page documents. It will scan into PDF, jpeg and other formats as needed with just the click of the mouse. I use it a lot.
Adrienne N. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best purchase
I absolutely love this scanner. I use to use my all-in-one to scan documents into Quickbooks, and hated every second of it. This is so much easier and way faster. I highly recommend this one if you need a portable scanner that is quick and simple to use.
One person found this helpful
Fluglowe –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decent scanner with limitations
The scanner was a little bit of a pain to get it installed, however that was probably more due to conflicting software than the scanner itself. Once installed, it operates as it should. The one major pitfall is that the scanner times out and hibernates after 10 minutes of inactivity. This is a major drawback in an office setting where scanning needs to be accomplished in a timely and efficient manner. You have to push the button to get the scanner back into ready status which takes about 10 seconds or so. Not a total deal breaker, but I wish that was a feature that could be disabled. All in all, a decent product for the price. Works well in an office setting that scans about 100 documents per day. Also, scans cards such as driver’s licenses with ease.
19 people found this helpful
Kindle Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can scan cards quickly
There are a few things that aren’t clear from the description. You can’t choose higher than 300 DPI resolution if you set the paper size to AUTO. There’s a few options that if you select, it tells you it will drop the resolution or will default to a different setting. I could not figure out how to scan a long (almost 24 inches) page. I tried manually setting different “standard” page sizes and it got stuck in the same spot every time. I fed the page in backwards at the opposite side it stopped after the same length. I ended up folding the page in half and it went through without issues.I bought this to scan some playing cards. They scan in about 1.5 seconds or so and if you feed it too quickly, it “jams.” That requires opening and closing the lid to clear. If you are patient and wait for the card to clear, you can scan relatively quickly. With the auto size, it can end up trimming a piece of the card, or if it’s scanned skewed, there’s an area with white/grey.I had been using a flatbed to scan cards and it took way too long. You can only fit ~9 depending on the size of the card and when you close the lid, they scatter. This is way more convenient for my purposes and doesn’t take nearly as much room.The USB cable is rather short and it does require a Micro-B cable (looks like it has 2 cable ends that have been fused together). It’s less than 3 ft in length, so if you aren’t using this on a laptop or right next to your computer, you may want to get a longer cable.
10 people found this helpful
Cathy Fondrk –
4.0 out of 5 stars
One paper at a time.
This works great but it only scans one piece of paper at a time.
J J –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great scanner for driver’s license and other stiff small cards.
My large flat-bed scanner finally died. I was at a health clinic and noticed they had this in their office. I noticed it was a Brother brand, so came home and when to Amazon. 2 days later I had this scanner connector. It works great and the scan is so clear it was unbelievable. easy to install and use.
7 people found this helpful
Sarah H –
4.0 out of 5 stars
A useful tool for the road.
I bought this because I have to occasionally scan things for work but I travel a lot so having a scanner available is very handy. Portability and scan quality are the main factors in my review. It scans pages somewhat slowly so this is not a good alternative to a large document scanner but if you are on the road – this scanner is way better than none at all. It deserves a good rating for what it is – it does what it says it will do. It does scans photos nicely so I can use it personally as well – I was impressed with the quality.A couple things to note – since it is an electronic device, if you will use it for scanning on the road, getting a case or finding some other way to protect this is a good idea. If it falls, it could break like any other electronic. It only scans documents as wide as 8.5 inches – if you need to scan wider documents, this scanner is not for you. It works great for smaller photos, letter and legal size paper though.
7 people found this helpful
phantom of the opera –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to use
Perfect for quick scans. Works on the go. Lightweight doesn’t take up much desk space. Easy to store and use when needed. You can only scan one page at time.
Dave –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect for light duty use
I really like this scanner. It does not take up much space on my desk. I use it for scanning documents with a small number of pages.It can scan one page just fine without the Brother Application. If you want to scan multiple pages, you will need to download and install the application.
Richard R. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great product!
Exactly what I expected
Ronald Burton –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome device…
At first I thought it was a nightmare to install…, (Nada)… this is the most awesome item I’ve purchased in years. I’ve set up an area on my PC (file/s), the software brings up all the Directories, you choose where the scan/s go…. When I want to scan, I plug the UPS plug into the computer (I leave the scanner plug in Scanner), fire-up the software, make you choices, then scan… I might be making it sound complicated, but trust me, it’s not… YOU WILL LOVE THIS SCANNER…
One person found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy Easy Easy
Easy to use! Works great.
Kel –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Own it. Use it daily. Need it. Will buy a backup and one for a fam member.
Pros – does exactly what i need. Light and portable for slipping into laptop bag or other. Used daily for a few months, maybe a dozen pages a day, without issue.Cons – I’d prefer the cord plug into the left side of the base but that is due to my desk setup. Cord could be longer and I have an extension USB to USB extender so I can keep it plugged into a docking station but move it around as needed.Details- Again, I’m ordering a 2nd for possible backup or a 2nd office location, even through very portable. Takes second to sync with laptop and the software is easy to use and set up for saving as PDF or JPG or whatever into a common folder.You can, of course, scan multiple pages into one doc.. just need to click a “add pages” screen button for each singly fed page. You cannot load and scan more than one at a time, but can add then up into one saved doc.Bought this after my multi printer was being a snot and I had to go into the office at 3AM for urgent copies. Never again.
2 people found this helpful
Kitkat –
5.0 out of 5 stars
perfect for my projects
This works perfect for me. Making the sheets 100 percent line up isn’t perfect. but for me its just fine. It’s to copy receipts from projects. On the safe side (to prevent tearing) for the store receipts I use a carrier sheet.
One person found this helpful
LaxMom –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nifty!
This is a great little scanner. I love that you can scan multiple pages and that it’s compact. It fits nicely in my desk drawer eliminating another bulky piece of equipment on my desk.
2 people found this helpful
Veronica N Jones –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very efficient
Great for travel or mobile office work. I love the feature that allows you to scan multiple pages for 1 document. Awesome price.
Gayle S. Mosher –
2.0 out of 5 stars
Slow
I bought this to replace another scanner I had that didn’t seem to be working anymore. Brother is a good name, so I figured this was a good choice. The biggest issue – you cannot have more than 1 page per scan. If you need to scan 4 pages, each one has to be done separately. This is inconvenient. I am so glad that my other scanner started working again – 5 pages, 1 file. If you are just needing 1 page per, than it would work for you. If you don’t want 4 files referencing 1 statement received in the mail, look elsewhere.
MajONeZ –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Decent scanner for the money
It’s compact, portable and seems solid as far as build quality. It took few minutes to set up but once done it’s very easy to use. You have options to set it certain way and create workflow that let’s you save certain settings/preferences which can be changed with a click of a button. Overal I’m very happy with the overall quality and price.
One person found this helpful
Steve Alcorn –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent scanner
Compared to the Epson I used to have, this thing is great. Very easy to use and good quality. Reliable feed. Although there’s no bulk sheet feeder, it does have a continuous mode. It’s work exploring all the options in the options menu. Auto sizing works great.My only issue is that once I upgraded to MacOS Sonoma I have to reset the Mac for each new session, as it doesn’t reconnect after it powers down. No doubt this will be fixed with an update by either Brother or Apple.
6 people found this helpful
Laha –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Its a great product
I am so pleased with this scanner. It so easy to use and it is fast. I tell everyone I about this scanner. I even purchased for my daughter for college.
Adrian –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great little scanner, BUT….
When it first arrived I could not get it to work. I (mistakenly) installed the recommended software “BR-Receipts”. DON’T DO THAT!!!!! It kept locking up my computer and did nothing! After quite a bit of time experimenting with things I was all set to pack it up and return it when, as I was waiting on hold for customer service (who never answered), I discovered a driver download for it hidden away on their website. Tried that and it worked perfectly. Very happy with it now but the learning curve was painful. Live and learn.
14 people found this helpful
philstopford –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works well under Linux, paper feed can be a little fussy
In general, this is a trouble-free, highly-portable scanner. The one minor complaint is that the paper feed can be a little fussy, prone to jamming or running the paper through not-quite-square due to snags.All said, though, I have no complaints about the quality and it’s a big help that it works nicely with Linux.The supplied cable is USB-A on the host side, which could be an issue for machines that only have USB-C ports.
3 people found this helpful
Why? –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Scanner!
I bought this scanner because my Epson scanner that was in a checked bag got lost. Decided to give this a try. This is by far a better scanner than the Epson for this product class. I have to scan business documents on the go and this Brother’s scanner has really high quality scans. It scans at 300 dpi but the scans look just as good as my office’s thousand+ dollar flat bed scanner that scans at 1200 dpi. (Epson’s website markets their product as 1200 dpi but the software never lets you go above 300.) Even at 300 dpi, the scans on the Brother’s scanner will still save at around 11-12 MP per page at the highest resolution–way more than I need. The build quality is better than the Epsons too. The software is really intuitive and I had no problem transitioning over.A couple things I’ve noticed. There is a firmware/driver update on Brother’s website for this scanner that won’t install on my computer. It’s not a big deal to me because the scanner does work great already without it. Lastly, the scanner doesn’t do as well as a flatbed scanner for archiving children’s artwork that has artwork glued to it. It’s still 5/5 because this scanner isn’t really meant for that. Needless to say I’m going to get a Brother’s flatbed scanner for that purpose because this one has far exceeded my expectations!Edit: After about 300-400 scans, there’s a black line that appears on the scans. Other reviews have the same issue. There is a notch on the scanner that detects when there is a page inserted and holds the page. It looks like this notch is a mechanical issue and not an easy software fix. This isn’t a big deal for me but if you are using the scanner for archiving purposes it might be a deal breaker to have this line.
7 people found this helpful
McFarland –
5.0 out of 5 stars
QUALITY
This portable scanner is lightweight and SO easy to use. The driver is quick and easy to install and the unit works quickly and perfectly every single time. Best purchase of the year!
One person found this helpful
nikkolausnikkolaus –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Critical Issues and Easy Functionality
So, let’s start this off by saying one this — Yes! The DS-640 is a great scanner… HOWEVER.. It does have some issues that bring it down a peg or two..I’ll start this off by highlighting the positives –It’s portable. It’s easy to use. It’s lightweight.On the downside –It’s infuriating after scanning only a few documents that you’re told “OH NO! We’re out of memory!” .. The first time it happened I stared at the message on-screen and thought to myself.. How the heck can it be out of memory when I have 64 GB of high-speed RAM in the computer… Then I remembered that the chips inside these scanners have temporary memory built-in… but then the kicker… …buuut I only scanned TWO PAGES… They were 3 color (black, blue, red) documents and standard paper size. It’s not like it was a full-size poster in crisp detail at maximum resolution, bitrate, with edits… This was a major failure of the design, and was actually my first experience with the scanner, which as I don’t need to mention, is NOT GOOD! A terrible look for the BRAND, as this was my first ownership of their brand’s product, and not good for the future of this little new device sitting on my desk with the threat of return, due to a degraded trust in the product. If it’s going to fail me on day one, what’s it going to do on day 365?That brings me on to my next quarrel with this device. Resolution and color limitations by size. If I want to scan a sheet of paper at the fullest-size available for this device in the MAXIMUM allowed quality (resolution and color and bitrate), why am I limited from doing so by software? We physically know the scanner can do it, because we can do it with other smaller sheets and the compliance with the HARDWARE is there… but for some reason, I get rejected by software when I want to actually use the product to its fullest potential, hardware wise.With auto document sizing set to “On” you can only scan stuff at a resolution of 300×300 dpi, regardless of being set to black and white or full 24-bit color.The device does have a slider to control a guide for paper size, but it’s so flimsy and loose in the track that even if a document does start to kink to one side, it’s pushing that guide out of the way. No sense in even having it there, really.The port on this scanner is not a generic connection, and requires a dedicated special cable to hookup to your PC by USB, so don’t expect to be able to head down to your local PC repair shop and snag a new cable after your pet gerbil decided that the big thick black cable looked like a delicious after-dinner licorice dessert.With all this in mind, choose carefully.If you’re using this to scan documents in an office setting, it’s fine, I guess. Just be ready to scan that 43-page packet 5 times over until the software quits telling you that it magically ran out of memory.If you’re using this to scan photos, whip out the old handy-dandy ruler and be ready to fight with size-presets telling you that you can’t use the fullest scan quality on auto-sizing.As the package says — Be sure to save your box and packing materials, in case you do ever need to send the unit back in for service or repairs. I recommend buying a wet/dry scanner cleaning kit.
22 people found this helpful
ADF –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scanner is fast for its size
For flat bed scanners that I used before, the paper was loaded with corner on top right. I mistakingly loaded the paper from the right side and it did not work until i saw that the paper sensor was on the left side.Scanner is faster than expected, it scans well and it even scans the very long shopping receipts.
Carol –
4.0 out of 5 stars
I love the concept but….
This works and is very portable, however, some receipts won’t feed and there was not an adequate users manual or instructions. I struggled to see what this Brother DS-640 was capable of doing and how to use it. As usual, I had to go to youtube for customers videos. Why couldn’t Brother have included some simple and basic instructions? Over all I think it is a good purchase, but limited on use.
One person found this helpful
WriterInFact –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous tech support!
This little portable scanner is a huge improvement over my all-in-1 (which will be the last product I buy from that manufacturer because it loses the connection after every scan). This fits between the keyboard and the monitor so it’s simple to start each receipt into the feeder. It might be a bit fussy about handling longer receipts, but the smaller the receipt, the bigger the image, so the easier it is to read later. You get to choose whether you want a jpeg or a pdf. It has absolutely no issues with an 8-1/2″ X 11″ sheet, but I haven’t yet tried cards, either plastic or paper varieties.Oh, and tech support was needed to log into the Brother website to register the scanner and download the app. It’s been years since I had a Brother device, and didn’t even remember that an account already existed. The tech has an expert knowledge of the website and where to find what was necessary, including the user manual. He was also patient, personable, professional, and understandable. The baby scanner itself, model DS-640, has gone through 6 months of receipts in just a few hours, and a several letter-sized scans, without a hitch or a hiccup. I’m very pleased with it.
13 people found this helpful
Barbra –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just What I Needed
I needed a portable scanner to use in a car. Since I already have a big appreciation for Brother products, I was immediately attracted to this little scanner. It needs to be powered via a USB port in a laptop, and I have a MacBook Air, so there was no problem there.I use a large Brother laser printer at home for scanning and printing, so I already had their iPrint&Scan software loaded. When I connected this little scanner to the laptop and opened iPrint&Scan, it recognized the DS-640 immediately. Very simple and straightforward.The test scans have produced comparable quality to the large laser scanner and saving the files to my computer is just as simple.I could not be more pleased with my purchase.
10 people found this helpful
H. K. –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excited then mildly disappointed
I was excited to receive this. It has been an up and down experience on day one. It wasn’t a plug and play product. I had to download the driver and then 2 additional applications to use it on my Mac mini. Not terrible. I got it working and was super pleased with the compact size and how easily it scanned items. The software wasn’t terrible either. Then, as I started to attack my receipt pile, I came across 2 annoyances that might have me return it. The first, the “start/stop” button doesn’t actually start or stop. You have to control it from the computer. It will also shut off after a while and then I hit the button and it blinks red and takes a few times of cancelling the error in the app before it starts working again. Tolerable for the price point. The second part that is irritating but also doesn’t happen that often is, for longer receipts, it stops and claims there is a jam. There is no jam. I tried it several time with a few different long receipts. I ended up having to cut off part of the receipt to get it to work. That was annoying because I also had to do some trial and error about how much I was cutting off so I had to scan it 3-4 times before I got it to save a file.I like the small size so that it doesn’t take up much room on my desk and it will travel well, if needed. I don’t know if I love the quirks for the price. I will see after this week. Hope this was helpful!
32 people found this helpful
Stephen –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good scanner for the price
I purchased this Brother scanner to replace my previous scanner (also a Brother) that lasted several years until it quit working. The DS-640 is faster than my older one. Easy to set up though one does have to download the driver. Be sure to carefully follow the steps in doing the download. The one thing that I do not like with this scanner and did not realize until I started using it is that the scanner is not continuous, at least with my scanner program (Paperport for Windows) as was my former scanner. By this I mean that when multiple sheets are to be scanned, each sheet must individually fed into the scanner and the “scan” button in the program must be nit. In my older model, the scanning was continuous. After the first page, the scanner just needed to be fed the next sheet. As much of what I scan is single sheets, not having the continuous feature is no big deal and even with multiple sheets is not that much an inconvenience. The speed of this scanner is good which serves to compensate for the inconvenience of continuous scanning. My guess is the next model, 940, up has the continuous feature.Overall, a good scanner for the money and I am happy with it.
18 people found this helpful
Mr. D SP8T –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Works Well
This does exactly what it says it does….Just what I needed….
2 people found this helpful
E l. –
3.0 out of 5 stars
It’s Ok
I don’t scan things daily and needed something easy to keep on desk for the times I do need it. It works fine, WHEN it wants to work. I’m constantly getting a “something went wrong” error. I end up unplugging it, plugging it back in, and cross my fingers it’ll scan. Some times it ends up working and other times I end up frustrated on Amazon writing a review.
One person found this helpful
Mevlan –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet Little Scanner
I was using a 3-in-1 printer for scanning and it took me 45 minutes to scan 30 pages. Fed up, I got this little baby and man am I glad I did. It was a bit of a pain downloading the software, but once installed it works seemlessly with the scanner. And it cut my scanning time at least in half if not more. My only complaint is that it’s a bit tricky to get each page started into the scanner, but that’s not enough to withhold a star. Recommended!
8 people found this helpful
Chris –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Single sided
Only gripe is that it’s single sided
6 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Could use a Cash Register store reciept sleev
Can Brother produce a box wide plastic sleeve fo Cash Registerr reciepts The only solution from brother is to buy standard paper sized sleeves. Even if I get digital, one still likes paper scanning as backup.
2 people found this helpful
Nancy –
5.0 out of 5 stars
I LOVE THIS SCANNER
I bought one of these before, and it is so handy and so portable and does a great job. i had to replace it as I dropped my original one and it stopped working….not a great idea to drop your scanner…but I immediately bought another one and a protective case just in case I drop it again. It will be less likely to break but it is super good quality and easy to use and does a great job. Brother also has a full software program for it which is very easy to use. It is simple to use, does a great job and the fact that it is so portable is a huge selling point for me as I work in different locations. I would describe it as what a laptop is to a full computer set up i.e. computer, mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc. – it is a full functioning scanner but less than one tenth the size or less than a regular scanner making it completely portable.
2 people found this helpful