Choosing the right document scanner for your UAE office, front desk, clinic or government service counter depends on the type of documents you handle, the volume you process and whether you need to capture identity documents. eTOP supplies Plustek document and passport scanners across the UAE, including the OpticSlim 550 Plus flatbed, the SmartOffice PT2160 sheetfed and the SecureScan X50, X150 and X200 passport scanners.
| Model | Type | Published speed | Key published feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpticSlim 550 Plus | Flatbed | 1.5 seconds (A5, colour, 300 dpi) | 1200 dpi optical resolution |
| SmartOffice PT2160 | Sheetfed duplex | 60 ppm / 120 ipm | Creates searchable PDFs |
| SecureScan X50 | ID and passport | About 1 second | White LED illumination |
Flatbed scanner: Plustek OpticSlim 550 Plus
The Plustek OpticSlim 550 Plus is a flatbed scanner with a CIS image sensor and 1200 dpi optical resolution. Its maximum scanning area is 216 x 150 mm, and the published speed is 1.5 seconds for an A5 page in colour mode at 300 dpi. The OpticSlim 550 Plus has five action-button functions: Copy, File, Scan, OCR and Custom. It comes with Plustek DocAction software and Plustek OCR for Windows powered by ABBYY FineReader. The OpticSlim 550 Plus uses a USB 2.0 interface and is TWAIN compliant.
Sheetfed duplex scanner: Plustek SmartOffice PT2160
The Plustek SmartOffice PT2160 is a sheetfed duplex scanner with a published speed of 60 ppm / 120 ipm. It includes DocAction software and can create searchable PDFs.
Passport and ID scanners: Plustek SecureScan X Series
Plustek SecureScan X Series scanners read international passports, plastic ID cards and other documents, and support TD1, TD2, MRP and MRV document sizes under ICAO Doc 9303. ICAO Doc 9303 is the international specification for machine readable travel documents and defines the MRZ: TD1 cards have 3 lines of 30 characters, TD2 has 2 lines of 36, TD3 passports have 2 lines of 44.
The Plustek SecureScan X50 is an ID and passport scanner for passports and ID cards, with a published scan speed of about 1 second and white LED illumination. The SecureScan X200 can read Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) and Visual Zone data.
Plustek lists these SDKs for the SecureScan X Series: Passport/MRZ SDK, Driver’s License and ID card SDK, RFID and OCR Library SDK, Scanning and Image Enhancement SDK. These toolkits let system integrators embed MRZ passport reading and ID-card capture into applications.
Emirates ID card reading
ICP (UAE Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) provides an Emirates ID SDK toolkit that works with any PC/SC-compatible smart-card reader to read the card’s public data. eTOP supplies Emirates ID card readers and Emirates ID reading software.
UAE laws on personal data and electronic documents
UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data regulates processing of personal data and entered into force on 2 January 2022; identity-document data is personal data when it identifies a person. UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021 on Electronic Transactions and Trust Services gives electronic documents legal recognition (subject to the law’s requirements) and regulates how electronic documents are stored, sent and received.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a flatbed and a sheetfed document scanner?
The Plustek OpticSlim 550 Plus is a flatbed scanner with a CIS image sensor and 1200 dpi optical resolution. The Plustek SmartOffice PT2160 is a sheetfed duplex scanner with a published speed of 60 ppm / 120 ipm.
What is a Machine Readable Zone on a passport?
ICAO Doc 9303 is the international specification for machine readable travel documents and defines the MRZ: TD1 cards have 3 lines of 30 characters, TD2 has 2 lines of 36, TD3 passports have 2 lines of 44.
Can a document scanner create searchable PDFs?
Yes. The Plustek SmartOffice PT2160 includes DocAction software and can create searchable PDFs. The OpticSlim 550 Plus comes with Plustek DocAction software and Plustek OCR for Windows powered by ABBYY FineReader, and has five action-button functions including OCR.
Do I need a separate reader for Emirates ID cards?
Yes. ICP provides an Emirates ID SDK toolkit that works with any PC/SC-compatible smart-card reader to read the card’s public data. eTOP supplies Emirates ID card readers and Emirates ID reading software.
What UAE law governs scanned identity documents?
UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data regulates processing of personal data; identity-document data is personal data when it identifies a person. UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021 gives electronic documents legal recognition.
Sources
- Plustek OpticSlim 550 Plus specifications
- Plustek SmartOffice PT2160 specifications
- Plustek SmartOffice PT2160 press release
- Plustek SecureScan X Series
- Plustek SecureScan X200
- Plustek SecureScan X50
- ICAO Doc 9303
- UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021
- UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021
- ICP Emirates ID SDK toolkit
