PaperCut MF’s Advanced Scanning, allows users to provide valuable context about their scanned documents for the benefit of others. This metadata, such as document type, subject, and keywords, goes beyond basic file names, providing crucial information for downstream workflows.
By accurately capturing metadata during the scanning process, organizations can seamlessly integrate scanned documents into their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Content Management Systems (CMS). This metadata can act as a powerful guide, enabling automated routing, indexing, and retrieval of documents, streamlining processes, and minimizing manual intervention.
Use cases
Here are some specific examples to give you an idea of what’s possible with Advanced Scanning.
Example uses | Description | How it works |
|---|---|---|
Email scans to specific recipients | Let users select an email address from an address book before scanning. | Using the User Lookup field type, users search for a colleague in the PaperCut user directory and send the scan to their email. |
Tag scans with project details | Prompt users to enter a project name to categorize and track documents. | Using the CSV Datasource Lookup field type, users select a project from a preloaded CSV with project names, customer details, and contact info. |
Classify documents by type | Require users to select a document type for easier indexing. | Using the Dropdown List field type, users choose from predefined options like "Order," "Proposal," "Contract," "Purchase Invoice," or "Sales Invoice." |
Streamline document workflow | Capture invoice numbers, project codes, or reference numbers with input validation. | Using the Number field type, users enter an invoice number, with validation allowing only numbers. |
Automate file organization | Use metadata to integrate with file systems and automatically sort scanned documents. | Using the Text field type, users enter a descriptive subject line for the scan, such as "Q1 Financial Report.") |
Before you start
- Ensure the device is supported. Most MFDs are fully supported with the exception of certain hardware-based limitations documented below. Check with your Authorized PaperCut Partner if you have questions about compatibility.
- Supported devices
Canon MEAP, Fujifilm Business Innovation, HP OXP, Konica Minolta (Open API4.0+), Kyocera*, Lexmark*, Ricoh SmartSDK, Sharp OSA n2, Toshiba(v3+), Xerox - Known Limitations
- Kyocera - Advanced Scanning is supported on later Kyocera MFDs running a WebKit browser.
- Lexmark - Placeholder text is not supported due to SDK limitations.
- Supported devices
- Enable Advanced Scanning for a device.
To make advanced scan actions available on a device, you must select Enable Integrated Scanning and Enable Advanced Scan Actions (including fax) to appear on this device. These options are found on the device’s settings and requires an available device license for Advanced Scanning. For details, see Enable Advanced Scan actions . - Enable scan metadata on the scan action.
To integrate with a 3rd-party document management system, when you configure a scan action you need to select Include scan metadata. This ensures the user-input or selection is included as part of the XML or JSON metadata file uploaded with the scan. For details, see Integration with Electronic Document Management Systems .
1. Create an advanced scan action
To add advanced scan actions, the process is almost the same as configuring a standard scan action .
- Select Devices > Scan Actions. The Scan Actions page is displayed with a list of all available scan actions.
- Click Create new. The Scan Action Details page is displayed.
- Select the desired scan action, then select the Destination Type (Email, Folder, or Cloud).
- Select the Advanced tab.
- Configure the User fields (required) and configure the Destination fields (optional). Continue reading for detailed instructions.
2. Configure the User fields
User fields represent what the end-user will see at the panel of a copier. It’s possible to create up to 4 fields per scan action.
You can choose to make each field optional or mandatory. If you make a field mandatory, the end user won’t be able to proceed with the scan job until there’s a value populated in that field.
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ID — a variable name. Pick something distinctive, like “customerEmail”.
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Label — a friendly name for the ID, like “Customer Email”.
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Field type — There are five types of fields (Text, Number, Dropdown, Data Source Lookup, and User Lookup). The type you use will depend on the metadata you want to capture and how many data items you need to include.
Field type
Description
Data validation
Text
Lets users freely enter letters, numbers, or symbols using the MFD's touchscreen. It’s ideal when users need to describe or label what they’re scanning in their own words.
Example uses:
Document title (e.g., "Q1 Financial Summary")
Notes or comments about the scan
Keywords to support later search and retrieval
Descriptions of document contents
Postal code
Regular Expression
Number
Lets users freely enter numbers using the MFD’s touchscreen keypad. It’s ideal for capturing structured numeric data during the scan process.
Example uses:
Invoice number (e.g., 10482)
Student or employee ID
Product serial number
Quantity or item count
Price or payment amount
Numbers only
Dropdown
Lets users choose a single option from a predefined list on the MFD’s touchscreen. It’s ideal for ensuring consistency and reducing entry errors.
The list is created by the admin and should include a manageable number of options. For larger or frequently changing lists, consider using a Data Source Lookup instead.
Example uses:
Document type (e.g., Order, Proposal, Invoice)
Country or state selection
Branch or office location
Department or team
Customer category or status
Limited to pre-defined options from list
Data source lookup
Lets users search and select from a dynamic list populated by a CSV file. It’s ideal for large or frequently updated lists that would be too long for a dropdown.
Admins can upload a CSV file with one or more columns, and the MFD will use that data during scanning. This allows easy integration with external systems and business processes.
Example uses:
Customer name (from a CRM export)
Purchase order number
Project name or ID
Legal case number
Vendor or supplier name
Limited to select pre-defined options from CSV column
User lookup
Lets users search for and select another PaperCut user by name or email address using the MFD’s touchscreen. It’s ideal when scanned documents need to be sent to someone else in the organization.
Instead of scanning to themselves and forwarding later, users can send documents directly to a colleague’s email, home folder, or cloud storage.
Example uses:
Send a signed form to a manager
Forward scanned homework to a teacher
Route an invoice to the finance team
Share a document with a project teammate
If you want users to select from an external address book (e.g., vendors, customers, or partners), use a Dropdown or Data Source Lookup field instead.
Limited to the PaperCut MF user list
Below we’ve included specific instructions for each field type.
Create a text field — includes validating using regular expressions (regex)
In the Field type dropdown, select, select Text.
Configure optional fields:
Placeholder — light-colored text that informs the user, like "Select customer email…"
Default Value — used if no other option is entered by the user.
Validation — a regular expression (regex) that restricts the allowed input format. See the information box below for details.
Create a number field
In the Field type dropdown, select Number.
Configure optional fields:
Placeholder — light-colored text that informs the user, like “Select customer email…”
Default Value — this is used if no other option is entered by the user.
Create a dropdown field
In the Field type dropdown, select Dropdown.
Configure optional fields:
Placeholder — light-colored text that informs the user, like “Select customer email…”
Default Value — this is used if no other option is entered by the user.
Create a data source lookup field
In the Field type dropdown, select Data source lookup.
Enter the filename of the CSV file to be referenced in the lookup field. (Just the file name, not the full path.)
Data security and file location
Save CSV files to the designated folder on the PaperCut MF server: [Install Path]/server/data/csv-datasources.
On a 64-bit Windows server running PaperCut MF, this path is C:\Program Files\PaperCut MF\server\data\csv-datasources.
It's possible to customize this path by editing the security.properties to edit the parameter security.advanced-scan.allowed-directory-list. Refer to the provided readme instructions for modifying this file. Security for advanced features.
CSV File Guidelines
Screenshot of example CSV file for data source lookup, with the columns ID, !Customer Name, Account Code, Address
Header row: All CSV files must include a header row.
Each column in the header row must have a descriptive name.
Special characters in column headers may need to be escaped (e.g., using double quotes).
Default values: By default, the first column in the CSV file is used as the default value displayed to the user.
To change the default value source, add an exclamation mark (!) at the beginning of the desired column's header name.
CSV format: CSV files must adhere to UTF-8 encoding. This ensures proper handling of characters across different languages and operating systems.
Column display: The device will display a maximum of 4 columns from the CSV file.
All data within the CSV file (up to 100 columns) is searchable.
The device will automatically adjust column widths for optimal viewing. However, you can manually specify column widths as a percentage of the total display width by adding a colon at the end of the header rows (e.g., ID=5%, Customer=30%). If you specify a width for only one column, the remaining columns will be evenly distributed.
Special characters: We recommend avoiding special characters like
\ / : * ? " < > | ( ) [ ] ; , @in your CSV that might be invalid for file naming, directory paths, or email addresses. We won't stop you from importing these, but your file system will probably stop us from uploading a scanned document with slashes in the filename.
Create a user lookup field
To create a user lookup field:
Under User Field Type select User lookup.
In the variable field, click the dropdown and choose email, fullName, or homeDirectory.
Under User lookup, select All or Groups and start typing a name to restrict the user lookup to specific groups.
Behavior based on scan action type:
Email: When used with an Email scan action, the scanned document is directly sent to the selected user. Only users with email addresses in PaperCut MF will be displayed on the device as possible destinations.
Folder/Cloud: When used with a Folder or Cloud scan action, the selected user's details are included in the metadata file for downstream processing. Additionally, if a user's home directory is configured, the scanned document can also be saved to their designated home directory.
3. (Optional) Configure the Destination fields
A destination field gives you fine-tuned control over the destination of a scan action.
To control how a scan is delivered, you can take the user’s input from a user field created in the previous step or use built-in dynamic values like the username. For example, you can customize the scan so the email subject includes the scan action’s label.
Destination field defaults
Depending on the type of scan action, the destination field options will vary.
- Email — configurable destination fields include Email to, Email from, Email subject, and Filename. This screenshot shows the default options:
- Folder and Cloud Storage — configurable destination fields include Folder and Filename. This screenshot shows the default options:
Customize delivery with variables
You can use built-in variables within destination fields to generate values dynamically. Advanced Scanning variables are encased in {{double curly brackets}}.
Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| Your username. |
| The current date and time (format will depend on system settings). |
| The name of the scan action. |
| The selected Shared Account for billing. If it's a personal account, this variable will be replaced with "personal". |
| The name of the device (MFD) that the scan is logged in to perform the scan. |
| The location of the scanning device (configured in the device's settings). |
| The username of the logged in user. |
| The full name of the logged in user. |
| The email address of the logged in user. |
| The home directory of the logged in user (if available). |
| Any user field created earlier can be reused later in the destination fields. Just substitute. One practical use is to have the user enter a customer's email address to have the scan sent to that destination. To achieve this, create an ID like |
User lookup variables
When you set the field type as user lookup, you will notice a dropdown list in the variable that lets you select an option. These variables can later be copied and pasted into any destination field.
Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| The email address of the selected user chosen from address book search. |
| The home directory of the selected user chosen from address book search. |
| The full name of the selected user chosen from address book search. |
For example, to set up an Advanced scan action that will prompt the user to select another PaperCut user as an email recipient, set the Field type to User lookup, then next to the ID choose the email dropdown, and lastly copy and paste that ID into the Email to field.
Data source lookup variables
When using a Data Source Lookup field, you can do more than just display a few values on the MFD. Behind the scenes, you have access to the entire row of data from the selected CSV entry — even if your CSV contains dozens or hundreds of columns.
Only the first four columns are shown on the device screen, but all data in the row is:
- Searchable during lookup
- Available for use in destinations and filenames using variables
Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| Note the integer starts from 1 not 0 e.g. Column A = 1 |
Data source lookup variables example
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