Compare all models
Interactive — follow one scan, start to finish

From printed line to living text.

The full journey of a single scan — pick up any of the 7 models, glide the tip under a line, and follow the characters through OCR into speech, translation, or any app. Scroll each lane sideways like the pen scans.

Phase 1 — Pick up the pen & get to ready

A · B · C
A — Model entry points 7 models · 2 architectures
A1
Scanmarker Max
Standalone · touchscreen · speaker · exam-lock
A2
Scanmarker PAL
Standalone · simple read-aloud · English
A3
Scanmarker Pro
Connected · strongest OCR · translation
A4
Scanmarker Air
Connected · types into any app
A5
Scanmarker Reader
Connected · read-aloud via your device
A6
Scanmarker USB
Wired · no pairing · shared computers
one flow, any pen
A
Pen in hand
Same scan gesture on every model
B — Setup branch standalone vs connected
A
Pen in hand
continued
architecture decides
B
Standalone or connected?
The single most important distinction in the lineup
max · pal
B1
Power on → ready
Own screen, speaker & processor. Nothing to pair, nothing to install
pro · air · reader · usb
B2
Pair or plug in
Bluetooth to phone/tablet/computer — or USB cable, zero pairing
B3
Host app ready
Cursor in any app, or the Scanmarker app open
C — Choose what the scan becomes
C
Mode selected
On the pen's touchscreen (standalone) or in the app (connected)
read · translate · capture
C1
Ready to scan
Tip at the start of the line

Phase 2 — The scan & the OCR pass

D · E · F
D — The glide continuous line scan
C1
Ready to scan
continued
D
Tip glides under the line
One printed line at a time — book, worksheet, document, label
D1
Optical capture
The sensor images the characters as the line passes
E — Recognition up to 3,000 ch/min
D1
Optical capture
continued
E
OCR engine
Image → characters. Print quality, font size, speed & alignment all affect accuracy
clean read
E1
Text recognized
Line converted to digital characters
skew · glare · tiny print
E2
Rescan the line
↻ back to node D — steadier glide, straighter angle
F — Where the text lands
E1
Text recognized
continued
architecture decides again
F1
On-pen screen
Max · PAL — text appears on the device itself
F2
Paired app / host cursor
Pro · Air · Reader · USB — text lands where you're working

Phase 3 — What the text becomes

G · H · I
G — Output paths 5 destinations
G
Output chosen
Per mode set in step C
hear it
G1
Read aloud
Text-to-speech — offline in 30 languages on Max; English on PAL
understand it
G2
Translated
Across 112 languages on the connected models
use it
G3
Typed into any app
Docs, notes, spreadsheets — straight at the cursor
look it up
G4
Dictionary
Definitions & pronunciation on the fly
keep it
G5
Saved / exported
Searchable, editable notes & quotes
H — Special modes
H1
Exam-lock
Max — restricted mode for approved test settings
H2
Phonics support
Max — structured word-level reading support
I — The reading loop
I
Line done
Spoken, translated, typed, or saved
next line
I1
Scan the next line
↻ back to node D — line by line, page by page
session ends
I2
Charge & stow
≈16 hours of active use on Max
Model entry point
Decision / branch
Scan & capture step
Output / result
Rescan / retry path
Loop-back reference

Followed the whole journey and want to know which pen fits which reader? The comparison table puts all 7 models side by side — every spec on this page comes from the same dataset.

Compare all models
Spec provenance: 3,000 ch/min scan speed · 30 offline text-to-speech languages (Max) · 112 connected translation languages · exam-lock (Max) · PAL English-only · ≈16h Max battery — all drawn from the same product dataset that renders this site's comparison table. Nothing on this page is invented per-diagram. For the prose version, read How Pen Scanners Work or The Complete Guide to Pen Scanners.