Automatic Document Feeder

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What Does Automatic Document Feeder Mean?

An automatic document feeder (ADF) is a feature in printers, photocopiers, fax machines or scanners wherein a stack of paper put into the machine and is then automatically fed through it, allowing the user to print, scan or copy without having to manually place each page into the machine.

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Techopedia Explains Automatic Document Feeder

There are two kinds of ADFs that are capable of duplex scanning:

  • Reverse automatic document feeders (RADF) scan one side of the page then flip the paper over so that the other side can be scanned.
  • Duplexing automatic document feeders (DADF) scan both sides of the page in a single pass.

An ADF is a standard feature for most printers, fax machines and large photocopiers, but scanners typically lack ADFs, although they may have them as an add-on feature. Flatbed scanners are designed without ADFs.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.