scan-mcp — Claude Code MCP server: scanner capture via SANE
An MCP server that finds scanners and runs batch capture jobs through SANE. Useful when you want paper documents turned into TIFF files from inside an agent session.
claude mcp add scan-mcp -- npx -y scan-mcpWhat scan-mcp does
scan-mcp exposes scanner tools to your agent. list_devices reports what is connected, get_device_options returns the SANE options for one device, and start_scan_job kicks off a capture. Leave out device_id and the server picks a scanner itself, favouring ADF or duplex units and skipping camera backends. The default target is 300 dpi. At 600 dpi and above the colour mode flips to Color on its own, since that resolution usually means artwork rather than plain text.
Each job writes into INBOX_DIR: raw pages as page_*.tiff, assembled documents as doc_*.tiff, plus manifest.json and an events.jsonl log. Multipage assembly uses tiffcp, falling back to ImageMagick convert. Job state, cancellation and history come through get_job_status, cancel_job and list_jobs.
This runs on Linux with SANE utilities — scanimage for capture, tiffcp or convert for assembly — and needs Node 22. Miss those binaries in PATH and the server will not start, so check the machine first. The default stdio transport keeps everything local. There is also an HTTP mode via scan-mcp --http on port 3001, but it ships without authentication, which makes it a LAN-only option.
What it helps with
- discover a connected scanner and read its SANE options
- scan a stack of pages through an ADF in one job
- assemble a multipage TIFF from individual pages
- crop carrier-sheet pages and keep the derivatives
- check job status and read the event log
Example prompts for the agent
- List the scanners and show me their options
- Start an ADF scan at 300 dpi and assemble a multipage TIFF
- Show the status of the last scan job and its event log
How to install scan-mcp
Platform CLI
claude mcp add scan-mcp -- npx -y scan-mcpPlatform CLI
codex mcp add scan-mcp -- npx -y scan-mcpConfig file
{
"mcpServers": {
"scan-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"scan-mcp"
]
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"scan-mcp": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"scan-mcp"
]
}
}
}Platform CLI
gemini mcp add scan-mcp npx -y scan-mcpStep by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about scan-mcp
How do I install scan-mcp in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add scan-mcp -- npx -y scan-mcp. The server then starts through npx whenever the client launches.
What does scan-mcp do?
It discovers scanners, runs capture jobs and assembles pages into multipage TIFFs. You drive it through MCP tools from the agent.
What does scan-mcp need to run?
Linux with SANE utilities (scanimage) and TIFF tooling: tiffcp or ImageMagick convert. Node 22 is also required.
