A feeder that accepts A4 paper does not necessarily accept a small receipt mixed into the same stack. Mixed-size scanning needs both physical feed support and settings that preserve the correct page area.

Check the documented combination

Read the model's mixed-original instructions, including the smallest size, thickness and stack limit. Remove staples and separate damaged, folded or otherwise unsupported originals. A convenient one-pass scan is not worth risking an irreplaceable document.

Epson's DS-1760WN guide is an example of a model with explicit mixed-size support. It also warns that small pages may skew because the guides do not support every sheet, and that large differences in size or thickness can cause problems. Its instructions specify a loading arrangement and Auto Detect for document size.

Follow your own model's arrangement and settings. Do not copy a face-up or face-down instruction from another scanner. When the combination is outside the documented limits, scan similar sizes in separate groups or use another supported method.

Prove that small originals survive

Start with a few harmless pages including the smallest size in the bundle. Note their order and scan them using the intended profile. Open the saved result and inspect the boundaries of each page, including any faint text close to an edge.

Check whether the smaller page has been cropped, rotated unexpectedly or combined with another image. Auto-detected page size is a convenience, not a substitute for reviewing the output. If feeding is skewed, reduce the batch or separate sizes as the manual advises.

For separate groups, keep a simple page-order note so the final PDF can be assembled correctly. Verify the order after saving and reopening it, especially when the original bundle alternates large forms with small attachments.

Account for every original before putting the paper away. A complete scan preserves the relationship between the main document and its smaller supporting pages, rather than merely producing a plausible total page count.

Sources: Epson DS-1760WN mixed originals.