Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Figuring Out How To Scan Different Documents

By Shanna McNeil


Learning how to scan takes some time and patience. There are several different types of scanners available and the prices have become very reasonable. If you plan on scanning lots of documents, photos, or special items like books you will want to invest in a scanner that is robust enough to handle the stress. Most scanners come with software and instructions to assist with the setup.

Choosing a flatbed scanner gives you more flexibility for odd shaped items. Books, maps, and large photos can be placed flat on the bed to scan. Many of the included software products have the ability to recognize the fold in a book and reduce it's prominence in the final image. There will be arrows or an indicator that shows the top corner to place items in the correct position.

Sheet fed devices are great at scanning many documents without the need for monitoring. As long as the pages are all the same size, you can simply load the scanner and begin the process. At this point, the device will handle the rest of the work. Most home sized devices will hold between 25 and 50 pages at a time. For two-sided documents, you will want to invest in a duplex scanner to speed up the work.

Photos scanners are designed to handle the special paper. Many flatbed and sheet scanners are able to handle photos just fine. However, if you have a large amount that you want scanned, you are best served to invest in a photo scanner. The devices are smaller, but specifically designed to handle the different size and type of paper. Hours of work can be shortened by having the right device.

Handheld scanners work well for capturing portions of documents. These come in various shapes and sizes. Often, they can capture from one line to a paragraph of text. This image can usually be converted to regular text using a special software feature called OCR.

OCR stands for optical character recognition. This technology recognizes the text of a captured image and converts it into editable text. This is useful if you want to add a quote from a source but need to change the font and size to fit within the new document. It is also helpful when you do not have a digital version of a document and need to convert it.

DPI, or dots per inch, determines the resolution. This rating is often set between 72 and 300, which is fine for most documents and images. However, for the highest quality photo captures, you will want to make sure you are able to capture a higher level of resolution.

Scanner costs are very reasonable. The typical household scanner may range between $20 to $200, depending on the features that are included. For instance, if you purchase a printer, fax, scanner combination with duplex scanning, and a sheet feeder, you may find the prices in the higher range because it is packed with features. An office scanner should cost more because it will be designed to handle much more work in a single day.

When you are learning how to scan, you will want to consider what type of documents or items you will need to capture. The work that needs to be completed will have a big impact on the type and cost of device that you choose. Once your new device is installed, you can follow the instructions included to begin the process.




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