How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

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BML
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How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

Post by BML »

I'm not highly technical in that I know how to scan a document but all I finish up with is a picture and I have no idea how to set up the following.
The scanner is an Epson GT 15000 and I use Windows 10 64 bit.

I would like to scan a large number of documents and save them in a way that allows me to sort them in three columns:
1. Name of company.
2. Town where based.
3. Date of meeting.

I have no idea how to set that up, could you please help me.

Regards,

Brian
BML
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Re: How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

Post by BML »

I was just advised to stop messing around with Windows Word and consider buying a smart scanner such as Epson DS-530 Color Duplex Document Scanner which comes with a software program called Document Capture Pro. Would the Brother DCP-J132W do that?
cday
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Re: How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

Post by cday »

BML wrote: 13 Jul 2020, 10:04 I'm not highly technical in that I know how to scan a document but all I finish up with is a picture and I have no idea how to set up the following.
The scanner is an Epson GT 15000 and I use Windows 10 64 bit.

I would like to scan a large number of documents and save them in a way that allows me to sort them in three columns:
1. Name of company.
2. Town where based.
3. Date of meeting.
You need to scan a large number of documents, which will produce an image file for each document. You then, as I understand it, want to organise the scans in a way that enables you access them in some way according to the above three parameters, which you will have to key into some suitable software program.

BML wrote: 15 Jul 2020, 15:11 I was just advised to stop messing around with Windows Word and consider buying a smart scanner such as Epson DS-530 Color Duplex Document Scanner which comes with a software program called Document Capture Pro. Would the Brother DCP-J132W do that?
I don't think that any software utility supplied with a scanner, at least a reasonably priced scanner, is likely to provide the organisation functions you need even if the search facilities you mention are basic. And the Epson GT-15000 scanner you already have is a fast scanner by most standards, although I see that the Epson DS-530 is also fast with the advantage of a sheet feeder, which would greatly assist in scanning a large number of documents, if you are prepared to purchase a new scanner.

I see your problem as relating to the organisation of your scans when you have made them, so that you can access them easily in the way you describe, although you don't specify that in any detail.

It is possible to store 'metadata' in certain image file formats, which in the above case could include the company name, town and date of meeting, using suitable software, and then to sort those images in the same software according to selected parameters. However, I don't think that is likely to provide a good solution.

You have mentioned Microsoft Word, in which you could create a table containing the above three parameters, and also add a fourth column containing a link to the associated image in your filing system so that it can be accessed quickly with a click. The contents of Word tables can be sorted to some extent, but unless your sorting needs are very basic I doubt if Word would be a good solution either. You haven't really described how you would need to sort according to the above parameters, though.

A better solution would probably be to key the above parameters and links to the associated images into a spreadsheet created in a program such as Microsoft Excel. I have limited experience with spreadsheets although I see from a quick search that it is possible to sort in more advanced ways such as according to multiple columns, which I think you might need to display your data in a useful way.

Another possibility, probably the ultimate option in terms of power and sophistication, would be to enter your data in a database created in a program such as Microsoft Access, which should allow any search capability you could need. That would have a fairly steep learning curve I think unless you already have prior database experience, in which case you probably wouldn't be asking for assistance with your project!
BruceG
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Re: How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

Post by BruceG »

ABBYY FlexiCapture may do what you are after. I think it is for the corporate world. There maybe alternatives out there also.

Another way maybe use Acrobat and index the material then you could search on any of the three but not the three at the same time as you would like.
BML
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Re: How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

Post by BML »

I spend a lot of time on the computer using it to gather knowledge in subjects I'm weak in and most automatically send a message when answers come in to my questions but this forum doesn't appear to do this unless, that is I missed the facility. Anyway it wasn't until I had a look at this forum this morning that I found your remarkable useful answers. Now all I have to do is to read them properly and see where they take me so thank you very much for taking the time to help me.
BML
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Re: How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

Post by BML »

I have not touched scanning documents for a long time but I did so today and intending to add my comments in between the paragraphs using copy and paste. I had forgotten that all I had was a collection of photographs and had forgotten all about OCR and its faults so could do with some pointers or I’m going to have to type my comments, cut the main document into pieces and stick my comments in-between the paragraphs with glue which seems a bit prehistoric. Can anyone please help me?
BillGill
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Re: How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

Post by BillGill »

Well, I haven't been doing anything like what you want, but I have scanned a lot of books and created Ebooks from them, so I might be able to help.

If you have the images that is a good first step. The next step is to OCR them. I use ABBY Finereader 14. I believe there is a newer version, I have had mine for several years. If you are wanting to input tables of data then Finereader has an option to convert the images to Microsoft Excel. That might be what you would want. It may be able to convert to the other (free) spreadsheet programs such as are found in LibreOffice and OpenOffice. That should get you a long way toward your goal.

Of course there is a big step following the OCR process. You will have to proof read the data, because no OCR is 100% correct in making the conversions. This will probably be the biggest part of the process. I know it is for me.

After that you should be ready to make your comments in the editing program of your choice.

Bill
BML
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Re: How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

Post by BML »

Many thanks for the information. I will give ABBY Finereader 14 a try.
BML
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Re: How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

Post by BML »

I've just checked and its £165.00 which I would rather not spend so it looks like an old fashioned cut and paste job. Dam it.
cday
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Re: How to save scans capable of being interrogated.

Post by cday »

BML wrote: 24 Oct 2021, 13:37 I've just checked and its £165.00 which I would rather not spend so it looks like an old fashioned cut and paste job. Dam it.
BML wrote: 23 Oct 2021, 18:53 I have not touched scanning documents for a long time but I did so today intending to add my comments in between the paragraphs using copy and paste. I had forgotten that all I had was a collection of photographs ...
What do you have now? A multipage PDF file consisting solely of image scans of text pages, or something else?
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