1-click scanning

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nigel
  • Start date Start date
N

Nigel

Hi, sorry newbie here,

I'm a genealogist who needs to scan birth certificates, census returns,
photos, etc, as part of my research. Sizes vary (A3, A4, foolscap,
custom), some are colour and some B&W, some need hi-res, some are OK
with low, some are best saved as JPG and some as GIF, etc, and I need
to tweak the compression to balance readibility against file size.

It is a pain setting all this up for each individual scan (particularly
as I maybe only scan a few a day so keep forgetting what settings I
have used so get inconsistent results).

In practice there are only 5 or 6 combinations of form size, image
type, colour, resolution, etc, that I encounter, so ideally I need some
software that will enable me to predefine document profiles (covering
all the above variables) so that when I scan I just need to select the
appropriate profile with one click and it does the scan and saves the
file to a pre-defined storage location (ideally the default location
being defined in the profile with potential for override at scan time).

I don't need to OCR or manipulate the scanned images (I do that later
off-line if I need to) so I'm not looking for a heavyweight
professional batch image processing tool - I just need a basic
automated scan capability that can handle document profiles with the
above variables.

I am using an Epson 1640XL A3 scanner.

Any ideas for appropriate software?

Many thanks

Nigel
 
Nigel said:
Hi, sorry newbie here,

I'm a genealogist who needs to scan birth certificates, census returns,
photos, etc, as part of my research. Sizes vary (A3, A4, foolscap,
custom), some are colour and some B&W, some need hi-res, some are OK
with low, some are best saved as JPG and some as GIF, etc, and I need
to tweak the compression to balance readibility against file size.

It is a pain setting all this up for each individual scan (particularly
as I maybe only scan a few a day so keep forgetting what settings I
have used so get inconsistent results).

In practice there are only 5 or 6 combinations of form size, image
type, colour, resolution, etc, that I encounter, so ideally I need some
software that will enable me to predefine document profiles (covering
all the above variables) so that when I scan I just need to select the
appropriate profile with one click and it does the scan and saves the
file to a pre-defined storage location (ideally the default location
being defined in the profile with potential for override at scan time).

I don't need to OCR or manipulate the scanned images (I do that later
off-line if I need to) so I'm not looking for a heavyweight
professional batch image processing tool - I just need a basic
automated scan capability that can handle document profiles with the
above variables.

I am using an Epson 1640XL A3 scanner.

Any ideas for appropriate software?

Many thanks

Nigel
Click to expand...

It sounds to me that you simply need to write yourself a 'cheat sheet' where
you write down the settings for each type of document that got the result
you desire.

Take notes when you are scanning. Make notation of the setting that works.

A couple of minutes with MS Word to write the 'cheat sheet' would pay big
time. Print out the 'cheat sheet' and post it with the scanner.

Do it once and you can repeat the settings from then on.
 
CSM1 said:
It sounds to me that you simply need to write yourself a 'cheat sheet' where
you write down the settings for each type of document that got the result
you desire.

Take notes when you are scanning. Make notation of the setting that works.

A couple of minutes with MS Word to write the 'cheat sheet' would pay big
time. Print out the 'cheat sheet' and post it with the scanner.

Do it once and you can repeat the settings from then on.
Click to expand...

Hi...

Much much easier than that. Epson scan in professional mode allows you
to create and save "settings".

Very top of the page in pro mode.

Take care

Ken
 
Nigel said:
Hi, sorry newbie here,

I'm a genealogist who needs to scan birth certificates, census returns,
photos, etc, as part of my research. Sizes vary (A3, A4, foolscap,
custom), some are colour and some B&W, some need hi-res, some are OK
with low, some are best saved as JPG and some as GIF, etc, and I need
to tweak the compression to balance readibility against file size.

It is a pain setting all this up for each individual scan (particularly
as I maybe only scan a few a day so keep forgetting what settings I
have used so get inconsistent results).

In practice there are only 5 or 6 combinations of form size, image
type, colour, resolution, etc, that I encounter, so ideally I need some
software that will enable me to predefine document profiles (covering
all the above variables) so that when I scan I just need to select the
appropriate profile with one click and it does the scan and saves the
file to a pre-defined storage location (ideally the default location
being defined in the profile with potential for override at scan time).

I don't need to OCR or manipulate the scanned images (I do that later
off-line if I need to) so I'm not looking for a heavyweight
professional batch image processing tool - I just need a basic
automated scan capability that can handle document profiles with the
above variables.

I am using an Epson 1640XL A3 scanner.

Any ideas for appropriate software?

Many thanks

Nigel
Click to expand...
Nigel,
We have a product that does this VERY well.

Art-Copy Scripting edition. You set your settings, save a file. Then
you double click (okay, not one click) that file and it will scan with
the settings you have set.

http://www.scanhelp.com/288int/artcopy/scriptingversion/detailedscriptingedition.html

Great, time saving, product. One of my favorites that we sell.

Thanks,
Clarence
http://www.scanhelp.com
 
My EpsonTWAIN 5.5 screen has an "auto-adjust" button - just click that. It
also has an auto-crop button.

Maris
 
Yep, that did the business for me (although bizzarely Epson Scan takes
the image from the top right of the platter rather than the top left,
and I can't find a way to change that (means I don't have a hard edge
against which to align the document).
 
Thanks, I'll download and check it out - looks like a more industrial
strength solution for me than Epson Scan.
 
Nigel said:
Yep, that did the business for me (although bizzarely Epson Scan takes
the image from the top right of the platter rather than the top left,
and I can't find a way to change that (means I don't have a hard edge
against which to align the document).
Click to expand...

Hi Nigel...

I guess I don't quite understand (not at all unusual for me :)

Once you turn the document upside down to scan it, the left hand
side of the paper will be on the other side, so placing it against
the right hand edge of the scanner will be correct :)

Try it :)

Take care.

Ken
 
No what I meant was that when I scan using the TWAIN driver the origin
of the document (0,0) is at the top left of the platten, whereas with
Epson Scan it is at the top right. As I am scanning an A4 document on
an A3 platten this means that with Epson Scan I have to align it over
to the right (where there is no hard edge to align it against) instead
of to the left (where there is a ruled hard-edge).

Not a big deal - it just means that I have to carefully align the paper
rather than jusat bang it down against the hard edge.

Regards

Nigel
 
OK, I checked out Art-Copy Scripting Edition. A very useful product,
but as always it would be great if it did a couple of extra things :(

** It would be really nice if (like Epson Scan) it could be set to
automatically open the folder where the file has been saved after the
scan is complete so I can manipulate the file without having to
navigate to it.

** It would be even nicer if there was an option to prompt for file
property information before scanning, and have the properties populated
when the file is saved (Title, Subject, Author, Keywords, etc). This
would enable basic meta-data to be easily captured at scan time.

Maybe in the next version?

Also, maybe it is just me but I can't seem to get changes to the Image
Folder location to "stick" for different scripts. Not sure if that's a
bug or I just don't understand.

Thanks

Nigel
 
Nigel,
I saw where you purchased the product over the weekend.

Thanks for that :-)
** It would be really nice if (like Epson Scan) it could be set to
automatically open the folder where the file has been saved after the
scan is complete so I can manipulate the file without having to
navigate to it.
Click to expand...

I like that. I may see what I can do about adding this to the next version.
** It would be even nicer if there was an option to prompt for file
property information before scanning, and have the properties populated
when the file is saved (Title, Subject, Author, Keywords, etc). This
would enable basic meta-data to be easily captured at scan time.
Click to expand...

I like this as well. But this may be in the next, next version.
Maybe in the next version?

Also, maybe it is just me but I can't seem to get changes to the Image
Folder location to "stick" for different scripts. Not sure if that's a
bug or I just don't understand.
Click to expand...

Explain to me what you are seeing and I'll let you know.

Thanks,
Clarence Klopfstein
 
Clarence,

OK, the issue seems to be that the Image Folder location only seems to
work where Auto File Name is being used.

This is what I'm seeing (starting from the beginning so you can
hopefully reproduce):

1. I fire up the program and clear the Auto File Name checkbox (as I
want to specify a file name at scan time).

2. I click "More Settings" and change the Image Folder location to my
desired location for the new script (using the browse button (...) and
click OK.

3. I then save the script and exit the programme.

4. I invoke the script (double-click it in Explorer). This brings up
the File Save As dialog, but it doesn't default to the folder I entered
in step 2..

Note that this did seem to work once, as the default Image Folder
location that appears on the Scan tab of the Setup settings (and to
which the File Save As dialog defaults) is NOT the install default but
instead is the one I first changed to when defining my first script.
In other words I did manage to get the location to "stick", but only
once, and I can't get another location to "stick" on later scripts).

Hope this is clear - give me an email address if you want to continue
the discussion offline from the Group.

Many thanks

Nigel
 
Nigel,
I have your email from our order records. I will email you privately.

Thanks,
Clarence Klopfstein
 
No what I meant was that when I scan using the TWAIN driver the origin
of the document (0,0) is at the top left of the platten, whereas with
Epson Scan it is at the top right.
Click to expand...

(snip)

I don't understand - Epson Scan /is/ the TWAIN driver.
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