Batch scanning a book

  • Thread starter Thread starter Morten Frederiksen
  • Start date Start date
M

Morten Frederiksen

Hi

I need to scan a book on an ordinary flatbed scanner, but I soon discovered
that there is some overhead in this job, i.e. pressing a few buttons to save
each scan (and naming the file) and start the next scan.

Does anyone know of any software that can automate the scanning, for example
by scanning continuosly and auto saving, while I would be standing by the
scanner turning pages and drinking coffee.

Thanks for any help.

Regards
Morten Frederisken
 
----- Original Message -----
From: "Morten Frederiksen" <>
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scanners
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 12:15 PM
Subject: Batch scanning a book

Hi

I need to scan a book on an ordinary flatbed scanner, but I soon
discovered
that there is some overhead in this job, i.e. pressing a few buttons to
save
each scan (and naming the file) and start the next scan.

Does anyone know of any software that can automate the scanning, for
example
by scanning continuosly and auto saving, while I would be standing by the
scanner turning pages and drinking coffee.

Thanks for any help.

Regards
Morten Frederisken
Click to expand...

No such method exists.
There are sheet feeders for some scanners, however that would require you to
remove each individual page from the book.

You did not express whether you are scanning these pages as images or OCRing
the text?

Here's an overhead scanner:
http://www.imageware.de/wf_content.php/100.html
 
Morten Frederiksen said:
Hi

I need to scan a book on an ordinary flatbed scanner, but I soon discovered
that there is some overhead in this job, i.e. pressing a few buttons to save
each scan (and naming the file) and start the next scan.

Does anyone know of any software that can automate the scanning, for example
by scanning continuosly and auto saving, while I would be standing by the
scanner turning pages and drinking coffee.

Thanks for any help.

Regards
Morten Frederisken
Click to expand...

With Vuescan, it could be one click to scan (or <ctrl> A) per page, if
you have it set to save at scan. You could be ouputting automatically
sequentially named tiffs, or jpegs. Or, the output could be a single
multi-page tiff.

Or if you like, ACDSee can combine single tiffs into one multi-page,
subsequent to scanning.
 
Give a try a scanout http://www.autumna.com
it a features a wizard-like approach to scanning images directly to
multipage tiff, postcript or pdf, useful when using low-end flatbed scanners
without feeders.
 
Morten Frederiksen said:
Hi

I need to scan a book on an ordinary flatbed scanner, but I soon discovered
that there is some overhead in this job, i.e. pressing a few buttons to save
each scan (and naming the file) and start the next scan.

Does anyone know of any software that can automate the scanning, for example
by scanning continuosly and auto saving, while I would be standing by the
scanner turning pages and drinking coffee.
Click to expand...

If you already have a digital camera that will image at
a resolution that works for you, then you could use
the camera with a low cost copy stand. If, for example,
200 pixels per inch is enough, a 4 megapixel camera
would handle average sized double pages of books.
If you could get enough light, you might also have
enough depth of field to not need a glass plate over
the pages.

Obviously, the camera needs a tripod socket and
a socket for a cable shutter release would make
things easier too.

Getting the lighting and positioning right would be
trickier than simply using a flatbed, but once you
got the setup, the actual imaging would go faster.

That's two cents from a guy who hasn't done it
but thinks it's worth a try.

Alan
 
Morten Frederiksen said:
Hi

I need to scan a book on an ordinary flatbed scanner, but I soon discovered
that there is some overhead in this job, i.e. pressing a few buttons to save
each scan (and naming the file) and start the next scan.

Does anyone know of any software that can automate the scanning, for example
by scanning continuosly and auto saving, while I would be standing by the
scanner turning pages and drinking coffee.
Click to expand...

Well, Abbyy Finereader Pro (7 and some earlier versions I've used) has
a function where you can have it automatically trigger a scan every so
many seconds, so you don't have to touch the controls at all.
 
Every few months or so I recharge the revolution to go back to the old
HP 4Cs, 3Cs, and 6100Cs. Well, I'm at it again.

I think one of these scanners, which you can get for $5 on Ebay, is
perfect for what you want. I scan books every day and have tried many
different scanners. The 4C is still my choice, even if I had the money
to spend on a $700 scanner.

Unless you configure some macro to automatically restart each scan, all
you'll need to do with one of these scanners is a left mouse-click for
each scan:

4 300 dpi, b/w, letter scans: 64 seconds.


ES
 
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