How to Scan & Keep Office Documents
The type of scanner you use for your office documents will depend on document size and your other needs. Flatbed scanners allow you easy scanning of thick or odd-shaped documents, while feed-through scanners work well for standard 8 1/2-by-11-inch paper. Hand-held scanners will help you scan larger document sizes that don't fit into flatbed or feed-through scanners, such as architectural plans or 11-by-17 printouts. Once you have selected your scanner, you must set it up and organize your virtual filing system. If you plan to scan your office documents so they can be used in a text editor such as MS Word, Open Office Writer or WordPad, select a scanner that includes OCR software.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Install the driver software that came with your scanner on the computer the scanner plugs into. If you are using a networked scanner, you may need to install the driver on every computer that uses the scanner itself, but not every computer that needs to view the documents. Follow all package instructions and onscreen prompts to make sure your scanner software is installed correctly.
-
2
Launch the scanner software by double clicking its icon on your computer. Most scanner software has settings that will allow you to save scans in certain file formats, such as PDF, JPG and DOC.
-
-
3
Click on the PDF option if you want to scan documents so they retain all of their visual characteristics including words and images. You will not be able to alter these documents without a PDF editor, but you will be able to view and share them with any computer that has the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software. Set the PDF options for the size and resolution you want as your standard scan. The software may also allow you to choose a default location where it will save all PDF files. Select a location that is easy to find, such as a folder on your desktop.
-
4
Click the text, Word or OCR icon. Set your preferred document size, resolution and default location for any documents you want to scan so they are editable in a word processor. If everyone in your company uses the same word processing program, have the files saved in that processor's format. If not, saving the files in Rich Text Format (.rtf) is best, as this can be read by most word processors.
-
5
Click the option for custom scans and set up any other common scanning tasks you plan to perform, such as a 2-by-3-inch PDF scan for business cards or separate file locations for scans to be saved and stored.
-
6
Test each setting by scanning the appropriate type of document through the scanner, then checking the file location to ensure it saved properly. OCR software is not 100 percent accurate, so always check OCR files for errors, especially when borders or uncommon fonts are used.
-
7
Inform the rest of the office staff where each type of file is stored and how to use the scanner properly.
-
8
Back up the computer that stores the documents regularly. This will keep a copy of your scanned documents in the event of computer failure.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Documents look best at high (1200 dpi) resolution, but that creates extremely large files that eat up storage space and take extra time to open or email. Try setting your scanner at 300 dpi to start, then alter the scan resolution up or down according to your needs. Lower resolution may be fine if the documents will only be viewed on screen, not reprinted.
