[koolnanny1]

i am having problems scanning a document so i can edit it. when i scan it, it saves it as a bitmap and i want it to be saved as a document so i can edit the info because the font is too light and broken up where the paper was folded. i am using win 98se and an epson 1250 scanner. any help is much appreciated. nanny

[Stoner]

Hi koolnanny1

If you want to save text as a .doc like Word, you need to use scanning software that can do the conversion to text.
It's called OCR......
I am using Paperport 8 for just that purpose.
Word XP Pro has OCR also.
There are some others.
Paperport works very well for me.
I have used Word XP Pro also, on a different computer....it worked ok but I didn't have much time to spend on it.


I have noticed that if the contrast of the scanned item is increased, poorly printed words will convert to text more accurately.


Check first to see if your scanner software has the OCR option, if not, you will need to buy it to do the conversion to a text document.
I have tried freeware OCR and it did a very poor job.



Hope that helped

Jack

[uly7]

You are going to need a OCR program.
An OCR is a program that will help you convert your paper documents and files into editable text from a scanner.
Here is a link to get one with a 30 days free trail.
http://www.irislink.com/opt/uk/produ...downyahoo.html
Uly7

[Stoner]

Hi ugly7

You've got a bad link there, I think.

[koolnanny1]

i have an ocr option in my software that came with the epson scanner. i click scan to ocr and it puts the scanned image into a preview pane as a bitmap image. i then tell it to recognize and then i get the options to use and i have used word, wordpad, and notepad and it all just comes out as gibberish.

[Stoner]

I use an Epson 1260, but mine didn't come with any OCR software, so I have no help files to reference for the Epson OCR.
Sorry.


Do you have a choice of resolutions?
If so, try a higher setting and see if there is any improvement.

One note, OCR generally needs the scanned item to be 'squared' before sending to the
final stage of conversion, or else the page is read at a slant and accuracy is poor.
Can you straighten a page(the bitmap), or is that automatic?

[kiwiguy]

"the font is too light and broken up where the paper was folded"

Unfortunately this means its unlikely to be able to be scanned and recognised by OCR software (well, any that you could afford anyway)

OCR software depends on good quality clear originals.

[koolnanny1]

since i can easily save them as bitmap, is there any way to change them to word from bitmap? what i want to do is put this doc online for someone else to see. that is why i wanted to put it into a program where i can go in and change what can't be read to what is on the doc.

[Stoner]

since i can easily save them as bitmap, is there any way to change them to word from bitmap?

OCR is the only way I know, sorry.

what i want to do is put this doc online for someone else to see.

You could convert to a .jpg and post it like an image. You might have to cut down the file size, depending on web site rules. Here, I believe it's 200kb. for an upload.

[koolnanny1]

but that still leaves me with the text that can't be read. yes?

[kiwiguy]

Yes, thats right. The picture will be no better than the original in that respect.

If you cannot read it easily, then for sure an automated program cannot ever read it.

[uly7]

Do you have a Image manipulation software?
If you do, scan the entire paper, cut the text part, put a new text from Word or any other program, paste it and you will have a new paper.
the other option is, to scan the paper, clean it in photoshop or other program, save it and scan it again.
By the way, sorry for the link, it works now.
Good luck
Uly7

[Knotbored]

There is an option in some photo programs to remove all greyscale below a specific level and increase all black (or darker grey) to black. I don't see this option in Infanview program and sadly that is all I have available on this laptop PC.
I also have OCR on a unavailable desktop and it worked very well even on poor quality text-although sometimes it would be quicker to retype then to correct all the misspelled errors.
I cannot be more specific about image editing feature because I am trapped downstairs away from my desktop be a knee repair.