Document Imaging FAQ

What is document scanning?

Document scanning is the procedure of using software and high-speed scanners to transfer an image on paper to a digital picture. The image can then be indexed and stored in a document storage system giving users the ability to navigate through many documents at great speed.

How are documents indexed?

There are several options:

- Manual entry of more than eight index fields
- Second Pass entry and verification of critical index fields
- Full Text indexing

What types of images can be scanned?

There are very little limits to the types of documents that can be scanned. "Documents" also entails pictures, posters, brochures, etc.

What is scanning software?

Scanning software allows the computer to take a digital picture of a document. The software optimizes shading, clarity, contrast, and brightness enabling the hardware to make appropriate adjustments during the processing.

What is "Scan ready?"

This means the paper document is prepared to be applied to the scanning equipment. The pages must be sans staples, wrinkles, and tears.

Will there be a database devised in order for me to search my documents?

The organization will be better than expected. You will be able to search by keyword or part of a keyword. This will allow a user to search their documents with proficiency and alacrity.

Can documents be converted into MS Word format?

Paper document conversion to editable file formats such as word processing files (this is called OCR or Optical Character Recognition). Accuracy will be contingent on the quality of the original.

What types of processes do the images undergo?

Images are de-skewed, de-speckled, rotated, mirrored, background colors dropped, borders trimmed or removed.

What if more than one person wanted to access the documents at the same time?

A company's local area network or wide area network can take advantage of CDs placed in players accessible on the network. Some companies can access multiple CDs, using players that can hold a multitude of them. Multiple copies of the archive is available as another solution.

What are the hardware/software requirements? A Pentium Class PC or higher is usually needed with 32 Mb RAM, 35 Mb available hard disk space, 8x CD-Rom drive, Windows 95/98 or Windows NT/2000. CDs can be formatted to be read by Windows, UNIX, Linux, OS/2, and Macintosh systems.

How do I use and access document imaging?

There are several possibilities:

- Read the documents on your monitor using any image viewer
- Fax the documents using a fax modem
- Converting the document images into editable text
- Print out the pages needed at a particular time

How many images can fit onto one CD?

About 15,000 letter-sized pages will fit onto one CD. Color documents and those with images can also be converted; but, the number of pages fit will be less because color and images will take more memory.

What is document imaging?

Document imaging is the process of a digital picture of the original paper document is orchestrated.

What is the image quality like?

The quality will be most impressive. Providers remove speckles, straighten the documents, remove backgrounds blurring information, darken, and lighten text.

Do I get back my original documents?

Yes you do.

Can I convert to microfilm and is there a benefit?

Most providers will be able to convert your information into microfilm. This specific conversion will allow the data to be apprehended by multiple users directly from their PC, intranet, or Internet.

Can I host documents on the Internet?

Most providers will offer the ability for you to host your documents on the Internet. This gives a multi-state business the opportunity of being on the same page within many documents. It would be password protected.