[bksvol-discuss] Re: scanning
- From: misha <mishatronics@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2012 18:15:19 -0700
Reggie,
I'm not Netta, but ... First about scanning in Word ...
In order to scan you need a computer, a scanner and you need an OCR
(optical character recognition) program. While most OCR programs have
an editing mode, using a program specialized for that is also useful.
Word is primarily for this last function. K1000 and Openbook are
combined OCR and editing programs specialized (mostly) for blind people
who need access to text documents. Omnipage is an OCR program and
happens to be the one I use. Even though I am sighted (sort of) I hate
the way that Omnipage works.
Fortunately, I found out that there is a way to scan using Ominpage
directly through Word. The way stand alone OCR programs work is the
scanner in essence takes a picture of the book page, then the OCR
program analyzes this picture to try to figure out what letters and so
on are on the page and formats these into words, paragraphs and pages.
For a long book, you have to organize things very carefully to keep
track of all the page images so the text comes out in the right order
(this is the part that drives me crazy in omnipage). K1000 and Openbook
handle all that behind the scenes and you don't usually need to deal
with the individual images. Using Omnipage through
Word with Omnipage can do the same thing. All I ever have to deal with
is the Word text file. I do not know if other OCR programs work with
Word in this way. I also don't know how well this would work for blind
scanners. There is some setup and occasional tweaking required and I
only know how to do that by point and click. I don't know whether
keyboard commands even exist for these functions.
And second on scanning in general ... it is much easier and much more
accurate now than even the few years since I started volunteering for
bookshare. I've been about half and half scanning and proofing most of
the time, but since the checkout list dried up this spring I've been
scanning more. Mostly I like science fiction, but I've done fantasy,
mysteries, romances and non-fiction as well.
Misha
On 7/26/2012 10:37 AM, Regina Alvarado wrote:
Netta:
I have not seen an answer to my question yet about scanning in Word, but I
too would like to have a proofer to work with me if I scan. I know most
everyone works in Open Book and Kurzweil, and as I am going to the state of
Florida for services, perhaps they could buy one of thes for me. Don't know
if I am confident enough in myself yet to scan as everything must be
perfect, but I think I am going to try. If I fail, at least I tried. I can
always go back to proofing. Maybe that is how you need to approach it too.
I don't know how sihted folks would have looked at the books I scanned a
whole many, many years ago, but I read as I scanned and fixed as much as I
could. Beyond that I am not certain how to continue. Guess we can try
together! (smiley) Maybe I scan scan a book. You can proof it and then you
can scan and I can proof!
Reggie
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dornetta
Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2012 11:54 AM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: scanning
Hey Reggie,
I feel as you. I am considering scanning but am still somewhat leery. I
would want to get it right and the scans I do for myself are awful at best.
I already know that a lot of it has to do with my scan setting for Open Book
and although I am doing the "research" to get corrected there is still the
problem that exist.
As far as Roger's comment about the "hold fors" on the list; as a first time
volunteer I felt like this community was cliquish when I went on the list
to check out a book. There where so many "hold fors" and I didn't know what
it meant. I have since ditched that impression and decided to work on
whatever I can. I didn't find anything I was interested in proffing at first
and just checked out a book to get started with the proofing process-I have
since ditched that format as well. Now as a volunteer it takes me what I can
only explain as forever because I am always checking and re-reading my
proofs to the point that the times that I do not get on line, my book
expires and with the quickness it gets taken by another volunteer. I said
this to say that honestly the hold fors don't really bother that much since
the books that have hold fors on them are not in my interest anyway. Most of
the books that I am interested in does not seem to be books that someone on
this list will pick up and that is fine and the reason why I am considering
scanning. I only hope to develop a relationship with a proofer that would
like to proof the book for me.
S/N: this stems from a conversation that we have in most of the book club I
am in. All but 2 of us are blind and the blind/v.i. people use book share to
get their reading material. There are not many books in one of the genres we
like to read.
Netta
"Just because you are blind does not mean you lack vision"-Stevie Wonder
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