Hello, Does anyone have suggestions for better scanning columns on pages? I've got Kurzweil Version 10.1, and even this does a bad job with columns as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for any help anyone can give. Linda Gehres ----- Original Message ----- From: "Deborah Kent Stein" <dkent5817@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 2:04 PM Subject: Re: Scanning Tips > > I've sometimes prepped a book for scanning by completely covering pictures > with Post-Its. The Optacon is a great help with this. > > Debbie > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Catherine Thomas" <braille@xxxxxxxxx> > To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 3:50 AM > Subject: Scanning Tips > > >> Because I am a Braille transcriber by profession, I use the >> scanner and the Optacon together very often. I thought I would share with >> you some ways in which you can use your Optacon to help make scanning or >> photocopying easier. If you don't use a scanner, you might want to share >> some of these tips with friends. I have arranged them so that each one >> shows the problem, the reason, and the solution which we Optacon users >> can >> do without sighted help usually. I'll limit this message to three common >> situations. Let me know if you want any more posts like this. >> >> PROBLEM: THE SCANNER ISN'T PICKING UP ANY PAGE NUMBERS: >> REASON: In some print documents, page numbers appear in the >> opposite color from the rest of the text. They are also often surrounded >> by a square or circle. The scanner will often not pick these up. The >> location of page numbers has also changed. In many documents, the page >> number is not in a corner. It is often in the middle of the top or bottom >> line and sometimes it is located in the middle of the page in the left or >> right margin. >> SOLUTION: It's best to determine in advance if the page numbers >> are going to be a problem. Open the book or document to somewhere in the >> middle and search for a page number. If you can't find one after using >> the >> Optacon on several pages, try again using diffferent adjustments on the >> Optacon including the invert switch, the zoom lens, and the threshold >> knob. >> For users without an Optacon, it's best to ask someone sighted not only >> where the page numbers are located but what color they are. >> >> PROBLEM: Every page in this book has a stupid border around it. >> REASON: The book or document has been deliberately scan-proofed by >> the publisher. Slabs of color in strategic places are not just a >> decoration. They serve the purpose of obstructing a scan or photocopy by >> causing these devices to miss top and bottom lines of print, headings and >> other truly necessary elements. This is to prevent companies and schools >> from making multiple copies of material instead of purchasing it. >> SOLUTION: If you must scan a document with a thick border on every >> page, be sure to carefully check that the top and bottom lines of each >> page got included in the scan. If you are enterprising and find that the >> thing is not scanning well, take some strips of white paper and lay them >> on the scanner glass to correspond approximately with the border. Then >> lay >> the page to be scanned on top of these. It may take a little >> experimenting >> but soon you will be scanning your pages with all the print, and no >> gibberish from the decorative borders. >> >> PROBLEM: THIS BOOK IS FULL OF PICTURES. >> REASON: Visual appeal. >> SOLUTION: The Optacon user definitely has the advantage here. >> Pages with pictures can make a scan infinitely slower and often full of >> unnecessary gibberish and errors. For these reasons, using your Optacon >> to >> examine eah page is well worth the time. If every page containing a >> picture places it in the same location, e.g. the top half of the page, >> most scanning programs will catch on to this after scanning several >> pages. >> You might, at the end of the scan, go back and re-scan the first couple >> of >> pages to get a better result. To speed up the scan, or if the pictures >> are >> on a different place on each page, you can use a piece of plain white >> paper cut to the needed size. Place this paper on the scanner glass. Then >> place the page to be scanned on top. Check your scan to be sure that you >> got the first couple of lines. If it's easier, you can use tape and >> position the paper over the picture write in the book. >> >> THESE PROBLEMS AND A WHOLE LOT MORE, MAKE ME GLAD THAT I HAVE AN OPTACON >> TO HELP ME SCAN. >> Catherine >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> -Catherine Thomas >> braille@xxxxxxxxx / >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: >> >> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the >> quotes) in the message subject. >> >> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a >> message >> to: >> >> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the >> quotes) in the message subject. >> > > > To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: > > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the > quotes) in the message subject. > > Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message > to: > > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the > quotes) in the message subject. > > To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject.