Recently, scanners have begun to appear more and more often, which not only do not have their own software for scanning (they install only the driver, and for operation you need to use the standard software Windows), but also physical button“Scan” on the case. This can make working with the scanner very difficult if you need to scan several documents at once.
If you need to scan, for example, a contract or some other document consisting of several pages, then scanning turns into a living hell. Not only do you need to start scanning every time through “Start” - “Devices and Printers”, but also for each separate page set the same settings, which is especially inconvenient. But everything would be so terrible if it weren't for free application Scan2PDF, which does two useful things at once.
Besides convenient way scanning in one click and without unnecessary requests, Scan2PDF can save all received images into one PDF document. In essence, you will get one file-book with the required document or several documents, which are much easier to transfer via email or post it on the website.
When saving a scanned image in JPG, the result is a very impressive file size, which can be problematic or simply inconvenient to transfer without compression and processing. And if there are many such files, then the task becomes even more complicated. When creating a PDF, everything is much simpler, since a single document is formed that contains all the materials and does not take up very much space. It can be quickly transmitted over the network.
For example, I recently scanned two documents, each one page long. IN JPG format I got two files, each of which takes 2.5MB. Yes, you could change the settings or process the files in the editor and get about 150Kb per file. But it is difficult and often inconvenient. In the case when I scanned using Scan2PDF, I received one PDF with a total size of only 340Kb.
In general, the Scan2PDF program is a very useful thing. Especially for those users who have to scan documents of several pages from time to time. Among the obvious shortcomings, I would note the absence of the Russian language in the interface during installation, although the Russian language itself is supported. It can be easily activated: go to settings (Options) and select Russia in the Language block.
Another drawback of the utility is the inability to work with several PDF documents at once. You can scan and save only one document. If you need to save scanned copies into several files, then the papers must be divided into stacks and scanned in parts, saving each one sequentially.
Want to save time when typing text? An indispensable assistant there will be a scanner. After all, it takes 5-10 minutes to type a page of text, but scanning will take only 30 seconds. For high-quality and fast scanning, you will need an auxiliary program. Its functions should include: working with text and graphic documents, editing the copied image and saving it in the desired format.
Among the programs in this category ScanLite It has a small set of functions, but it is possible to scan documents in large volumes. With the press of one key, you can scan a document and then save it to PDF format or JPG.
Scanitto Pro
The next program is Scanitto Pro free program for scanning documents.
The downside to this program is that it does not work with all types of scanners.
Naps2
Application Naps2 has flexible parameters. When scanning Naps2 uses TWAIN and WIA drivers. There is also the ability to specify the title, author, topic and keywords.
Another positive function will be the transfer PDF file by email.
PaperScan
PaperScan is a free program for scanning documents. Compared to other similar utilities, it can remove unnecessary border marks.
It also has handy features for more in-depth image editing. The program is compatible with all types of scanners.
Its interface has only English and French languages.
Scan Corrector A4
Interesting feature Scan Corrector A4 is to set the boundaries of the scanning area. Scanning a full A4 format ensures that the file's proportions are preserved.
Unlike others similar programs Scan Corrector A4 can remember 10 consecutive entered images.
VueScan
Program VueScan is universal application for scanning.
The simplicity of the interface allows you to quickly get used to it and learn how to make quality color correction. The application is compatible with Windows and Linux OS.
WinScan2PDF
WinScan2PDF- This great program for scanning documents into PDF format. The utility is compatible with Windows OS and does not take up much space on the computer.
The disadvantages of the program are its limited functionality.
Using the presented programs, the user can choose the one that suits him. When choosing, you should pay attention to the quality, functionality and price of the program.
Our selection included a list of the most popular programs to scan text. An important factor For programs in this category, it is the ability to decipher the text of documents, as well as the quality of scanning - it is necessary that the information is completely readable, and the image scanner clearly transfers every line of the picture into the document.
Some applications have a Russian-language design, which can be another significant factor when choosing the best scanning program. So let's take another quick look at the programs below that can properly recognize text and scan a document into a file:
Computer ABBYY program FineReader 10 Home is one of the most common tools for scanning documents. Can quickly and efficiently find blocks and translate text written in different languages. The advantage of ABBYY FineReader is the presence of an impressive language base. Don't forget about the availability of a Professional version with advanced features.
OCR CuneiForm stands out among its competitors with good grabbing performance for photographed text. It is noteworthy that a photograph can be taken even with a 2MP camera of any rather outdated mobile device. The program boasts a dictionary checking function, which guarantees a high degree of information quality of the finished material.
Scanitto Pro will do an excellent job with more specific work. The application will recognize the text very quickly and will be able to save it in the required document format. It is noteworthy that the program can find a given area of paper and improve the appearance of the material before saving it to the storage medium. There is a function for scanning with one click of a key.
VueScan has a strong database of comparable scanner devices. Among analogues, the program demonstrates the highest connection speed to the scanner. Among the additional pleasant options, it is worth noting the convenience manual settings color rendition.
Choosing free programs scanning documents, you should pay attention to PaperScan Free. The utility is quite simple in terms of functionality, on the other hand, it performs all the necessary scanning options, in addition, you will be pleased unique technology compression, which can significantly reduce file size while maintaining the original display quality. If you like the Free version, you can always purchase the extended Professional modification with more impressive functionality.
RiDoc is another fairly powerful scanning tool. It is worth noting that Ridoc includes a specialized tool for reducing file sizes without noticeably degrading the display appearance. The information remains readable. If necessary, the RiDoc document scanner will help you export document formats to graphic extensions. The program can install watermarks on finished material and send the document by mail.
Note that we did not consider standard means- software from manufacturers, for example HP Scan, as well as applications whose main functions are aimed at solving other problems: scanner Adobe Reader, Nitro Pro. There is also BlindScanner, created to organize access to scanning devices over a network from different laptop computers.
Also, the portable utility Winscan2pdf Portable was not included in the rating. It works without installation operating system, but lacks many required functions, in particular, does not allow you to change formatting, does not print, and does not recognize words. But the ease of use is okay here. Just run it, select a folder in the dialog box and click on the "Scan" button. However, for this to work, you need to ensure that the virtual printer is not disabled in the OS!
Please note that we only considered solutions for PCs - Android applications were not included in the review. You can also select and download from Google Play any you like. Their operating algorithm is approximately the same. And all they allow you to do is digitize a sheet of paper into PDF format using the camera of a smartphone or tablet. To start scanning, you just need to take a photo. It will not be possible to fully process it or translate it into text. Some programs, of course, have a translation mode digital photography into text format, but desktop solutions handle this much better.
Scanning from Acrobat accepts images in the 10-3000 dpi range. When you select the option Searchable image or ClearScan in the PDF Output Style section requires an output image resolution of at least 72 dpi. In addition, output image resolution greater than 600 dpi will be reduced to 600 dpi or less.
Lossless image compression can only be performed on monochrome images. To compress the scanned image without losing quality, select one of the following options in the Optimize Options section of the Optimize Scanned PDF dialog box: CCITT Group 4 or JBIG2 (Lossless) for monochrome images. If this image is added to a PDF document, you can save the file using the Save option; the scanned image remains uncompressed. When saving PDF document Using the Save As function, the scanned image can be compressed.
For most pages, scan to black and white mode at 300 dpi gives the best results for conversion. At 150 dpi resolution accuracy optical character recognition the number of font recognition errors decreases slightly and increases; At resolutions of 400 dpi and higher, processing slows down and the size of files with compressed pages increases. If the page contains many unrecognized words or small text (9 points or less), try scanning at a higher resolution. Whenever possible, scan in black and white.
If the function Optical Character Recognition is turned off, you can use a resolution in the range of 10–3000 dpi, the recommended resolution is 72 dpi and higher. For parameter adaptive compression Recommended scanning resolutions: 300 dpi for grayscale and RGB images and 600 dpi for black and white images.
Pages scanned in 24-bit color, 300 dpi, 8.5 x 11 inches (21.59 x 27.94 cm) before compression are large images (25 MB). System may require 50 MB virtual memory and more to scan an image. At 600 dpi, scanning and processing is typically four times slower than at 300 dpi.
Avoid adjusting the scanner's halftone and diffusion blend settings. This may improve appearance, but it will become difficult to recognize the text.
For texts printed on colored paper, it is recommended to increase the brightness and contrast by approximately 10%. If your scanner provides light filtering, you should suppress the background color using a special filter or lamp. Or, if text is not suppressed, try adjusting the scanner's contrast and brightness to clear up the scanned document.
If your scanner has a manual brightness control, adjust it so that the characters are clear and properly shaped. If characters are connected, use higher settings (brighter colors). If characters are separated, use lower settings (darker color).
