Message-Id: <mailto:199408221617.LAA06622@library.wustl.edu> Date: Mon, 22 Aug 1994 11:35:54 -0400 From: Walter Lewis <mailto:walter.lewis@SHERIDANC.ON.CA> Subject: Re: Re[2]: Scanners... To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB <mailto:IMAGELIB@ARIZVM1.BITNET>
On Mon, 22 Aug 1994, Paul R Montague wrote: > I have been debating between the HP and a Microtek scanner, but for
> something much simpler, namely simply OCR text scanning. Any suggestions
> in this respect? Many thanks,
> Sorry I can't be of much help here. When you're scanning a page of text,
I > don't think you don't need to scan it in 256 gray levels, since text is
> black and white. That should reduce the scan time significantly.
> The success or failure of OCR is greatly dependent upon the OCR software.
> We just ordered Omni Page Professional 5.0 with which we have no
> experience. Perhaps others on the list could offer more input.
Fortunately, in my experience, the OCR software, if reasonably well-tuned to a particular machine, *knows* how to drive the scanner for its own purposes. I've worked for some time with an older version of OmniPage Pro. Fine program within the inherent limitations of its generation oc personal OCR (don't feed anything that used to be on microfilm, etc) You can tell this version to break apart letters that run together on the printed page but it won't fix broken letters (try fixing a document with a broken 'm'--full of an 'rn' combination....:( ) For many of us, one scanner seems to be the limit for a number of years. If you can find the extra money a) get colour (you'll want it for some other purpose, sometime within the useful life of the machine) and b) for OCR get a model with a good Automatic Document Feed. Life is too short (or time is worth too much money, depending on how you view it) to do OCR by feeding the scanner manually.
Good Luck
Walter