In today’s digital world, it seems like everything exists online. However, paper documents are still vital to modern society, particularly for many businesses and organizations. Healthcare clinics, law offices, financial companies, and many more industries rely on paperwork for daily operations.
However, while paper is necessary for capturing information from clients and customers, there’s no reason to keep physical copies. Fortunately, knowing how to scan documents isn’t a complicated skill that takes years to master. Instead, anyone can do it with the right tips and tricks handy. Here are four ways to make the process as easy as possible.
Many scanning machines are available, and most are bundled as part of an all-in-one package that scans copies, and prints documents. However, having so many options means that each device works slightly differently than the other. Also, you must factor in the difference between using a PC or a Mac to scan documents.
So, before you start doing anything, it’s best to read the manual on your scanner and learn as much about it as possible. This way, you can troubleshoot any issues that may arise. While you don’t have to become a tech expert, you should know the basics.
Whether you have one document or 100 documents to scan, you need to ensure the digital copy looks as good as the real thing. High-end scanners are usually great at creating sharp images, but some models may offer less desirable results.
Doing a test page helps for a couple of reasons. First, you can adjust the settings (i.e., brightness and contrast) to make sure the image is as clear as possible. Second, you can run through the process on your computer and determine where scanned document files go. Finally, you can choose the type of image file you want to use. Typically, PDFs are ideal because they’re editable, but PNGs and TIFFs are also good because they don’t compress the image too much.
Usually, if a scanned image is too dark or doesn’t look legible, the problem is with the brightness and contrast settings. Adjust these settings and try a few more test pages until everything looks perfect. Also, consider whether the scanner lid is sealed correctly. If there’s an opening, it could let light inside and ruin the image. If necessary, you might have to weigh the lid down with a book or something similar to ensure a clearer scan.
Once you scan your document, you’ll notice it has a unique file name of numbers and letters. Unfortunately, those numbers and letters don’t indicate the information on the document, so you have to rename the file.
Using a standard naming convention like FileType_ScanDate_Department(or Individual).pdf can help you organize your digital paperwork more easily. This tactic helps immensely if you have to scan large batches of documents at once.