OmniPage can convert scanned paper documents into an editable digital version. The technology is now so good that text is transferred flawlessly and the formatting closely resembles the original. No matter how amazing a package like OmniPage is, converting scans to text will never become a daily necessity. But the trick of the bundled PaperPort wl.
Paperport
This program is designed to scan all paper mail that comes through the mailbox and store it in a digital archive. The most important originals go to the archive, but the rest disappears without mercy into the shredder for recycling.
Scanning all mail sounds unmanageable, and without a scanner with an automatic document feeder (ADF) it is indeed. If you do have such a scanner, you can save all scans as a PDF file in a digital archive with PaperPort. By printing covers in advance with a barcode, you can tell PaperPort where a stack of scans should be stored. Just place the barcode on top and scan it along.
Still, you cannot avoid giving all PDFs a clear name, but that effort is more than worth it: the mail can now be found within seconds using a search program like Copernic and is just as easy to share as a Word document.
PaperPort is also many times cheaper than OmniPage Professional, for which Nuance currently dares to ask 500 dollars. The standard version of OmniPage costs 150 dollars, still expensive.
Not scanning, but photographing
Not everyone has a scanner and - let's be honest - often the results are quite disappointing. Especially with color pages from a thick book. With a good camera, taking a photo is a better option. For OmniPage, that doesn't matter. Version 16 can even correct skewed or wavy text and the 3D perspective of the camera (if you photograph at an angle).
Collecting form data
Also new (or actually: renewed) is the ability to scan forms and automatically input the contents of all fields into a spreadsheet or database program. This works well only with typed or printed forms, but still: it can save a lot of time.
Conclusion
Thanks to the integrated PaperPort, OmniPage is no longer a program that you have to dust off when you need it, but a powerful tool that can automate the entire paper flow in the office. Or just at home, because who isn't tired of those piles of letters and overflowing archive folders with broken clips?
Info: www.nuance.com
