In our last article (Hurricane Preparedness – Scanning and Saving Important Documents), we helped you you put together a list of your important documents and, with any luck, you have already located them.  Our next steps will be to scan these documents and save the files in a storage/filing method that meets your needs.  There are quite a few variables at this point (from hardware to learning curve) but the time and effort you put into this project will pay off in the event of a natural disaster, like a hurricane.

Before We Get Started: Once more, I would like to warn everyone that your personal documents should be protected at all costs.  This applies to the originals and the scanned images from here on out.  Identity theft is very real and very possible with the proper information.

Hardware and Software

Multifunction Device

In order to scan in your documents (or digitize them), you’ll need a scanner or multifunction printer/fax/scanner system.  These devices are readily available and fairly inexpensive ($75 – $200).  If you don’t already have one, now might be the time to make the investment.  Compare the low-cost of this device against the time it would take to locate all of your information after a disaster and the decision is a no-brainer.

There are several factors you need to consider when picking out a scanner:

1. Flat-bed versus Sheet Fed – Being able to scan multiple document in a sheet fed scanner would be great, but you’ll pay for the difference and the repairs.  The first thing to break down on sheet fed scanners is the motor the feeds the paper.  My opinion, go with a flat-bed scanner and save yourself the money and the hassle.
2. Size – Do you have a place to store this device.  Also, will that space allow you to get in and out of the scanning area (the glass) easily.
3. Software - Depending on the manufacturer, the included software might be the decision maker.  (see below for more information)
4. Size of Scanning Area – Some devices are capable of scanning up to 11 x 17, but many are limited to LTR (8.5 x 11) or LEGAL (8.5 x 14).  Keep in mind that some of your important documents might be LEGAL size.
5. Reviews – Use the web to research any model numbers before you purchase.  Amazon.com and CNET.com are great resources for product research.

Scanning Software

Every scanner or multifunction device comes with it’s own software package.  My Lexmark came with something called Lexmark Productivity Studio.  Each company (Epson, HP, Lexmark, Canon, etc.) has it’s own ideas on what the software should do and how it should work.  The result is a wildly different experience from each of the major manufacturers.  Since you can’t really test a scanning software without a scanner, it is an almost impossible task to compare these software packages before committing to a purchase.  If you have already owned a scanner or all-in-one device, it might be best to stick with a brand name that you are already familiar with.  Otherwise, you could check with friends and family to see what they have and maybe even test drive theirs before you make a final decision.

Full versions of Adobe Acrobat and a few professional scanning software packages (which are usually very expensive) can control the scanning process of multiple devices.  If you are lucky enough to have either of these available to you, maybe on a work laptop that you can bring home, you’ll have some additional options.  I know first-hand that Acrobat makes for an easy and productive scanning session.

Scanning

Once you have the hardware and software picked out, it’s time to get to work on your documents.  Without going into a lot of detail, I will tell you that you want to keep your scanning simple.  Full color, high resolution scans of your documents will eat up tons of space and cost you more money in storage, reproduction and processing power.  Don’t go above and beyond here.

Settings

Keep it simple.  Black and White, 200 DPI scans should be sufficient.  The files produced from scans at these settings are small enough to transfer and open quickly, yet they still produce legible prints (if needed).  Also, scanning at these settings will go much faster for you and reduce the time it takes to get all of your documents scanned.

Example: My passport scan (below) was scanned at 200DPI, B&W.  The file size was 844KB.  As a test, I scanned the same exact document at 300DPI, in full-color and the final file size was 3,163KB.  That is a 374% difference.  In other words, every scan would take up 3.7 times as much space, time to transfer and time to open/close.

My Scan - With the Important Parts Covered Up

Review each document image after you have scanned it to make sure that it is legible and you captured the entire document.  If you rush through too quickly, you might find out later (when it is too late) that you cropped an important document or scanned in an all black image.  There are additional settings available in every software package (like contrast and brightness) that can help you fine-tune scans of difficult documents.  These settings require a trial-and-error approach, but are not difficult to use.  They just require some additional time.

File Types

Once you have scanned an image, your software will ask you what file type you want to save it out as.  There are varying opinions on what is best, but I personally prefer Adobe Acrobat (PDF).  Other image types can degrade over time and/or take up unwanted space.  PDF’s are fairly universal and most computers come loaded with Adobe Acrobat, which is needed to view or print the images later.

Some software packages (like my Lexmark Productivity Studio) require you to start your scanning from a separate area, if you want to produce PDF files.  Other software pacakages might not be able to save as a PDF at all.  In that case, you might want to save the files in TIF format and then convert them later, using a free PDF tool or the full version of Adobe Acrobat.   This sounds complicated, but I can assure you that saving and converting file types is very, very easy.

What Next

Due to the length of this article, I’ll pick up with the storage/filing system details next time.  For now, you can spend some time with your scanner and get a feel for how the software works and what settings are best for your scans.

Tags: document, dpi, hurricane, important, PDF, prepare, preparedness, scan, scanner, secure, settings, Software, TIF

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