Scanning with Optix

When setting up your desktop it may be helpful to add an Optix Function Toolbar. The Optix Function Toolbar offfers a series of customizable "shortcut" buttons that provide quick access to an operational function. Some suggested operational function "shortcuts" to add to the toolbar are:

• Select Scanner: this function selects the scanner to be used for scanning. Once the scanner has been selected it provides access to the scanner operational settings (DPI, Duplex/simplex, Color/Black & White, paper size, etc)
• Scan Image: Use this function to scan one image
• Scan Collection: Use this function to scan multiple images
• Remove Noise: Use this function to remove unwanted spots/specks from an image
• Deskew: Use this function to "straighten" an image
• Store File and Index: Use this function to add a digital record to the database

The toolbar already exists for all users. To initiate or customize the toolbar it first needs to be made visible on the desktop. Please follow the steps listed below to "unhide" the Functions toolbar.

1. The Optix workstation has the option of customizing the active toolbar. The functions toolbar can be hidden or shown: Click on View, then select Functions to show or hide the function tool bar
   
             
   
   
2. Any menu command can be added to the functions toolbar window by holding the ctrl + shift keys and selecting the menu command.  You can optionally add a space between the new button and the previous button on the toolbar.  Commands can be removed by holding the ctrl + shift keys while pressing the button on the toolbar. 
   
             
    
   
3. This toolbar is best utilized by dragging it away from the application window and resizing it so that it is a free-floating vertically oriented window.

Scanner Settings

Before starting to scan it is important to set the capture settings in the Optix application. To access the settings -  Select Tools then Options and you will see the capture settings.

• Image Filters: From the Options list on the left select Scanning – selections can be made to adjust or filter an image automatically while the scanner is scanning. CAUTION: we do not recommend using the Remove Border filter as it may cut off portions of the document.

File Save Format

Select Images – Recommended settings include:

• Black and White: TIFF CCITT Group 4
• Color/Grayscale: TIFF JPEG
• Multipage Image: TIFF

JPEG Compression Quality: This is a critical setting because it determines the compression ratio of the image captured. This means the higher the setting the larger the file size. Large files are slower to open, take up more storage space, and can be too large to attach to an email if necessary. The recommended setting is approximately 26 which is slightly between Lowest and Normal on the slide bar.

Selecting the Scanner/Scanner Settings

From the workstation select Tools then Scanners.  Now select the scanner model (for example: fujitsu 309xC)

This will open the scanner settings page.

Setting the Image Options 

Resolution:

• Black and White: 200 dpi minimum
• Color: 150 dpi minimum
• Grayscale: 150 dpi minimum

These are the recommended scanner settings. The scanning operator is trained on how to select the optimal image settings based on document condition. The minimum acceptable setting should be used.

OCR SCANNING:

• Resolution for OCR: For most OCR jobs, scanning should be done at 300 dpi (dots per inch) resolution. Resolution over 400 dpi may slow down the OCR process without any benefit or it may adversely affect the OCR result. At a resolution of 600 dpi or more, the structure of the paper may appear on the scanned image. This decreases the accuracy rate of OCR and the unnecessarily high amount of scanned data significantly slows down the whole process. 400 dpi is recommended only for small letters to be recognized, typically 6 points or less.
  
• Black and white vs. Grayscale or Color scanning for OCR processing: Scanning in binary (black and white or line art) mode will provide you with the fastest OCR processing and scanning. Grayscale is a slower scanning process than scanning in binary, however: on most documents grayscale will provide more accurate results, especially on degraded or shaded background documents. If your scanner is able to scan in color, use color scanning only if you want to retain color information and/or color graphics in your document. Grayscale produces eight times more data than black and white mode and color scanning produces three times more data than grayscale mode or twenty-four times more data than black and white mode at the same resolution. The amount of data significantly affects the speed of the whole OCR process.

SCANNING WITH AN MFD:

HP MFD scanning not available at this time.  Sharp scanning requires the Sharpdesk software installed on the receiving workstation. Contact the Tech Desk to get the software installed.  

• Set up a folder on the receiving workstation to temporarily store the scanned images. 
• Save documents in PDF format.
• Import the documents to Optix using the Store File and Index command.