If your small business has decided to go paperless to save money and the environment, then you will be pleased to learn that the process is fairly straightforward. However, there are many things you can do to prepare your documents before they are scanned to ensure that you get the best results. To this end, here are some time-tested tips for preparing documents for scanning into electronic files:
Copy Any Damaged Documents and Then Scan the Copied Image
If you try to send a torn document through any scanner, it is very likely going to get jammed in the scanner and lead to frustration for the person who is going to be doing the scanning. The easiest way to deal with documents that are damaged or torn is to copy them on a copy machine and then simply scan the copied image. Paging through all of your documents to be scanned and dealing with the damaged ones before you begin will ultimately save you time as well because you will not need to figure out how to get jammed documents out of your new scanner.
Fan Your Documents to Inject Air Spaces Between the Pages
Just as you should fan your copier's paper to inject air spaces between each of the pages to keep them from sticking together as the copier feeds them through, so too should you fan the stack of documents that you plan to scan. This step is especially important if you work in an area where there is a lot of humidity in the air. The humidity will cause the pages of paper to stick together and jam your scanner's feed system.
Remove Paperclips and Staples Before Scanning Documents
Both paperclips and staples will jam your scanner and can even permanently damage its feeder. For this reason, you should look through all documents that you will be scanning and take the time to remove any staples or paperclips that you find.
Clean the Glass on Your Scanner Before Scanning Your Documents
Finally, before you scan any of your small business's documents, first you should check the glass on your scanner to ensure that it does not have any dirt or smudges on it. Both of these things will leave dark spots on your document files that you will not be able to remove. Removing the cause of the discoloration before you start scanning will ensure that your document files are clean and easy to read.
For more tips or information, contact companies like Mid Canada Document Conversion.
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