Business Card Scanner

[Thornhill]

Can anyone recommend one?

Are there ones that do not OCR the card but just save an image of the
card in a searchable database? That's all I really need.

 

[Barry Watzman]

That is a function of the software, not the scanner. I use Cardscan
(Corex), it both saves the image and OCRs the contents. There is really
no reason not to OCR the contents (the OCR is very good, and very fast
-- just 2 or 3 seconds, literally). You really do need to OCR if only
to be able to do searches to find the card (may not sound like a big
deal, but my card database has thousands of cards).

By the way, with Cardscan, you can use any flatbed twain scanner, and
more to the point, you can lay 8 cards on the scanner and scan them all
at once (one note, you need a black, not a white background). Cardscan
will delineate them into separate cards and save them as if they had
been scanned individually.

 

[shi]

Can anyone recommend one?

Are there ones that do not OCR the card but just save an image of the
card in a searchable database? That's all I really need.

I am using Scan2Contacts business card scanner that scans directly to
Outlook, you can find it here:
http://www.scanshell-store.com/software_s2c.htm
But if you need another solution, they have a variety of business card
scanning solutions, including scanning to a powerful database, and you
can see it all here:
http://www.scanshell-store.com/business-card-scanning.htm

They have one solution that scans to a database without doing OCR ,
and you can see it here:
http://www.scanshell-store.com/software_scanshell_pro.htm
but it is more expensive then the solution that does OCR :
http://www.scanshell-store.com/ssdn-business-card-reader.htm
So I also think that you sould take the one that includes OCR.

 

[Barry Watzman]

I also have a piece of black paperboard to use as a backing when bleed
through is a problem. And I also don't understand why white is the most
common background. I had a Microtek scanner that did have a black
background, however.

 

[Talker]

On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:14:22 -0400, Barry Watzman
..
(one note, you need a black, not a white background).


I never understood why scanners are white underneath the top
cover. All of my scanners tops have been white, and since that causes
bleed through on documents, a black background was needed so I made
one out of foamboard.
I cutout a piece of black foamboard that was the same size as the
scanner's glass, then used heavy duty tape to tape a metal handle to
the back of it. The handle gives it weight, and makes it easy to lift
off the glass.
Is there some reason scanner's use white under the lid?

Talker

 

[Thornhill]

That is a function of the software, not thescanner. I use Cardscan
(Corex), it both saves the image and OCRs the contents. There is really
no reason not to OCR the contents (the OCR is very good, and very fast
-- just 2 or 3 seconds, literally). You really do need to OCR if only
to be able to do searches to find thecard(may not sound like a big
deal, but mycarddatabase has thousands of cards).

By the way, with Cardscan, you can use any flatbed twainscanner, and
more to the point, you can lay 8 cards on thescannerand scan them all
at once (one note, you need a black, not a white background). Cardscan
will delineate them into separate cards and save them as if they had
been scanned individually.

Do you have a link to a place where I can buy the software? I did a
search on Amazon and everything that came back looked to be older
versions.

Thanks.

 

[Barry Watzman]

I'm using version 6 and have no need to upgrade. Cardscan is published
by Corex. You can buy it direct; the office stores (OfficeMax, Staples,
Office Depot) carry the scanners, but software only is harder (but not
impossible) to find at retail.

 

[Jane Tran]

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