Vuescan, Epson 2450, ADF, & multi-page output

[Matt]

Hello,

I grow extremely weary of scanning my multi-page documents, each page
manually placed on my scanner glass, and each page copied to a
separate electronic file. The scanning work and the lack of coalesced
results are equally problematic.

I want to use my Epson 2450 to easily scan multiple pages of 8.5x11"
documents into a multi-page-format file like .pdf, .xif (Pagis), or
multi-page .tif (which I have never seen nor used, I've just been told
it exists). I am a Vuescan user & would prefer to use this scan app.
I'm running WinXP Pro.

Can I do this? I'd like to know before I go buy some ADF hardware. I
have more-detailed questions about such a system below.


More Details:

I understand the 2450, as well as many other scanners, have "Advanced
Document Feeder" accessories that I can buy so I can automatically
feed in multiple pages at a time without having to manually open the
scan lid and place each page on the scan glass. I envision this
working much the same the same way an automatic copier works: I put a
stack of pages in the feeder, I press "go", I walk away, and I come
back with all my pages scanned. Is this the way it works? Does it
take more manual effort to feed the pages and/or work the scanning
software (presumably Vuescan)?

Furthermore, can Vuescan output all of the following formats for
multi-page support?

..pdf (I can begrudgingly use Win2pdf if Vuescan has no .pdf output)
..xif (Pagis)
multipage .tif (assuming this exists?)

Any other formats to consider?

My apologies if this is an already-answered FAQ, but I could not find
all my questions answered in another place.

Thanks for any help,
-Matt

 

[-]

I don't think you can get an ADF for the 2450. You can for the 3170. If
your 2450 is in good shape, you should be able to sell it and recover most
of the price for the 3170.

In regard to creating one continuous file, Adobe Acrobat will let you do
that BUT (at least on my scanner) it asks you if you want to add more pages
after it is finished scanning each page. That would hamper the ADF if you
had to sit there and prompt the software after each page. I would hope that
the ADF for the 3170 would include some sort of software provision that
would overcome this.

Hopefully others here will know about other brands that might work even
better!

Doug

 

[Ed Hamrick]

I want to use my Epson 2450 to easily scan multiple pages of 8.5x11"
documents into a multi-page-format file like .pdf, .xif (Pagis), or
multi-page .tif (which I have never seen nor used, I've just been told
it exists). I am a Vuescan user & would prefer to use this scan app.

Use the "Output|TIFF multi page" option for this.

Regards,
Ed Hamrick

 

[Matt]

I don't think you can get an ADF for the 2450.

Ok. So the 2450 was my at-home scanner. I found another scanner at
work with may do the trick. See below.

I have dug up an old scanner at work that no one uses that has an ADF
gizmo already on it. Bottom label of the scanner says "HP C6270"
which comes up as a "HP Scanjet 6200C" on my WinXPPro Device Manager.

Will this system (6200C with ADF, Vuescan, WinXPPro) handle the
scenario I described originally: put docs in the ADF, press "go",
walk away, come back to find all the pages scanned into one file (with
multi-page support)?

From Ed H's post I find that Vuescan has multi-page-Tiff output (I
think). The 6200C's ADF gizmo looks like there's some sort of manual
feed thing going on, like I might need to manually pull a lever for
each page (which is ok, especially since I'm getting second-hand
equipment)...although it's hard to tell.

I suppose if I want to save to .xif/.pdf I can just print the .tiff to
these formats (by using things like Win2pdf), right?

Thanks for all the help!
-Matt