[blindlaw] New Scanning Option

Sun Jan 6 13:15:07 CST 2008

The version you want is Adobe 8.1. you can download it from the Adobe
website. 

The advantage is that this program will convert certain PDF documents to
text, documents which cannot be converted by the use of other programs.  The
disadvantage is that the document must be saved as a text file, thereby
losing the formatting of the original document.

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Ford, Tim (CDPH-OLS)
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 11:01 AM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] New Scanning Option

I have not experienced what you describe on my free Adobe Reader
software, which is version 8 something.  If the material is image only,
then JAWS indicates that, but Adobe does not give me the option of
converting to text.  Perhaps there is some setting in the Adobe Reader
software that needs to be turned on in order to get the prompt you
describe?  This would be wonderful news.  While the virtual Freedom
Import printer works well enough, converting through Openbook, this new
approach sounds even better, and especially for large documents, where
converting through Openbook can take awhile.  So if you happen to know
how to activate this feature, please let me know.

Tim Ford

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of AZNOR99 at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 10:53 AM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] New Scanning Option

Tim and All,

I noticed this a few months ago.  The newer versions of Adobe (8.0 and
above) now have a feature that recognizes screen reading software, in my
experience Jaws 8.0 and beyond.  Once I download an image file, Adobe
recognizes that there is text and asks if I want it to try to convert
the file  to OCR-enabled.  Once I do, it very quickly processes the
image and  converts it.  I've done this with briefs, receipts, and even
exhibits.  In fact, I've not used my virtual printer once since I
upgraded  to the new version of Adobe.

This means that you don't necessarily need Adobe Professional on any
machine.  The standard free addition works wonderfully.  It's made my
work much easier and saved me a great deal of time.

Regards,
Ronza

In a message dated 1/6/2008 12:46:02 P.M. Central Standard Time,
Tim.Ford at cdph.ca.gov writes:

I  recently discovered, quite by accident, a new scanning option that
may be  of interest.

My office recently installed Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional,  Version
8.0.0, on the computer with the scanner that I have been using to
create PDF versions of briefs an other material I need to send to
others electronically.  I had my assistant scan in a brief that I was
to file electronically.  

I pulled up the results, just   to print it and have my assistant make
sure all the pages were there.   To my surprise, JAWS started
automatically reading the document.  I  had my assistant check, and on
the screen, and what we printed, was the  typical image only format,
with my scrawled signature and all.

so  apparently what this new version of Adobe has is the capacity to add
a  quite good optical character recognition of the text.  The
recognition quality was quite good, better than what I am used to with
OpenBook.  

So the advantages of this is that:

1.  You  have a PDF file with the actual intact original, so if there
are any scan  errors to figure out, you have the original there for a
sighted person to  review.  

2.  You also have the actual original that you can  print and/or send
electronically to others.  If the person you send it  to does not use a
screen reading program, then they will not notice any  difference
between what they see and any other Adobe PDF image only  scan.  

3.  If the recipient has a screen reader installed,  then Adobe knows
that, and automatically turns on the converted text  imbedded
information.

Oh yes, and there is yet another neat  aspect.  Although the Adobe text
conversion itself is not something  you can edit, all you do is select
whatever text you want, including using  control plus a to select all,
and paste that in to a Word document.   That gives you everything that
the Adobe text recognition picked  up.

For my Adobe reader software, I have the typical free reader  version,
so you do not need to have the Adobe Professional version  installed
except on the machine that has the scanner on it.

I do not  know the cost of the Adobe Professional version software.
However, this is  the typical software product that most offices now
use, and is certainly  something that would be affordable by most any
office of any  size.

Sincerely,
Tim  Ford
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing  list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw

**************Start the year off right.  Easy ways to stay in shape.

http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw