editing scanned documents?

netjunkie · #1 (**permalink**) 05-05-2007, 02:25 PM

Hi All,

Just joined up here and need some help.
I have just scanned some papers I need for an assignment and want to type in the answers but when I open the them in MSWord(or any other program) it's all mumbo jumbo.
How can I decode the document so i can read it?

**Ash** · #2 (**permalink**) 05-05-2007, 03:18 PM

Hi there netjunkie,
Firstly welcome to CompuForums, I hope that you can stick around and post here rather than vanish, never to return once we've given you our advice which is a really unfair thing to do.

Are you scanning the document as an image and attempting to paste text on top of it, or are you using OCR to turn the document into an editable text file? By "mumbo jumbo", can you explain what you mean? Do you recognise some of the words or is it all random letters and symbols? A screenshot or a copy/paste of the bad text would be helpful.

netjunkie · #3 (**permalink**) 05-06-2007, 04:25 AM

Hi Ash,

Thanks for trying to help I was probably abit vauge, it was late.
Firstly I am scanning and saving the file as a jpeg (the other options I have on the scanner are bitmap,pcx or flashpix).
I wanted to open it with msword so I could add text in the blank spaces.
When i open th file I am asked to select the coding to make the file readable...wondows,msdos or other. I have tried them all and this is what i get

ÿÄ µ } !1A Qa"q 2‘¡ #B±Á RÑð$3br‚
%&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyzƒ„…†‡ ˆ‰Š’“”•–—˜™š¢£¤¥¦§¨©ª²³´µ•¸¹ºÂÃÄÅÆÇÈÉÊÒÓÔÕÖ×ØÙÚáâã äåæçèéêñòóôõö÷øùúÿÚ ? õý =ºD ŒqZe r ªW×QB…˜à Ö¹ËÕÔ.~k{ Jž‡ i,¼/%Õ“Ï¨¤ÑHÒmHÇ zš³ià]:Uÿ JÇ?{y þ dx'B‹

Any ideas? ..I'm sure this is simple but I am stumped.

Oh also It did open with Paint.Net but it was a bit of messing around to add text.
Hope this helps

**blueparukia** · #4 (**permalink**) 05-06-2007, 09:42 AM

JPEG is an image format, and therefore can't have text edited, you have to use an image program to edit it

**Ash** · #5 (**permalink**) 05-06-2007, 10:22 AM

Yes - as blueparukia said, you can't edit an image in a text editor. You can however use OCR software, however unless your printed copy has no creases or scribbles, the text it produces may not be 100% accurate.

**blueparukia** · #6 (**permalink**) 05-06-2007, 10:41 AM

yes, and if you have an older scanner (one of mine is six years old), it sometimes won't do OCR properly.

netjunkie · #7 (**permalink**) 05-06-2007, 12:09 PM

Hi Guys,

I had a feeling that might be the case. So I have downloaded a trial of OmniPage (wasn't sure what a OCR was so I googled it).So that should help for now...at least I can get the assignment done.
Thanks for the help.
I shall return but not sure how worthy my help will be

hacker45 · #8 (**permalink**) 05-18-2007, 06:10 AM

I'm not so good with computers. I want to know which is the better format JPEG or GIF?

**Ash** · #9 (**permalink**) 05-18-2007, 07:59 AM

hacker45, please open your own topic rather than hijack another person's.

hacker45 · #10 (**permalink**) 05-25-2007, 09:39 AM

I'm not so good with computers. I want to know which is the better format JPEG or GIF?

________________________
Abigail

Chrysler Sebring Sedan Conveniences 2007 by Chrysler USA

**Ash** · #11 (**permalink**) 05-25-2007, 03:27 PM

hacker45, please start your own thread to ask questions rather than hijack another. Also if you wish to advertise, please do so in your signature rather than appending a link to the end of your post. If you violate this rule again, which you have already been warned about in the past, then we will have no choice but to ban you.

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