Sharp AR M700N User Manual

							 
Chapter 8 
Converting Images to Text 
Introduction 
Sharpdesk lets you convert a non-editable, graphical image containing text into a file that can be 
edited with your favorite word processor.  You can convert an image at anytime while working in 
Sharpdesk by simply dragging the image onto the Convert by OCR option on\
 the Output Zone 
bar. With Sharpdesk, even your document layouts are preserved.  
Once an image has been turned into an editable document, you can then change it, annotate it, 
and treat it like any other document you created from scratch in its native application. 
You can convert any .TIF, .PDF, BMP, .DCX, .JPG, or .PCX, image into one of many standard 
output formats.  
Keep in mind that text conversion accuracy depends on the quality of the original image. A poor 
quality fax or copy might not convert correctly as the engine will have difficulty reading the text 
characters. Sharpdesk OCR can convert images with resolutions between 75 and 600 dpi (dots 
per inch). Best results are obtained using images with 300 dpi resolution.  Images that fall outside 
the 75 to 600 dpi range will be blank in the output file that is generated.  If a multi-page image 
file has pages that are within the allowed resolution range, these pages will be converted as 
expected.  If your image file falls outside the supported range, you can sometimes use imaging 
tools such as Sharpdesk Imaging to bring the resolution into the supported range. 
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Setting Convert by OCR Options 
Sharpdesk lets you set the various options that control the OCR process. To do so, choose the 
Preferences command from the Sharpdesk Tools menu and click the Convert by OCR tab: 
 
Convert By OCR Options  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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							Setting the Output File format 
You may select one of the following output file formats for the OCR proc\
ess: 
Save File As format 
Adobe PDF (*.pdf) 
Adobe PDF with image on text (*.pdf) 
Excel 97, 2000 (*.xls) 
RTF Word 2000 (*.rtf) 
Text – Comma Delimited (*.txt) 
Text – Standard (*.txt) 
MS Word Document (*.doc) 
WordPerfect 8.0 (*.wpd) 
WordPerfect 9, 10 (*.wpd) 
Word format (*.doc) is the default. 
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Setting the Original Document Layout 
The Original Document Layout setting tells the OCR engine what to expect in the image(s) it is 
about to process.  You may choose from the following layout selections: \
Layout Setting Description 
Automatic Let the OCR engine make its own decisions regarding the 
layout.  It decides whether text is in columns or not, whether 
an item is a graphic or text to be recognized, and whether to 
place tables or not.  Choose Automatic if your document 
contains pages with different or unknown layouts.  Choose 
it for an image with multiple columns and a table, and for 
any images with more than one table.  Most of the time, this 
is the best choice and is the default selection. 
Multiple Column, No Table Choose this setting if some of your pages contain text in 
columns and you want them kept in separate columns, 
similar to the original layout. 
Text, Table Choose this setting if your page contains only one column 
of text and/or tables. 
Setting Languages in Document 
The Languages in Document setting tells the OCR engine what word or character sets to expect 
in the image(s) it is about to process.  The languages Sharpdesk is localized in are shown in the 
main part of the tab: 
Dutch English French German 
Italian Spanish Swedish  
The default is the language chosen when Sharpdesk was installed.  Additional languages are also 
recognized by Sharpdesk’s OCR engine.  These are displayed by clicking on the More button: 
 
Check the box for the language(s) that may be included in the image documents to be OCRed. 
Note that the recognition process will slow down as more languages are selected; choose only 
those languages that you expect to find in the documents if processing speed becomes an issue. 
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							Selecting a User Dictionary 
You may improve the recognition of words that you find in documents you scan often by creating 
a User Dictionary.  The currently selected dictionary is displayed in the Custom Dictionary box.  
To change the selected dictionary or create a new one, click on the Browse button.  This will 
display the User Dictionary Files dialog: 
 
Selecting an existing dictionary 
All known User Dictionaries will be displayed in the File Name section.  The currently selected 
dictionary will have “[current]” following its name.  To choose a different dictionary, click on its 
name and then click on the “Set as Current” button.  This will move the “[current]” flag to the 
name you have selected.  Only one User Dictionary may be used at a time. 
Modifying a user dictionary 
First, select the name of the dictionary you want to modify.  Then click on the “Edit” button.  
This will display the Edit User Dictionary dialog: 
 
All of the words currently in the user dictionary will be listed. 
Adding words to the user dictionary 
Type the word you wish to add to the dictionary into the User word section.  Then click the Add 
button to add the new word to the dictionary. 
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Deleting words from the user dictionary 
Select the words currently in the dictionary you want to remove by clicking on it in the list; this 
will highlight the word to show it has been selected.  To select more than one word, hold down 
the Ctrl key as you click on each word to select it.  To unselect a word already selected, click on it 
again and the highlight will go away.  When you have the list of words you want to delete 
highlighted, click on the Delete button to remove them from the dictionary. 
To delete all of the words in the dictionary, click on the Delete All button. 
Importing words into the user dictionary 
You may generate a list of words using other programs and import them into the user dictionary.  
The words to be imported must be in a simple text file, one word per line, with no punctuation 
before or after the word.  To import these words, click on the Import button to display the Import 
dialog: 
 
Navigate to the file containing the words and click on the Open button.  The words in the file 
will be loaded into the user dictionary for OCR. 
Exporting words from the user dictionary 
You may export the words currently in the user dictionary to a simple text file.  Each word will 
be on a separate line.  To export the words, click on the Export button to display the following 
dialog: 
 
Specify the file name you want to create and click on the Save button. 
Ending the edit session 
When you are finished modifying the user dictionary, click on the Close button to return to the 
User Dictionary Files dialog. 
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							Creating a new User Dictionary 
To create a new User Dictionary, click on the New button in the User Dic\
tionary Files dialog.  
This will display the following dialog: 
 
Give the new user dictionary a name and click on the OK button.  This will create the user 
dictionary file (“Contract Terms”) and display the dialog for adding, importing, or deleting 
words.  See the “Modifying a user dictionary” section of this manual for more details. 
Setting the Reject Character 
If the OCR engine does not recognize a particular character, it will use the Reject Character to 
hold its place in the generated output.  The “*” character is the default; to change this 
unrecognized character flag, select another character from the drop-down\
 menu. 
Controlling the OCR Options Dialog 
The Convert by OCR options dialog appears by default every time an OCR operation is started 
from Sharpdesk. If you want the current option settings to be used witho\
ut seeing the dialog, 
uncheck the “Show dialog when OCR is performed” box and the OCR process will proceed 
without further interaction.  If you change your mind later, you can recheck the box through the 
Tools/Preferences/Convert by OCR menu item. 
Convert an Image using Drag-and-Drop  
To convert an image to text using drag and drop: 
1. In Sharpdesk, select the image you want to convert in the Sharpdesk work area. 
2. Make sure the Output Zone bar appears by selecting the Output Zone command from the 
View menu. 
3. Drag and drop the image onto the Convert by OCR option on the Output Zone bar. A dialog 
appears showing you the progress of the conversion. 
 
Conversion in Progress Dialog 
[If the “Show this dialog every time OCR is processed” is checked (see Properties discussion 
below), the Convert by OCR Preference tab will be displayed first.] This dialog shows you the 
name of the file being converted and the progress of the entire job.  Once the conversion 
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completes, the dialog automatically closes and the finished text document appears in the 
appropriate application. If you click Cancel, the ongoing conversion process is canceled. 
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							Chapter 9 
Glossary 
Introduction 
The following terms and definitions can assist you when working with Sharpdesk. 
A 
ASCII 
Acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A set of definitions for the 
bit composition of characters and symbols. ASCII  defines 128 symbols using 7 binary bits and 1 
parity bit.  
B 
Browser 
The application program, such as Microsoft’s In ternet Explorer, that lets you display HTML 
documents.  
D 
Default Setting 
A system setting incorporated at the factory and permanently registered to the application. Also, a 
value or a setting that the software assumes until or unless you specify\
 another value.  
Devices 
A device is a piece of hardware such as a scanner, printer, fax machine, digital camera or copier. 
DPI 
Dots per inch. A unit of measurement for indicating a printer’s resol\
ution.  
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							G 
Graphic 
A written, printed, or electronically displayed symbol or drawing. Also, characters or text that 
have been generated by a computer graphics application program.  
Grayscale 
An image in black and white created from a colo r image using different intensities of black.  
I 
Image 
In Sharpdesk, an image is used interchangeably with Document . Commands and functions work 
exactly the same regardless of whether the item in question is a .TIF file, a .JPG file, or a .DOC 
file. 
L 
Landscape Orientation 
The horizontal orientation of your document or  image across the length of the page. The term 
landscape is derived from pictures of the landscap e, which are usually horizontal in format.  
O 
OCR 
Optical Character Recognition. A technology that le ts you turn a paper document into an editable 
electronic document. 
Output Zone 
A Sharpdesk added toolbar allowing quick access to print, fax, scan, e-mail, and OCR an image. 
P 
Paper Feed 
Movement of a sheet of paper into the printer’s paper path.  
PC Fax 
An electronic way to send and receive faxes from your computer. A PC fax\
 is sent from or 
received by a computer.  
Portrait Orientation 
The vertical orientation of your document or imag e across the width of the page (letter style). 
This is the opposite of landscape orientation.  
Printer Driver 
Software that sends printing instructions to a  printer. The printer driver keeps track of the 
attributes of a printer and the codes a program must send to access thos\
e attributes.  
S 
.SDF File 
A Sharpdesk-created file that can be ope ned and edited in the Sharpdesk Composer. 
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