Everything you need to know to get rid of paper once and for all.

 

General Document Scanning Questions

What is OCR when scanning a document?

OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. OCR is a scanning technology that identifies alphanumeric characters on a page so information can be “read” and searched once converted to digital. In other words, it turns scanned information into readable information. This is important because OCR makes it possible to index documents based on certain tags and fields. That makes finding the information you need from your digital files fast and easy. OCR plays a critical role in high-volume document scanning. Without search capability, scanned documents are simply pictures that aren’t easy to find. Unintelligent.

What is the best document scanner for a business?

Canon makes a line of business scanners we recommend for day-forward scanning (to keep your business paper-free after we’ve scanned your backfiles). Find the perfect one based on desired format, paper size, duplexing, network-compatibility, and budget by going to Canon’s website. Remember! Day-forward scanning is a per diem thing that you must stay on top of or your business will end up buried under paper again. Use a professional scanning service to handle your high-volume archives, and dedicate a member of your team to handle the bite-sized incoming paper thereafter.

What is document scanning software?

Document scanning software is the program that captures information from documents fed into scanning hardware and converts that information into a digital file. With OCR as part of document scanning software, those scanned documents become editable digital files. Making digital files usable and searchable is the first step on the road to going paperless. That happens with document scanning software.

How much does it cost to scan documents?

Letter and legal paper documents cost between $0.07 and $0.15 per page to scan. A standard banker box of documents holds between 2,000 and 2,500 pages. A large box holds between 4,000 and 4,500 pages. Both numbers vary based on how tightly packed the boxes are and how many folders are in the box. For paper on a shelf or in file cabinets, you can estimate between 150 and 200 pages per inch. That number varies based on how tightly packed the shelves or drawers are and how many folders are in them. As your volume of paper increases, the average cost for scanning projects goes down. 

Remember this when crunching the numbers, when you allocate part of your budget to digital transformation, you quickly recoup that spend in productivity and streamlined efficiency. A little red in the short term creates big-time black in the long term. Reach out for a FREE document scanning quote by filling out the form or calling us at (985) 888-0091.

Is scanning documents secure?

Yes, if you choose a reputable vendor like RDS. Our facility is equipped with 24-hour surveillance, enhanced security alarms, smoke detection alert systems, temperature control, and everything you need to keep your documents secure when in our custody. In the case where your documents cannot leave your building, our experienced team comes to you to set up scanning equipment onsite and digitize your collection. 

Can you edit a scanned document?

Yes, you can. But only if you used OCR technology to make that file readable when you scanned it. Indexing tags the document using specified information fields. This makes the document easy to find when searched for. Once located, simply open it up and make changes like any other digital document. Without OCR, sadly, no you can’t edit a scanned document. 

How do you retrieve a scanned document?

If your scanned documents are stored within a Cloud-based document management system like Application Xtender (OpenText Application Content Management or ACM), files are retrieved in seconds using the search command via role-based access from nearly any device or web browser. 

What is the best DPI for scanning documents?

300 DPI (dots per inch). Anything less than 300 DPI creates fuzzy edges. Anything more is overkill—it increases the file size by a lot without a noticeable difference to the human eye. One caveat: color scans are best at 600dpi (adding file size but maintaining color fidelity).

Is a paperless office possible?

More and more the answer is yes. Backfile scanning makes your legacy files digital. That gets you 95% of the way toward paperless. The other 5% falls under day forward scanning, the day-to-day scanning that is required to convert paper that comes into an office every day into electronic files. As more companies become paperless, less paper makes its way into offices. A paperless office is only possible if a policy exists to convert paper to digital every day. Do that, and you’re a paperless office!

What is the difference between document scanning and digital imaging?

Document imaging converts paper into an image file (a digital picture of that piece of paper). You can see it, share it, and save it, but you can’t edit it. Document scanning uses OCR software that turns the paper version into an image but converts the text into editable form. You can edit that information. 

How much does Staples charge for scanning?

Staples offers full-service printing but only self-service scanning (to the Cloud) as part of Staples’ Business Center. When the project is small and the urgency of the scanned document is immediate, you can walk into a Staples store and scan one side of a sheet at .50 per side (or $1 a sheet). That’s approximately 10x more expensive than bulk scanning done by a professional scanning company—yeeowch! The only time forking over that much cash to scan something makes sense is if it's an emergency presentation for the President who is showing up that afternoon and you simply cannot present without adding in the most crucial hardcopy infographic you have ever seen or will ever see again. 

How much does Office Depot charge for scanning? 

Office Depot charges .25 a scan (which is one side of one sheet). That means .50 cents a page. Pretty pricey when compared to a large-volume scanning service (about 5x more expensive). Keep in mind that smartphones are now efficient low-volume scanners and dozens of high-quality scanning apps exist for both iPhone and Android smartphones. Instead of feeding a sheet into a machine, or laying it flat on a scanning surface, you snap a photo of the document with your phone.

Even free scanning apps allow you to square up corners, crop, and enhance the contrast. Some have OCR technology to read words from the document (Evernote Premium, for example). If you use your phone, the cost is $0 a scan. The only cost is the time it takes you to snap that photo, make adjustments, and share it to your Cloud folder. But at about one to two minutes per “scan,” you would only get a dozen or so scans completed in a half an hour. What do you get paid per hour? Balance that. This method is fantastic for scanning receipts or, say, a recipe from a magazine while you’re waiting to get your teeth cleaned. Anything more than that, look for a scanning service that takes the hassle off your shoulders for a low per-page cost.

How much does Kinkos charge for scanning?

.50 painful cents a page. Just like Office Depot. Good to know that you have somewhere you can go in a pinch down the street to scan an emergency document. Is that document oversized by any chance? You better hope not because that will cost you $5.99/3 sq. ft. or, $9.99/over 3 sq. ft. That’s a fair chunk of change for a few (likely improperly) scanned documents. Save them up, give us a call, and we’ll go through your banker boxes on the schedule that works best for you. That way, you save money per sheet and the time you would have spent standing in line at an overpriced Kinkos scanner.

What companies scan documents near me?

The better question is “What companies scan documents near me that are IIMDA members?” Being an IIMDA member means the provider is reputable, certified, and meeting industry security and privacy thresholds. We aren’t a fly-by-night scanning shop that operates out of a cube van or garage. We anchor professional document scanning in and around Louisiana in our secure scanning facility. Despite our size, we keep the family vibe going strong—we’re friendly folks here at Revolution Data Systems.

There are likely several “scanning companies” near you. But trust is your first concern. We’re well prepared to earn your trust. Check us out at Revolution Data Systems. 

Where can I get blueprints scanned?

Revolution Data Systems scans large format documents like engineering blueprints. We have state-of-the-art production scanners with software that makes old crinkly blueprints look much better than the faded originals that have suffered wear and tear with age.  

How much does it cost to scan blueprints?

Scanning large format documents like blueprints costs between $0.50 and $5.00 per page. Small projects of less than 100 pages will be on the higher end of that spectrum. But if you’re looking to scan several thousand large format documents, pricing can be as low as $0.50 per page. Turnaround time, condition of blueprints, and your indexing requirements also push the needle in that spectrum. Our price per image includes document prep, scanning, post-scan processing, indexing, quality assurance, and data export

What is the fastest way to scan a lot of documents?

The fastest way to scan a lot of documents is also the most cost-effective way to scan a lot of documents: by outsourcing that burden to a reputable document scanning company like Revolution Data Systems. By hiring professionals trained in large-volume scanning, you’re digitizing your legacy paper files in the shortest time frame while your employees do the job they were hired to do. That means business goes on as usual and a massive undertaking is handled behind the scenes. 

A professional scanning service provider feeds thousands of sheets securely into an enterprise-level scanner, indexes them automatically in high resolution and stunning contrast, and does all of that at just pennies per sheet. Whole drawers of documents are digitized in seconds. You get high-quality, high-efficiency document scanning that’s hands-off painless for your crew.

Questions to Ask Before Scanning Your Documents

How do I estimate how many documents I have for scanning?

A bit of work, but use these guidelines to get a ballpark: 

A standard banker box of documents holds between 2,000 and 2,500 pages. A large box holds between 4,000 and 4,500 pages. Those estimates vary depending on how tightly packed the boxes are and how many folders are in the box. 

If your paper is tucked away in filing cabinets, there are between 150 and 200 pages per inch. 

Remember that a duplex, or two-sided, page counts as two pages for scanning. While these numbers are not exact, they do give you a pretty good idea about your overall volume. 

Do you reassemble documents after scanning them? In the response, we call this ‘re-prep’. 

Yes. This is called re-prep. Your new files are electronic, but your old files must now be managed. You have a few choices. You can ask us to shred your paper archives or store them (should compliance demand storage). If storage is the way to go, you can have your papers placed in their original folders loosely, or they can be re-stapled. Re-prep is an extra charge added to the document per-page scanning price. 

Are there certain index fields that need to be captured?

Yes! If documents are scanned without indexing, you won’t be able to find them easily. We index fields to allow easy search and retrieval of the digital images from one central location (fields like date, customer name, ID etc.). How we index is based on a conversation we have with you before we begin. We work with you to determine the exact structure and naming convention that you need. We use OCR to allow full-text or “keyword” searches.

How many documents would you like to scan?

The answer is all of them. But scanning all of your documents isn’t always feasible. There are logistical and financial restraints. RDS suggests scanning the documents you use day to day first. Then chip away at your archives box by box until you have scanned all of your documents. This is called “Scan to Zero” in the industry. The advantage of Scan to Zero is an immediate gain in physical space. We take all of your files away, but we scan them to digital on a schedule that fits your budget. That timeline is up to you!

Why outsource document scanning?

According to AIIM, 59% of organizations achieve a payback on their document scanning costs in less than 12 months from their paper-free projects, including 26% in 6 months or less. 84% achieved payback in less than 18 months.

You outsource your document scanning because your employees don’t want to scan documents. They want to do the job you hired them to do, not get paid to empty out banker boxes and filing cabinets or tackle hundreds of pounds of staple removal. Hiring a temp or a college kid to look through your sensitive documents isn’t ideal either. 

Outsourcing makes sense because you pay a scanning company with highly-skilled employees to handle a task that falls outside of your core operations. You give that job to vetted professionals who use state-of-the-art scanning equipment to achieve the best results in the fastest time at the lowest cost. You get more payback because once files are digital you’re also getting rid of crippling storage costs while downsizing your footprint, utility bills, and overhead.

The value of outsourcing document scanning is that you’re future-proofing your business against everything from natural disasters, plumbing problems, incompetent employees, loss of knowledge at retirement, and threat actors while empowering your employees to be productive. They save time not looking for stuff, turn things around quicker, and curve those profit margins up. 

Why should we scan our documents?

Converting paper to electronic files makes information—that’s been trapped in a dark drawer for years—searchable. You can pull meaningful information from a digital file. That happens with indexing, a feature that tags specific attributes of a document (metadata like name, contact info, invoice number, date), making it easier to find and use. 

After you scan your documents, you can store your data in the Cloud, integrate it with collaboration tools like Microsoft 365, and catapult productivity with a menu of scaleable enhancements that position your company at the top of your changing market.

The cold hard truth is the world has gone digital around you and people are working from wherever they want with their phones. The new remote work model doesn’t work unless you scan your paper documents. And there’s this: you likely face new compliance standards in your industry that no longer allow paper for privacy and security reasons. Not scanning could mean crippling fines and penalties. 

So why should you scan your documents? Because times change. In 2021, paper doesn’t cut it anymore. So go ahead and contact one of our RDS friendly experts who know a lot about transitioning to a digital workforce, starting with document scanning services. Document scanning saves money and creates a digital launch pad for company growth. Ask us how you should get started in a way that is cost-effective and scalable for the future.

What is the best way to organize scanned documents?

Hands down, the best way to organize your newly scanned electronic documents is to upload them into a Document Management System (software like Application Content Management). But RDS can format the digital images for import into your system or repository of choice. Some clients just need a few flash drives to distribute across their department for digital document control. Some need them formatted for their document management system or their internal network. Whatever you need, RDS can accommodate.  

Questions About the Document Scanning Process

How many documents does Revolution Data Systems scan a month?

Anywhere in the neighborhood of 5 to 10 million scans a month. This is our business and we treat our high-volume production scanners with a high-level of care. Ready to scan millions of paper documents with RDS? We’ll get you there in short order!

What is document preparation?

Document prep is the “pre” scanning steps you take to get your documents ready for scanning. Easy, but time-consuming. We remove staples, tape, and paperclips, unfold corners, smooth out wrinkles, remove post-it notes, repair rips etc. Do it right and the scanning process goes off beautifully. Miss a staple and the scanner might jam. If you outsource document prep, none of this is your concern. If you do prep and scanning in-house, you might miss that tiny butterfly clip or a chunk of leftover spiral bind—which means you might be in for a new in-office scanner. 

As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." Setting up the scanning process for success with careful document preparation is an important part!

What is document indexing?

Indexing attaches information (also called metadata) that describes a document making it easy to track down that document so you can use it.

During the scanning process, certain identifiers are captured so that users can search for documents using those identifying “tags.” Document indexing tags specific attributes (name, contact info, invoice number, date), making it easier to find and use that document in the future. Without indexing, there’s no order. Indexing is the digital equivalent of putting a label on a document, putting that labeled document in a labeled file folder, and putting that folder in a labeled filing cabinet drawer (in a labeled filing cabinet). Only, document indexing is much faster, much more precise, and applies to digital files in your document management software (stored in the Cloud).

Should I OCR my documents?

According to McKinsey, “employees spend 1.8 hours every day—9.3 hours per week, on average—searching and gathering information. Put another way, businesses hire 5 employees but only 4 show up to work; the fifth is off searching for answers, but not contributing any value.” 

So, yes, you should OCR your documents. Without OCR, your digitized documents aren’t searchable, which means you’re in the same position you were before when your employees couldn’t find paper files. Now you won’t be able to find your digital documents either. When you outsource document scanning to a scanning company like RDS, OCR is part of the deal. It happens during the scanning process, and we wouldn’t do it any other way! Your employees deserve useable, searchable documents.

How big is a scanned document?

Physically, a scanned document has no size. It’s invisible, so you no longer need miles of filing cabinets. Stored on a server, each scanned document is between approximately 100 kilobytes (kb) for a black and white document. Greyscale scans hover around 300 kb, and full color gets up around the 1 MB mark (1000 kilobytes).  Standard text-based documents fall on the smaller end of that spectrum. Large format documents like blueprints, or graphic-based documents are bigger.

Should I scan my documents in color or black & white?

Depends on the document! Generally, scanning in black and white saves file size and is the best solution. But some documents need to remain in bitonal color, full color, or grayscale. Color scanning takes a little longer and costs a little more. Which is best depends on the individual scan (and we talk with you about this after assessing your document scanning needs):

Bitonal: black and white, two-tone scan. Most often used for printed or text documents. Handwriting can be a bit harder to pick up. 

Grayscale: palette of up to 256 gray tones that works great for black and white photographs. Also best for handwriting because details display better than a bitonal scan. Also a great choice for older records where paper may be discolored. 

Color: palette of 256 to thousands of colors is used for photographs and documents where color must remain visible. Maps, diagrams and illustrations are great examples of records that should be captured in color. To capture the natural appearance of an item, color scans may be best.

When scanning a document what file type should I use?

You can choose PDF or TIFF. What’s the difference, you ask?

TIFF: TIFF can be grayscale or color. TIFF files are smaller than a pdf so they take up less virtual storage space and you can view them faster because they’re quicker to index. Adding signature forms, new pages, amendments and more is easier on a single page TIFF compared to a PDF. If you plan to edit digital images in a working storage format, consider TIFF your go-to.

Done! TIFF is the clear winner! Well, hold on a sec because…

PDF: is a newer file format that won over the industry thanks to mass compatibility with many different applications (including engineering applications and transactional printing apps). PDFs are used for forms on the web (they’re more web-friendly). They also meet legal requirements for signature compliance. Lastly, PDFs are viewable on any type of operating system (OS) making them best for legal forms.

Still not sure? Contact us to discuss your project.

Is outsourced document scanning secure?

Yes, when you hire a reputable scanning company like RDS. We abide by strict industry protocols and we never hire temporary workers for projects, so you know your records are being scanned by an experienced operator. Our facility is equipped with 24-hour surveillance, enhanced security alarms, smoke detection alert systems, and temperature control. We also set up what we call a chain of custody, so you know exactly where your documents are from the moment they leave your building until you have them back again (or until they are shredded). Gaining access to your records in our custody is easy with our scan-on-demand services. Within 30 minutes we give you online access to your files in whatever format you request.

Get a Free Document Scanning Services Quote

Our Office Location

Revolution Data Systems
70161 Highway 59, Suite G
Abita Springs, LA 70420

(985) 888-0091
info@revolutiondatasystems.com

Get directions

 

Have more questions? Reach out, we’d love to hear from you.