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Bulk Document Scanner

An overview of digitization equipment in the Freedman Center with step-by-step instructions.

Quick Guide for the Bulk Document Scanner

This one-page guide will give you the bare bones of what you need to work the bulk document scanner. If you need high-quality scans, we highly recommend you work through the full tutorial. 

If you get lost, refer back to the user manual on the Home page. Contact information for KSL staff is available on the left-hand navigation of each page. Service Center staff can also assist with basic troubleshooting.

Start the Scanner

The scanner may be:

  • On: If you see a green status light and a number, then the scanner is on and ready to go
  • Asleep: If the light is orange, press the up or down button to wake the sleeping scanner
  • Off: Turn it on from the power switch on the back left of the scanner

Starting Software

DocAction software on workstation computer

 

From the Start menu or the icon on the desktop, launch DocAction.

Basic Configurations

There are 2 modes to work with:

  • PDF Utility: scans bulk documents into a single PDF document; most people use this modality
  • Scan Utility: saves individual image files per image scan

The full tutorial lists additional options if you want to further configure your scan. 

PDF Utility

Below are the steps for this setting:

  1. Within the DocAction Button Configuration window, click the [2] on the left for the PDF Button settings
  2. Next to Saving Folder, click the 3 dots [...] and select your Documents folder, submitting with OK
  3. On the bottom right, click Apply

Now that the software has been configured, you still need to correctly select your configurations on the scanner itself. Change the scanner's mode to 2. 

Scan Utility

Below are the steps for this setting:

  1. Within the DocAction Button Configuration window, click the [1] on the left for the Scan Button settings
  2. Beneath Application, click the Save Setup... button. A new window will open
  3. Within the Scan Setup window and directly next to Saving Folder, click the 3 dots [...] and select your Documents folder, submitting with OK
  4. Back in the Scan Setup window, click OK
  5. On the bottom right of the Button Configuration window, click Apply

Now that the Software has been configured, you still need to correctly select your configurations on the scanner itself. Change the scanner's mode to 1. 

Scan Your Documents

We recommend reviewing the Before You Scan section in the full tutorial for suggestions on the best way to load your documents. Load your pages into the scanner facing away from you, top down. Press the Scan button on the front of the scanner.

three photos that show putting a document text-side down into the scanner to load it

Post-Processing and File Transfers

Files should be taken with you when you leave the computer, as the memory is wiped regularly. Use either an external hard drive or flash drive or cloud storage. If you are a CWRU affiliate, your OneDrive is already linked to the computer when you log in. 

Want to do more with your images? The Freedman Center Technology Lab has post-processing and editing software, including the Adobe Creative Suite. Some relevant tutorials are: