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Karen Zorn wonders: <<A new contract has presented a potential problem: how
to get the existing text into electronic files. My employer and I have
discussed either scanning or retyping.>>
Before you go to all that trouble, ask the client to double-check that they
really don't have the text available in electronic format somewhere. Some of
this stuff lingers for years on company networks or on backup tapes. If it's
already electronic, it could save you tons of time and frustration, provided
you can read the format with current software.
<<The existing text is typed in a san serif font. About 50% of the existing
text needs to be captured. (We do have a typist available.) My last
experience with OCR was 8-10 years back, and it wasn't a good experience at
that time.>>
Check out www.pcmag.com for recent reviews of the technology. If the text is
good and crisp, you can easily achieve well above 99% accuracy.
Unfortunately, that can still lead to a typo every 20 words or so, which
means you'll need to proofread the results carefully. The same applies with
a human typist, of course, though the really good ones check their own work
and correct most of the more egregious errors you'll see with OCR. The
disadvantages are that you still need to proofread, you pay the person per
page (rather than buying the OCR software once), and many typists aren't
particularly good, thereby leading to more work than they save. But a good
typist is still a valid option, particulary if the person is already paid
for.
If you're in a big city, it might be worth subcontracting the scanning. Some
service bureaus offer these services, and at a reasonable price. You'll
still have to proofread, of course, but the time and hassle you save in
getting the text onto your computer may make subcontracting a viable option.
--Geoff Hart, geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada
580 boul. St-Jean
Pointe-Claire, Que., H9R 3J9 Canada
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