8.0

ABBYY FineReader 8.0 User’s Guide
13
Before taking shots...
1. Make sure that the page fits entirely within the frame and no unwanted objects are visible.
2. Make sure that lighting is evenly distributed across the page and there are no dark areas or shadows.
3. Straighten out the page if required and position the camera parallel to the plane of the document so that the lens looks to
the center of the text being photographed.
Digital Camera Requirements
Minimum Requirements
● 2–megapixel sensor
● Variable focus lens (fixed–focus cameras, common in cellphones and hand–held devices, will usually produce
images unsuitable for OCR)
Recommended Requirements
● 5–megapixel sensor
● Flash Disable mode
● Manual aperture control or aperture priority mode
● Manual focusing
● An anti–shake system, otherwise the use of a tripod is recommended
● Optical zoom
How to Photograph Texts
Lighting
Make sure there is enough light – daylight is recommended. In the case of artificial lighting, use two light sources positioned so as to
avoid shadows.
Positioning the Camera
The use of a tripod is highly recommended. The best results are obtained when shooting at the maximum optical zoom. The lens must
be positioned parallel to the plane of the document and look towards the center of the text.
At full optical zoom, the distance between the camera and the document must be sufficient to fit the entire document into the frame.
Usually this distance will be 50–60 cm.
Flash
If there is enough light, turn off the flash to avoid the glare of the page and sharp shadows. In poor lighting conditions, try using the
flash from a distance of about 50 cm, but even then using additional illumination is recommended.
Important!
Using the flash for documents printed on glossy paper will cause the worst glare.
Shooting Mode
Aperture
In poor lighting conditions the recommended aperture is ~3.5 – 5.6, i.e. the maximum allowed by the camera. In bright daylight,
smaller apertures will produce sharper images.