VirtualReScan® 3.
Copyright Copyright © 2004 Kofax Image Products. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. The information contained in this document is the property of Kofax Image Products. Neither receipt nor possession hereof confers or transfers any right to reproduce or disclose any part of the contents hereof, without the prior written consent of Kofax Image Products. No patent liability is assumed, however, with respect to the use of the information contained herein.
Contents How to Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii How this Guide is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Related Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents Using VRS While You Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 When Does VRS Come into Play? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Using the VRS Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Using the Zoom Menu to Adjust the View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Using Mouse Buttons to Adjust the View . . . . .
Contents D Enhanced Bar Code Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Standard vs. Enhanced Bar Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 How to Switch Between Bar Code Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents vi VRS User’s Manual
How to Use This Guide Introduction The VRS User’s Manual, which gives instructions for using VirtualReScan (VRS), is intended for all potential scan operators. Whether you are an expert at image processing or have no special knowledge of scanning, this manual provides the information you need to make the best use of VRS features and functionality.
How to Use This Guide Appendix E - Patch Code Recognition covers VRS patch code support. Appendix F - Advanced Color Processing explains how to use advanced color processing options that are available if your scanning application is set to color mode and you are using VRS with a Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum II series scanner. Related Documentation The VRS User’s Manual is just one piece in the VRS documentation set. Your VRS product package also includes related documentation, as outlined in this section.
How to Use This Guide Technical Support Information For additional technical information about Kofax products, visit the Kofax Web site at www.kofax.com and select an appropriate option from the Support menu. The Kofax Support pages provide product-specific information, such as current revision levels, the latest drivers and software patches, online documentation and user manuals, updates to product release notes (if any), technical tips, and an extensive searchable knowledgebase.
How to Use This Guide x VRS User’s Manual
Chapter 1 Overview Introduction VirtualReScan (VRS) works with a wide range of scanning applications in a variety of settings—from single-user desktop systems to large-scale enterprise solutions. VRS is an extremely effective and versatile imaging tool that is easy to use for beginners and experts alike. VRS works hand-in-hand with your scan application. By giving you access to the VRS Interactive Interface and QC Modes, VRS gives you the ability to drive your image processing with true power.
Chapter 1 Standard Features VRS is designed to ensure that every scanned image meets your quality standards. While VRS products are designed to make high-volume scanning easier and more cost-effective, VRS provides the same advantages for low-volume scanners. Key VRS features include the ability to scan batches that consist of multiple document sizes or varying degrees of quality, as well as the ability to automatically assign brightness settings that are optimal for your document type.
Overview • • • • Character smoothing Character dilation/erosion Accelerated scanning Advanced color processing (scanner dependent) Certified Scan Applications As part of the certification process, Kofax tests VRS compatibility with a wide range of scan applications. While the list of certified scan applications is updated on a regular basis, it is important to know that VRS is designed to work with any application that is based on ImageControls, ISIS, or TWAIN. Certified vs.
Chapter 1 4 VRS User’s Manual
Chapter 2 Operating VRS Introduction This chapter explains how to operate VRS using the default settings, how to set up custom profiles, and how to configure and use the manual image enhancement features. Scanning with VRS Default Settings With VRS, you can scan documents and accurately capture data in the shortest time possible using the default settings. These default settings have been carefully chosen to allow VRS to excel at a wide range of documents without adjustments.
Chapter 2 Figure 2-1. Select Scan Source Dialog Box (ImageControls-based application) Figure 2-2. Select TWAIN Source Dialog Box (TWAIN-based application) Figure 2-3. Scanner Selection Dialog Box (ISIS-based application) 6 4 Click the OK or Scan button, as applicable to your scan application. 5 For ImageControls-based applications, the VRS icon (Figure 2-4) will appear on your Windows taskbar.
Operating VRS VRS Icon Figure 2-4. VRS icon on Windows Taskbar The scanner associated with the Kofax VRS ISIS or Kofax VRS TWAIN source is the default scanner.
Chapter 2 Kofax VRS Scan Interfaces Kofax VRS TWAIN Interface The Kofax VRS TWAIN interface is designed to serve as a liaison between your TWAIN scan application and VRS. In most cases, the Kofax VRS TWAIN interface will automatically appear whenever you select the Kofax VRS TWAIN scanner source. Figure 2-5. Kofax VRS TWAIN Interface Some TWAIN applications may hide the Kofax VRS TWAIN interface and use their own interface instead.
Operating VRS Note The profiles that you create from the Kofax VRS TWAIN interface are different from the profiles created from the Profile tab of the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box. The General group consists of the following options: • Source (Paper Source) – Select between the available input paper sources: Flatbed or ADF. • Resolution (DPI) – Select an option for scan resolution or DPI (dots per inch).
Chapter 2 Figure 2-7. Kofax VRS TWAIN Interface – Select Source 3 The Kofax VRS TWAIN interface will launch. Make your selections from the General group, such as the Source, DPI, Color Mode, Paper Size, etc. 4 If desired, click Save to create a profile to save the settings for future use. a At the Save Profile dialog box, type a name for the profile. b Click OK. In the future, you can load a profile by selecting it and clicking the Restore button, or erase it by clicking the Delete button. Figure 2-8.
Operating VRS Kofax VRS ISIS Interface The Kofax VRS ISIS interface is designed to serve as a liaison between your ISIS scan application and VRS. In most cases, the Kofax VRS ISIS interface will automatically appear whenever you select the Kofax VRS scanner source. Figure 2-9. Kofax VRS ISIS Interface Some ISIS applications hide the Kofax VRS ISIS interface and use their own interfaces instead. You can use the Kofax VRS ISIS interface to control scanner features made available via the ISIS driver.
Chapter 2 • Resolution (DPI) – Select an option for scan resolution or DPI (dots per inch). • Color Mode – Select from the color modes supported by the scanner, which may include Black/White, Grayscale, or RGB (color). • Paper Size – Select a paper size, such as Letter, A5, etc. • Orientation – Select the paper orientation (portrait/landscape). • Simplex/Duplex – Select single-sided or double-sided scanning.
Operating VRS Figure 2-11. Kofax VRS ISIS Interface - About Dialog Box X To scan using the Kofax VRS ISIS interface 1 Open your scan application. 2 Select the Kofax VRS Scanner source. Figure 2-12. Kofax VRS ISIS Interface – Select Source Dialog Box 3 The Kofax VRS ISIS interface will launch, as shown in Figure 2-9. Make your selections from within the General group, such as the Paper Source, DPI, Mode, Paper Size, etc.
Chapter 2 Figure 2-13. Kofax VRS ISIS Interface - New Profile Dialog Box 5 14 Click OK to close the Kofax VRS ISIS interface, or click Cancel to exit without making any changes. In the future, you can change a profile by changing the information in the General group, selecting it and clicking on the Save button. You may also load a profile by clicking on the Restore button, or erase it by clicking the Delete button.
Operating VRS Configuring VRS Before You Scan VRS is designed so that, if desired, it can be customized to suit a particular kind of document or batch of documents. In addition, you can customize responses to scanner events (out of paper, cover open, etc.). You may want to adjust the VRS settings before you scan. This section gives an overview of the options that you can use to adjust VRS to suit your scanning preferences.
Chapter 2 The VRS menu is not available while scanning is in progress (even though the VRS taskbar icon is still visible). When the VRS menu is unavailable, it will appear as it does in Figure 2-17. Figure 2-17. VRS Menu - Unavailable X To open the VRS menu 1 While scanning is not in progress, right-click on the VRS icon on the Windows taskbar.
Operating VRS Skew tab are loaded from permanent storage into operational memory. The newly loaded profile becomes the active profile, which is indicated by a check mark on the tray menu. VRS remembers the active profile designation across sessions. For more information, refer to Using the Profile Tab on page 54. Admin Utility Selecting Admin Utility from the VRS menu opens the VRS Administration Utility dialog box, which is used to define exception condition parameters.
Chapter 2 Every Page VRS dialog boxes open after each document scans, or with duplex scanning, after each document side scans. This mode can be used for extremely complex documents that require individual adjustments. This is an unusual condition because VRS has the ability to handle a wide range of document types without any adjustments. Disabled VRS dialog boxes remain out of view, even if exception conditions occur.
Operating VRS VRS Administration Utility The VRS Administration Utility dialog box consists of three tabs: • Warnings tab: settings related to image quality conditions • Errors tab: settings that affect the VRS response to errors that occur in connection with equipment conflicts and paper transport issues • Accelerated Scanning tab: settings that you can use to maximize the speed of your scanner Figure 2-19.
Chapter 2 Table 2-1.
Operating VRS Warnings Tab The Warnings tab lists exception conditions associated with image quality. For each condition, you may set a Threshold value. This threshold value defines the “margin of error” that VRS tolerates for brightness or contrast. VRS intercepts any image with values that fall outside the margin of error, and then handles the image according to the response selected from the Action column. For details on selecting an action type, see the Action Options section on page 25.
Chapter 2 Brightness Out of Range Use the Brightness Out of Range threshold to define the valid range for brightness values. When a document is scanned, VRS evaluates the resulting image to determine its brightness. Then, VRS compares it to the user-defined acceptable range determined by 50 plus or minus the value in the Brightness Out of Range threshold setting in the Warnings tab.
Operating VRS Errors Tab The Errors tab lists exception conditions such as errors caused by equipment conflicts or paper transport issues, along with the VRS response to each condition. Note The list of error types on the Errors tab may vary, according to the scanner that you are using with VRS. In the Action column, select the desired VRS response for each error type. To change the setting, click in the Action box and select the new setting from the drop-down list.
Chapter 2 Table 2-3. Error Types (continued) Error Description Feeder Timeout1 The document feeder tried but was unable to move the page for a period of time that exceeded the ADF timeout setting. Scanner Stop Key1 The user pressed the OI STOP key, causing an immediate transport stop, and pages are left somewhere in the transport. Scanner Page Sensor1 The sensor detects an unexpected page sensor transition during scanning, such as a hole in the document or a ragged page edge.
Operating VRS Action Options Use the Action list to define how you want VRS to handle each exception condition on the Warnings tab and the Errors tab. To specify the VRS response, click in the Action column on the Warnings tab or the Errors tab, and select a response from the list. The action choices vary, according to the type of warning or error. Figure 2-22. Action Drop-Down List Table 2-4.
Chapter 2 Accelerated Scanning Tab While high-resolution settings have a positive impact on image quality, they can slow down the scanning process. With Accelerated Scanning in effect, VRS achieves the quality of a high-resolution image without compromising speed. To maintain speed, VRS scans the image at a rate that is lower than the DPI (dots per inch) rate defined in your scan application. Then, VRS performs an internal translation so that the image is output at the desired DPI setting.
Operating VRS Note When you select the first level of accelerated scanning, the image quality is virtually equivalent to non-accelerated scanning. However, higher levels of acceleration affect the image quality. Not all scanners increase in speed when you select accelerated scanning. If your scanner does not feature lower resolutions than the resolution selected in your scan application, accelerated scanning will have no effect. Table 2-5.
Chapter 2 4 28 Once you are satisfied with the settings, click Save. Changes that you have made on any of the tabs are saved until changed and will take effect at the start of the next scan operation.
Operating VRS Using the Auto Resolve Manager You can use the Auto Resolve Manager to handle VRS exception conditions such as errors caused by equipment conflicts or paper transport issues. VRS opens the Auto Resolve Manager dialog box for each occurrence of an exception condition specified as an Auto Resolve or Intervention action type on the Errors tab in the VRS Administration Utility. When Auto Resolve is the selected action, the Auto Resolve Manager opens in automatic mode.
Chapter 2 • Cancel: Stop the batch or cancel the scanning process. When you select Cancel, any error information is passed to your scan application. The images that caused the errors are not sent to the scan application. • Rescan (Manual Mode only): Rescan a sheet after you have reloaded a document into the scanner. Previewing Images The preview process gives you an opportunity to test image property settings with the aim of meeting quality standards.
Operating VRS Using VRS While You Scan VRS is designed so that you may modify images manually during a scanning session. This is accomplished through the VRS Viewer and the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box, which provides an interactive settings control equipped with controls for real-time image correction. This section explains how to use VRS while you scan to create great images.
Chapter 2 Figure 2-26. VRS Viewer with VRS Interactive Properties Dialog Box Using the VRS Viewer The VRS Viewer displays scanned images for your inspection. The purpose of the viewer is to show you what an image looks like when it scans, and to refresh the image as you apply property changes. The VRS Viewer includes a Zoom menu with a range of image magnification levels. Figure 2-27.
Operating VRS Using the Zoom Menu to Adjust the View From the Zoom menu, you can magnify or reduce the image in the VRS Viewer. Using the Fit Window setting, you can see the entire image in the viewer. Using Mouse Buttons to Adjust the View In the VRS Viewer, you can adjust the image view with the left and right buttons of your mouse. • Using the left mouse button, you can do the following: 3 View part of the image by clicking and dragging the selection rectangle across the area you want to magnify.
Chapter 2 Updating Image Properties The VRS Interactive Properties dialog box consists of seven tabs, including three with options for dynamically adjusting image properties as you scan. Note If your scanning application is set to color mode and you are using VRS with a Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum II series scanner, an additional tab called Color appears on this dialog box. For more information, refer to Advanced Color Processing on page 93. Figure 2-28.
Operating VRS VRS Interactive Properties Dialog Box Tabs The standard VRS Interactive Properties dialog box consists of the seven tabs. Clarity The Clarity tab consists of settings for brightness, contrast, and gamma correction. Use this tab to enable or disable Automatic Brightness. For details, refer to “Using the Clarity Tab” on page 37. Noise The Noise tab consists of settings for applying character thinning/thickening (Line Filter) or to remove unwanted speckling from an image.
Chapter 2 About Use the About tab to view information about your VRS version, as well as contact information for Kofax Image Products, Inc. For details, refer to “Using the About Tab” on page 61. VRS Interactive Properties Dialog Box Buttons These buttons are available from each of the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box tabs. When VRS restarts, the dialog box resets to the last selected profile’s settings. OK Use the OK button to transmit the current settings to your scan application.
Operating VRS Using the Clarity Tab This section describes the Clarity tab of the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box. The Clarity tab provides options to adjust the contrast, brightness, and gamma values for an image. In general, a high Contrast value enhances faint text and lines in your documents. Since Brightness increases or decreases the overall density of your images, increasing the brightness level can clear up dark shaded documents.
Chapter 2 Automatic Image Enhancement As stated previously, VRS has the ability to monitor images, detect poor image quality, and perform automatic image enhancements that greatly reduce image quality and recognition errors. For more information about manual image adjustment, refer to “Manual Image Adjustment” on page 46.
Operating VRS Understanding Contrast, Brightness, and Gamma Settings in VRS What are brightness, contrast, and gamma in VRS? When an image has high brightness, it seems to give off more light. It is like looking at a drawing under a 45watt bulb, then looking at it using a 75-watt bulb. The drawing will seem “brighter” under the 75-watt bulb. In the same way, moving the Brightness slider up will increase the amount of light in the image. Moving it down will decrease the amount of light.
Chapter 2 gray) becomes white and everything below that number becomes black. Black pixels are assigned a value of 1, and white pixels are assigned a value of 0. Because the threshold level influences the brightness of the resulting image, we also refer to the threshold level as the brightness level. So in VRS, the Brightness slider on its own acts as a simple threshold level.
Operating VRS converted to a color photograph, an image cannot be converted to color if that original color data was never captured. Like the color image, an 8-bit grayscale or 256-level grayscale image also looks like a photographic representation of the original, but without the color. Because it can display up to 256 gray levels, it is suited for representing documents containing different shades of text.
Chapter 2 Now this text is hidden! This text is revealed. Figure 2-33. Brightness with a High Setting It becomes apparent that these kinds of situations cannot be solved with simple thresholding. They need a technology that detects objects on a page—both faint and dark—and sets the brightness level dynamically for each of these objects. This technology is called edge detection. Edge Detection Edge detection in VRS is controlled with the Contrast slider.
Operating VRS Let us look at the CORE sample document with the lowest Contrast level—zero. In addition, to truly see what Contrast does on its own, we will set the brightness value to zero. When it is necessary, as in the case of the CORE document, Brightness and Contrast take turns to output the best image. Contrast (Edge Detection) takes the primary role in dealing with anything edgy, while the Brightness function deals with everything else.
Chapter 2 be cleared up. The lower the contrast, the less readable your text will be; the lower the brightness the darker the background will turn. Figure 2-35. Contrast Set to 50, Brightness Set to 77 Your Optimal Scan The default settings will provide optimal results for most scans. For a list of default settings, refer to Table 2-1. By simply scanning the CORE document without adjusting the settings, you will get optimal results.
Operating VRS Figure 2-36.
Chapter 2 Manual Image Adjustment VRS provides the option to manually adjust the settings for an image or images. You can use the Clarity tab to make the adjustments. Brightness-Contrast Custom Control The Clarity tab includes custom controls (visual markers) to assist you in identifying the optimal range for Brightness and Contrast. Current brightness setting Acceptable range of contrast and brightness Current contrast setting Figure 2-37.
Operating VRS Brightness Text Box When the VRS Interactive Properties dialog is launched, the Brightness numeric text box on the Clarity tab indicates the current Brightness setting. If desired, the Brightness setting may be changed manually using the Brightness numeric text box. Brightness may be set from 0 (very dark) to 100 (very bright) for black and white, grayscale, or color images.
Chapter 2 2 In the Brightness text box, VRS displays the current brightness setting. To change the setting, do one of the following: • Click the arrows on the Brightness text box to increase or decrease the brightness level. • Click in the Brightness text box and type in a value. • Move the Brightness slider control up or down to select a value. Note As soon as you change the brightness value, the Auto Brightness option is automatically disabled.
Operating VRS Using the Noise Tab Noise in an image consists of pixels accidentally and randomly added to the image during image processing. The level of shading for these pixels is also random and can vary quite a bit. Unfortunately, images attained through even the most sophisticated sensors can still be contaminated by a variety of noise sources and they have to be corrected. The Noise tab gives you a set of filters that enhance image quality and remove excessive speckling.
Chapter 2 Note Changes made to this tab are handled according to circumstances under which the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box launched. If the dialog box opened as the result of an exception, changes apply to the exception image only. If the dialog box opened because you selected Preview or First Page mode, changes apply to all subsequent scans. Upon restart, VRS is reset to the last selected profile’s settings.
Operating VRS Using the Skew Tab The Skew tab allows you to control auto deskew, auto crop, edge cleanup settings and to perform manual skew adjustment on an image. Images can be rotated up to 360 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise using the movable angle control arm, or they can be automatically deskewed by selecting the Deskew check box. If necessary, you can fine-tune the rotation with the Fine Angle Adjustment slider, or enter an amount in the Angle box. When the Angle box lists 0.
Chapter 2 selected. If you are in First Page Mode when an exception occurs, changes to the Manual Skew Adjustment or Fine Angle Adjustment apply to the exception image only. Upon restart, VRS is always reset to the last selected profile’s settings. X To change the Skew tab settings 1 From the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box, select the Skew tab. 2 Adjust the movable angle control arm until the image is straight: a Click anywhere on the grid to position the angle control arm.
Operating VRS Figure 2-40. Skew Tab - Deskew, Crop, and Edge Cleanup Options Edge Cleanup activates the VRS feature that automatically removes any black borders around the image. It is different from image cropping because it does not crop the image to its actual size. Instead, it replaces any black pixels in the border around the image with white pixels, preserving the width and length of the image size determined by the image crop.
Chapter 2 Using the Profile Tab As stated already, VRS allows you to scan documents and accurately capture data in the shortest time possible without any adjustments. However, invariably there are going to be documents that will evade even the best imaging software. You can use the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box to correct each image, but if you are going to be scanning large amounts of problematic documents, the best solution is to create custom profiles for them. Figure 2-42.
Operating VRS assigned a shortcut key, and only 10 profiles at a time will be visible in the Available Profiles window. It is recommended that you do not update the Default settings as they can only be restored by reinstalling the software or by using the Restore Default Values Utility. In addition, reinstalling VRS will overwrite any profiles you have created and/or modified. For more information, refer to VRS Restore Default Values Utility on page 75.
Chapter 2 4 Select Save As. The new profile name appears in the Available Profiles list, and it becomes the active profile. 5 Notice how VRS automatically associates a function key to the first 8 profiles. You can change the sequence of any profile and its associated function key by moving a profile up or down with the Move Up and Move Down buttons. 6 The function keys are only active when the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box is active.
Operating VRS X To remove a profile from the Available Profiles list 1 From the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box, select the Profile tab. 2 From the Available Profiles list, select the profile(s) you want to remove. 3 Click Remove. The profile name clears from the Available Profiles list. 4 If the deleted profile was the last profile in use, select another profile from the Available Profiles list and click the Load button to select it.
Chapter 2 Using the Options Tab Some scanner features are only available from the Options tab. If VRS supports your scanner’s Advanced Settings or Advanced Properties dialog box, the Special Features button will be enabled. If your scanner driver does not support an Advanced Settings dialog box, this button will be unavailable. Note The Options tab is hidden unless the VirtualReScan Interactive Properties dialog box is invoked in Preview mode.
Operating VRS • Lamp Saver Mode • Endorser (such as Panasonic models and OEMs, Canon DR-5080C, Fujitsu fi 4990C, Fujitsu fi-4860C, and Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum series). • Density • Emphasis • Document Form Note Use the Special Features option with caution. Some features may interfere with the optimal performance of VRS. Figure 2-44.
Chapter 2 Using the Analysis Tab The Analysis tab summarizes the properties for the current image in the VRS Viewer at the time VRS scans the image. The information on the Analysis tab may help you identify threshold values for contrast and brightness on the VRS Administration Utility, as well as settings for contrast and brightness on the Clarity tab. If you enable Auto Brightness on the Clarity tab, the brightness value on the Analysis tab is automatically adjusted.
Operating VRS Using the About Tab The About tab lists the VRS version information, along with the contact information for Kofax Image Products. For direct access to the Internet, you may either: • Click the VRS Online button to access the VRS product Web site, from which you can download product updates. • Select www.kofax.com to visit the Kofax Web site. Figure 2-46.
Chapter 2 VRS Advanced Properties Dialog Box Overview Users of the Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum series, the Fujitsu fi-4990C, and the Fujitsu fi-4860C have access to the VRS Advanced Properties dialog box via the Special Features button on the Options tab. The Advanced Properties dialog box is made up of the following tabs: Endorser, Color, Picking Rectangle, Rotation, and About. Each tab is described in this section. Figure 2-47.
Operating VRS will be able to build a text string from a text prefix and numeric counter value, and then use the string to endorse and/or annotate pages and images. Once added to the page or image, however, endorser and annotation strings are permanent. The Endorser tab is divided into two groups, the Options group and the Annotation Options group.
Chapter 2 Text Definition Dialog Box When the options for either Enable Mechanical Endorser Only or Enable Mechanical Endorser and Electronic Annotation are enabled, selecting the Text Definition button from the Advanced Properties dialog box launches the Text Definition dialog box. Use this dialog box to customize the endorser and/or annotation string.
Operating VRS Prefix The Prefix is an optional sequence of characters that you can set to precede the rest of your imprinting string. Typically, the prefix consists of a text string and a date. If no prefix is manually entered into the Prefix box, an empty string will be returned. When creating your text string, you will need to limit it to the characters in Table 2-7. Table 2-7. Acceptable Prefix Text String Characters space 0-9 % - _/\#.
Chapter 2 Once set, the contents of the prefix are identical for every endorsing and annotation occurrence for a batch. The counter, if enabled, will always be printed following the prefix (base) string. Prefixes are, however, restricted to the number of characters listed in Table 2-8. The number of allowable characters varies by scanner. Exceeding the maximum string length will result in the string being truncated to the maximum length and an audible alert. Table 2-8.
Operating VRS values are in inches, however, they can be entered in .01-inch increments. The Left edit box is disabled (grayed out) unless annotation is selected. Note Not all scanners allow you to select a top and/or left position for your endorser string. Refer to your scanner documentation for more information.
Chapter 2 Start At The starting page counter value is set to 1 initially, but it may be reset using the Start At text box. When you start a new batch, the Page Counter Starting Value is the next number in the sequence based on the final page counter value from the previous batch. Again, you are free to enter a new value into the Start At text box instead. Step Value Select from the Step Value drop-down list to determine how the automatic endorser/ annotation counter is incremented on every page.
Operating VRS Color Tab VRS supports color features of the Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum series, the Fujitsu fi 4860C, and the Fujitsu fi-4990C through the Color tab. You can use the Color tab to set up color-related features such as Color Dropout and JPEG Compression. The Color tab follows the Endorser tab on the Advanced Properties dialog box. The Color tab is made up of three groups: Front Side Dropout Color, Back Side Dropout Color, and JPEG Compression. Figure 2-49.
Chapter 2 Note The Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum series scanners support color dropout. All scanners in the series support front and back side color dropout except for the Böwe Bell + Howell 8080 SB and Böwe Bell + Howell 8080 SC, which support single-sided scanning only. For these scanners, the back side options for color dropout are disabled. JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group) is a standardized image format designed to compress color and grayscale images.
Operating VRS Picking Rectangle Tab The Picking Rectangle tab allows you to select only the portion of an image to be scanned or processed, effectively cropping off unwanted data. This feature is only available for the Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum series, the Fujitsu fi-4990C, and the Fujitsu fi 4860C. The Picking Rectangle tab is divided into two groups: Front Side and Back Side.
Chapter 2 Rotation Tab For the Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum series, the Fujitsu fi-4990C, and Fujitsu fi-4860C scanners, a Rotation tab will be available from the Advanced Properties dialog box. For other scanners, rotation options will be available from the scan application. Figure 2-51. Advanced Properties Dialog Box – Rotation Tab The Rotation tab contains a Front Side and a Back Side group.
Operating VRS About Tab Located at the rightmost tab position of the Advanced Properties dialog box is the About tab. The About tab provides valuable information particularly relevant to Technical Support issues. In addition to listing the scanner firmware version and the Enhanced Grayscale Adapter (EGSA) firmware version, the About tab also displays whether a scanner endorser is installed and whether the endorser is a 16-bit or 24-bit endorser (if applicable). Figure 2-52.
Chapter 2 74 VRS User’s Manual
Appendix A VRS Restore Default Values Utility Overview The VRS default settings have been carefully chosen to allow VRS to excel at a wide range of documents without adjustments. In the day-to-day use of VRS, however, these default settings may inadvertently be altered. The VRS Restore Default Values (RDV) utility performs two valuable functions: it restores VRS settings to their original values and sets the default VRS scanner without requiring VRS to be reinstalled.
Appendix A Figure A-1. RDV Setup Welcome Screen 2 Click Next. RDV setup will begin. When the progress indicator disappears, the RDV installation utility is complete. 3 A shortcut to the RDV program is added to the Kofax VRS program folder. X How to create a shortcut for the RDV utility on your desktop 76 1 Go to C:\Program Files\Kofax\imgctls\RDV and right-click on RDV.exe. 2 Select Create Shortcut from the right-click menu. 3 Click, drag, and drop Shortcut to RDV.exe onto your desktop.
VRS Restore Default Values Utility Restoring VRS Settings This procedure gives a quick overview of how to use the RDV utility. X To restore VRS settings to the factory defaults 1 Double-click on the RDV desktop icon to launch the utility. 2 Select the Restore factory default settings option, which will update your settings from the Restore Default Settings utility. -orIf you want the most current VRS settings and have Internet access, select the Download latest defaults from the Kofax Web site option.
Appendix A Changing the Default VRS Scanner If you have used VRS with one scanner, but have switched to another scanner (or scanners) at some point by reinstalling VRS, you may use the VRS Restore Default Values Utility to change the default VRS scanner without reinstalling VRS again. X To select another scanner as the default VRS scanner 1 Click twice on the RDV desktop icon to launch the utility. 2 On the Select scanner drop-down list in the VRS Scanner group, select the scanner. 3 Click Apply.
Appendix B Long Paper Support Overview VRS supports long paper scanning for production-class scanners such as the Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum series, the Fujitsu fi-4990C, and the Fujitsu fi-4860C. Activating Long Paper Support Using VRS, you can scan duplex paper up to 36” in Black and White mode at 300 DPI and below. With long paper support activated, images may not be rotated.
Appendix B 80 VRS User’s Manual
Appendix C VRS Non-Interactive Mode Using Non-Interactive Mode vs. Interactive Mode Users of the Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum series scanners have the choice of selecting VRS in a non-interactive mode at the time of installation. This mode is specifically designed for Böwe Bell + Howell users who do not wish to see any VRS dialog boxes while scanning, even though VRS is running conveniently in the background.
Appendix C 82 VRS User’s Manual
Appendix D Enhanced Bar Code Engine Overview Access to the Kofax Standard bar code recognition engine is provided through ImageControls-based applications and ISIS-based applications.
Appendix D Figure D-1. Bar Code Properties Dialog Box With the Enhanced Bar Code engine, you will be able to scan all the standard bar code types with improved recognition, in addition to the 2D bar codes.
Enhanced Bar Code Engine Standard bar codes include the following: • Codabar • Code 128 • Code 39 (3 of 9) • Code 93 • EAN • Interleaved 2 of 5 • Linear 2 of 5 • Postnet • UPC-A • UPC-E How to Switch Between Bar Code Engines While the Kofax Enhanced Bar Code recognition engine offers many advantages over the standard bar code recognition engines, in some cases the processing speed may vary.
Appendix D Accessing the Bar Code Properties Dialog Box How you access the Bar Code Properties dialog box varies according to your scan application. From the Scan Demo application, as an example, you may select the Bar Code check box in the Recognition group of the Image Scanning Properties dialog box to enable your scan application to automatically recognize certain bar codes during scanning. Figure D-2.
Enhanced Bar Code Engine Using the Bar Code Properties Dialog Box This section describes the options on the Bar Code Properties dialog box. Recognition Group The Recognition group of the Bar Code Properties dialog box gives you the ability to enable bar code recognition, to select scanner-specific bar code recognition (if available), and to implement the bar code learn feature. Enable Select the Enable check box to enable bar code recognition. Clear the check box to disable bar code recognition.
Appendix D Interpret Bar Code Group Using the Interpret Bar Code option, you may translate bar codes as patch code. Choose a patch code from the list, or select No Patch Code to disable this feature. • • • • • • Patch I Patch II Patch III Patch IV Patch T Patch VI Bar Size Group Under Bar Size, you can type or select the Height and Width of the bar size. Height The height of a bar code is the distance between the top of the bars and the bottom of the bars. The minimum height is .
Enhanced Bar Code Engine Search Direction Group The application searches for bar codes in a linear fashion, examining the search area for potential bar codes. For horizontal bar codes with an orientation of 0, for example, it works down the image starting on the left and searching toward the right edge; for vertical bar codes, it works across the image starting on the top edge and searches top to bottom. Bar codes can be oriented on an image in four general directions.
Appendix D Usually the last character in the bar code, the checksum character helps to ensure that the bar code is valid. Selecting the Enable check box in the Checksum group allows the application to perform checksum verification.
Appendix E Patch Code Recognition Overview A patch code is a pattern of horizontal black bars separated by spaces and typically placed near the leading edge of a document to be scanned. It can be used to separate documents or to stop the scanner. You may perform patch code recognition if you are using an ImageControls-based or ISIS-based application and one of the following is true: • You purchased the VRS for Professional Scanners with the Adrenaline Image Processing Engine bundle.
Appendix E Using the Patch Code Properties Dialog Box Use the following options to enable patch code detection. Enable Select the Enable check box to take advantage of the patch code detection feature. Left Offset to Center of Patch Code The Left Offset to Center of Patch Code is a value you select from the left edge of the page that defines a point near the center of the patch code. The offset value allows the patch code detection feature to quickly locate the patch code on the page.
Appendix F Advanced Color Processing Overview If your scanning application is set to color mode and you are using a Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum II series scanner, your VRS installation will include advanced color image processing options. These options are accessible from the Color tab on the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box. You can use the options on the Color tab to implement features such as Automatic Color Detection and Color Background Saturation.
Appendix F Color Content Aggressiveness When Automatic Color Detection is enabled, you can specify how aggressive VRS should be in detecting the color content of documents. You can use the Color Content Aggressiveness controls to increase/decrease the likelihood that VRS will accurately detect color content. The range of aggressiveness spans from 0 to 255. To increase the likelihood that VRS will detect color content in a document, you would assign a high value.
Advanced Color Processing Color Selection You can use the Color Selection settings to override the results of Automatic Color Detection. Color Selection overrides apply only to the current image in a batch. You can select the following Color Selection options: • Color: Image is processed in color, regardless of the results of the color detection process. • Black & White: Image is processed in black and white, regardless of the results of the color detection process.
Appendix F Using the Color Tab Use the procedure in this section to specify values for Automatic Color Detection, Color Background Saturation, and Color Selection. X To configure the Color tab settings 1 From the VRS Interactive Properties dialog box, select the Color tab. Figure F-1. Color Tab 2 Select the Enable check box if you want to enable Automatic Color Detection.
Advanced Color Processing • Click in the Color Content Aggressiveness text box and type a value. 4 Select the Color Object Size Detection check box if you want to the function that is used to identify small amounts of color on otherwise bitonal documents. If this check box is not selected, the scanner may not detect small amounts of color.
Appendix F • Move the slider to the right to increase the level of background region processing in color documents. A high value increases the likelihood that a pixel will be determined to be part of the image background. • Click the arrows of the text box to increase or decrease the Color Saturation Aggressiveness value. • Click in the Color Saturation Aggressiveness text box and type a value.
Advanced Color Processing Color Confidence Out of Range Warning When using the VRS advanced color processing features, you will notice that a Color Confidence Out of Range warning appears on the Warnings tab. Figure F-2. Color Confidence Warning Color Confidence Out of Range Use this threshold to define the valid range for color confidence values. When a document is scanned, VRS evaluates the image to determine if it is color or bitonal.
Appendix F Color Information on the Analysis Tab When using the VRS advanced color processing features, you will notice that a group box called Color Information appears on the Analysis tab. The two Color Information values relate to the current image in the VRS Viewer: • Detected Color: This value indicates whether or not the current image has been processed as a color image or a bitonal image.
Advanced Color Processing Figure F-3.
Appendix F 102 VRS User’s Manual
Index A About tab contact information, 61 version information, 61 Accelerated Scanning tab, 19, 26 Action types, 25 Auto Resolve, 25 Ignore Error, 25 Interactive, 25 Intervention, 25 Return Error, 25 Admin Utility, 15, 17, 19 Advanced color processing, 93, 99 Analysis tab color information, 99 detected image clarity, 60 dimension, 60 missing corner, 60 skew angle, 60 speckle count, 60 Annotation, 62 Annotation string customizing, 64 Auto Brightness, 38 Auto Crop, 51 Auto Crop Failure error, 24 Auto Deskew F
Index C E Certified scanners, 3 Checksum, 89 Clarity tab, 37 Codabar, 85 Code 128, 85 Code 39 (3 of 9), 85 Code 93, 85 Color background saturation, 94, 96 Color confidence, 99, 100 Color Confidence Out of Range warning, 99 Color content aggressiveness, 96 Color detection, 100 Color dropout, 69 Color object size detection, 97 Color processing, 93, 99 Color saturation aggressiveness, 97 Color selection, 96 settings, 95, 98 Color tab Böwe Bell + Howell Spectrum II scanners, 93, 96 Böwe Bell + Howell, Fujits
Index Interactive mode, 81 Interfaces ISIS, 11 scan, 8 TWAIN, 8 Interleaved 2 of 5, 85 Interpret Bar Code option, 88 Intervention action, 25 ISIS, 8 interface, 11 scan source, 5 K Kofax contact information, 61 Web site, 61 Kofax scanner configurator, 3 Kofax VRS scan interfaces, 8 P Page count, 67 Page counter, 64 Paper Jam error, 23 Patch code left offset to center, 92 Patch Code Properties dialog box, 91 Patch code recognition, 88 Picking rectangle, 71 Postnet, 85 Preview, 15 Preview command, 16 Previe
Index Scanners certified, 3 compatible, 3 driver version, 73 non-certified, 3 Skew tab auto crop, 51 deskew, 51 edge cleanup, 51 fine angle adjustments, 51 Snap To White setting, 97 Speckle count, 60 Speckle removal filters, 50 Standard vs.
