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Large-Scale Paper-To-Digital Conversion?

Posted by timothy on from the that's-asking-a-lot-professor dept.

An anonymous reader writes "I've just been asked to digitize several dozen sets of lecture outlines at the university where I work. Basically, professors want to hand me a big (often 100+ page) stack of their handwritten lecture notes (with messy text, equations, and diagrams; sometimes double-sided) and expect me to post a PDF-or-something-similar to their course's web page. However, every desktop scanner I've ever used takes 1-2 minutes of user-attention per page and the resulting files end up Huge, impossible-to-read, or both. All I have at my disposal is my PowerBook, Acrobat, a couple hundred dollars of department funds for a new scanner (this maybe?), and, if I ask nicely, overnight use of the secretary's Win2k box. Any ideas? Sheet-fed scanner recommendations? Better file formats than PDF (or better PDF settings)? Do any of you students have usability advice?"

4 of 459 comments (clear)

  1. well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    if I ask nicely, overnight use of the secretary's Win2k box

    Plus, if you're lucky, you could also get other after-hours favors from the secretary as well ;-)

  2. Simple. by jebell · · Score: 5, Funny

    Outsource the job to India.

    --
    This is my sig. There are many like it but this one is mine.
  3. The most important thing by Timesprout · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is to first make an exact copy (by hand) of all the existing documents. Its vital to have a full backup in case anything goes wrong with the scanning process you can always restore the manilla folders to their original filled state.

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
  4. Gotta be careful though. by Faust7 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Outsource the job to India

    "No, no, not my entire job, just this one part. No, I can do the rest. No, really. No! No... please..."

    --
    The coolest voice ever.