Document Scanning FAQ - Document Scanning Near Me
Frequently Asked Questions about Document Scanning… Answered!
Our goal with these FAQs is to provide answers to the most common questions about document scanning and document management. Please check out our “Ask Me Anything” page where we answer questions more in depth about specific instances, project types, or you can watch or listen to our podcasts for more information.
Who Owns Document Scanning Near Me?
"Document Scanning Near Me" is a website that is 100% powered by Liberty Scanning. Our goal is to remove the gray area in the scanning and archiving industry by providing clear, up front pricing for document management solutions to help you make an informed decision on who to partner with. There is no “nickel and diming” clients on any portion, we are crystal clear right up front!
What types of documents can be scanned?
When it comes to scanning, there is a wide range of documents that can be converted into digital copies. Here are some common types of documents that can be scanned:
Office Documents: This includes papers such as letters, contracts, reports, and invoices. These documents are typically made up of text and can easily be scanned through production scanners at a high quality.
Images: Our scanners are also capable of scanning images, including photographs, drawings, illustrations, and bound books. These images can be saved as digital files (PDFs) and then easily shared or stored electronically.
Receipts and Invoices: Keeping track of receipts and invoices can be a hassle, especially when they start to pile up. By scanning them, we can easily organize and store them in a digital format, making it convenient for future reference or for submitting expense reports.
Legal Documents: Legal documents such as contracts, agreements, and court documents can also be scanned for easy storage and retrieval. This is especially helpful for law firms and legal professionals who deal with large volumes of paperwork.
Certificates and Diplomas: Scanning academic certificates and diplomas can be useful for job applications and for keeping a record of your qualifications. By digitizing these documents, you can easily share them with potential employers or educational institutions.
Medical Records: Scanning medical records and documents can help healthcare providers maintain accurate and up-to-date patient information. This can improve the efficiency of healthcare services and enable better collaboration among healthcare professionals. Liberty Scanning is HIPAA Compliant!
Personal Documents: Personal documents such as passports, social security cards, and birth certificates can be scanned for safekeeping. Having digital copies of these important documents can provide a backup in case the physical copies are lost or damaged.
Historical Documents: Historians and researchers often need to access and study historical documents. By scanning these documents, they can be preserved and made available for future generations to study and learn from. It is important to note that while scanning documents offers convenience and accessibility, proper security measures should be taken to protect sensitive information. Make sure to use a secure document management company, and consider encrypting digital files to prevent unauthorized access.
How long does it take to scan a document?
If you are choosing to scan a single document yourself, it is very simple to do, even without a full size document scanner or copier. With today's technology, most phones have a “scan document” function. This can take just a few minutes to do a couple pages.
However, if you are looking to have more than just a few document to scan, that's where we come in. It can be costly to purchase a production scanner along with software, and depending on your knowledge, the scans may not come out as you'd like them to. Scanning a box of paper takes most people hours to prep, scan, and QC their files before they are ready to archive it or send it off.
With Liberty Scanning, you can expect for a standard bankers box to be scanned easily under a day. We can typically scan and convert 8-15 standard bankers boxes per day depending on complexity of the indexing required.
What type of output formats do you support for scanned documents?
We support a variety of output formats for scanned documents, ensuring compatibility and convenience for our tech-savvy users. Our cutting-edge conversion technology enables us to offer the following output formats:
PDF (Portable Document Format): This is the most widely used format for scanned documents as it ensures the preservation of the original formatting, including text, images, and layout. PDF files can be easily viewed, printed, and shared across different devices and platforms.
JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): If you prefer a compressed image format, we also support JPG output for scanned documents. This format is commonly used for images and photographs, allowing for smaller file sizes while maintaining reasonable image quality.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics): Another image format we support is PNG, which offers lossless compression. This means that the quality of the scanned document will not be compromised, but the file size might be larger compared to JPG.
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format): This format is commonly used for scanned documents requiring high-quality images and multiple pages. TIFF files can store multiple layers, making them suitable for projects with advanced image editing requirements.
DOCX (Microsoft Word Document): Our service supports converting scanned documents into DOCX format
What is the resolution of the scanner?
The industry standard for office document scanning is 200 DPI in black and white. Liberty Scanning's minimum standard for office document scanning is 240 DPI, Scanned in auto-color, with OCR applied. an extra 40 DPI might not seem like a lot, but it makes a huge difference. Our scanners can scan up to 1200 DPI for office documents and 9600 DPI for blueprints or maps.
Large format scanning like blueprints and maps, the industry standard is 200 DPI as well, but our minimum standard for black and white blueprint scanning is 300 DPI in both and white and color. Our wide format scanners can scan up to 9600 DPI, and we are currenly in the process of purchasing upgraded machines that can do up to 15,000 DPI… (coming soon)
Are there any additional fees for document scanning services?
The answer for Liberty Scanning is NO!!!! You know the costs right up front before we even begin!
But the short answer for most companies is a resounding YES!!!! There are hidden fees all over the place.
The industry standard is to charge every extra penny they can find for standard things like - staple removal, scanning in color, OCR (word search capability), file upload to a cloud service per KB, document prepping on an hourly basis, keystrokes for file naming, etc.
As the owner of Liberty Scanning, I refuse to have any gray area in how we work and the prices you'll pay. That's the reason for the term “Document Management Simplified”, we've simplified the process so much that anyone can feel confident when you partner with us! You don't need a calculous degree to figure out the invoice!
DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SIMPLIFIED - we're sticking to it!
What are the benefits of document scanning?
Document scanning offers a multitude of benefits that can greatly improve efficiency and productivity in various settings. Here are some of the key advantages of document scanning:
Space-saving: One of the most significant benefits of document scanning is the ability to free up physical space. Storing paper documents can take up valuable office real estate, whereas digital files can be stored on servers or cloud platforms. By scanning and converting paper documents into digital files, businesses can reduce the need for physical storage, leading to a more organized and clutter-free workspace.
Enhanced accessibility and searchability: Scanned documents can be easily accessed and retrieved with just a few clicks. With the help of document management software, you can quickly search for specific keywords or phrases within the scanned documents (OCR), eliminating the need to manually browse through stacks of paper. This improves efficiency and saves valuable time that can be better utilized on more critical tasks.
Improved data security and disaster recovery: Physical documents are susceptible to various risks, such as theft, fire, or natural disasters. By scanning and storing documents electronically, you can implement robust security measures to protect sensitive information. Access controls, encryption, and regular data backups can safeguard your digital documents from unauthorized access and ensure quick disaster recovery in case of an unforeseen event.
Easy collaboration and sharing: Sharing paper documents can be time-consuming and inconvenient. Scanned documents, on the other hand, can be easily shared electronically, allowing multiple users to access and collaborate on the same document simultaneously. This promotes efficiency and streamlines workflows, especially in remote or distributed work environments. With digital documents, you can easily share files via email, cloud storage platforms, or collaborative document management systems, enabling seamless collaboration and reducing the need for printing and physical distribution.
Cost savings: Document scanning can lead to significant cost savings in the long run. By eliminating the need for physical storage space, businesses can reduce costs associated with renting or purchasing storage facilities, as well as expenses related to document retrieval and transportation. Additionally, digital documents eliminate the need for printing and photocopying, reducing paper, ink, and maintenance costs. Furthermore, electronic documents can be easily backed up and replicated, reducing the risk of document loss and minimizing the costs associated with document recovery.
Eco-friendly approach: With the increasing awareness of environmental sustainability, document scanning offers a more eco-friendly approach to document management. By reducing reliance on paper and minimizing printing, document scanning helps conserve natural resources and reduce carbon emissions associated with paper production and disposal.
Does document scanning reduce storage costs?
Document scanning can indeed reduce storage costs significantly. By converting physical documents into digital format, businesses can eliminate the need for physical storage space such as filing cabinets or off-site storage facilities. This not only saves on rent and maintenance costs but also allows for more efficient use of office space.
Digital documents can be stored on servers or in the cloud, providing easy access to authorized personnel from anywhere at any time. This eliminates the need for physically searching through files and reduces the risk of misplacing or losing important documents.
Document scanning enables businesses to implement document management systems that include features like optical character recognition (OCR) and indexing. These technologies allow for easier organization and retrieval of documents, saving time and improving productivity.
In addition to the cost savings related to storage space and improved efficiency, document scanning also helps businesses reduce the costs associated with physical document handling. This includes expenses like printing, photocopying, and shipping.
It is important to note that while document scanning can lead to significant cost reductions, there are some upfront investments involved. However, in the long run, these costs are usually outweighed by the savings achieved through reduced storage and document handling expenses.
Can documents be scanned into multiple formats?
Yes, documents can be scanned into multiple formats. Scanners typically offer a range of output formats that users can choose from based on their specific needs and preferences. Some common formats include PDF (Portable Document Format), JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), TIFF (Tagged Image File Format), and PNG (Portable Network Graphics).
Each format has its own advantages and is suitable for different purposes. For example, PDF is widely used for its ability to preserve the layout and formatting of a document, making it an ideal choice for sharing and archiving files. JPEG is a compressed format that is commonly used for photos and images due to its smaller file size. TIFF is a high-quality format that supports lossless compression, making it suitable for professional purposes such as printing or graphic design. PNG is often used for web graphics due to its support for transparent backgrounds and lossless compression.
When scanning a document, it's important to select the appropriate format based on your intended usage. Consider factors such as the desired file size, image quality, and compatibility with different devices or software. Additionally, some scanners may offer advanced features like OCR (optical character recognition) which can convert scanned documents into editable text formats such as Word or Excel.