Why use bar codes in document scanning?

There are many benefits to using bar codes while scanning your documents.

Traditional scanning methods require you to scan your documents in pre-separated batches and then manually name and organize the resulting files. Bar code scanning, on the other hand, allows you to scan multiple batches in a single stack and let the software automatically name and organize the files based on the embedded barcode information. This allows you to take full advantage of your automatic document feeding scanner. After all, what’s the point of paying for a high-speed scanner if your scanning speed bottlenecks at the processing stage?

As in OCR based document scanning software, barcode scanning software uses information on the scanned images themselves to name files and place them in the appropriate folders. However, OCR can sometimes incorrectly recognize certain words and phrases, especially when you are trying to scan at lower resolutions to reduce file size and scanning time. This results in having to perform validation and correction, which slows down the process. Bar codes condense all the necessary information in a format that is much easier for computers to decipher, even at lower resolutions, with almost 100% accuracy. This allows you to reduce file size and scanning time without the cost of additional validation and correction.

Printing bar codes on documents documents, barcode and patch code separator sheets and other hard copy functions. Automatically merge bar code templates with databases and spreadsheets to print hundreds of barcodes at once for large batch scanning projects.

SimpleCoversheet Window Not Visible

By closing SimpleCoversheet a certain way it can cause the SimpleCoversheet window to not be visible. The icon will show up in the task bar, but the SimpleCoversheet window itself cannot be seen. This happens when you close SimpleCoversheet by minimizing the Window and then right clicking on the icon in the task bar and then selecting “Close window”. You can avoid this in the future by closing SimpleCoversheet with the X in the top right corner of the Window.

Instructions for making the SimpleCoversheet window visible:

  1. Open SimpleCoversheet
  2. Find the SimpleCoversheet icon in the Windows Task Bar
  3. Hold down Shift and while holding Shift right click on the icon
  4. Select Move and after clicking DO NOT move the mouse
  5. Click on any of the directional keys/arrow keys on your keyboard to lock the SimpleCoversheet window to the mouse
  6. Without clicking move the mouse around until you see it on the screen as a very small window
  7. Left click to unlock the SimpleCoversheet window from the mouse
  8. Expand the SimpleCoversheet window to the desired size

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How to activate SimpleCoverSheet?

SimpleCoversheet Option A – New SimpleIndex Installation:

If you are installing SimpleCoversheet on the Windows computer for the first time first download SimpleIndex from the SimpleIndex Demo Installation Link.

Once the SimpleIndex software has been downloaded install the software from the downloaded installation file.

During the installation process you will be asked to enter your Serial Code or Serial Codes.

Single Serial Code:

Multiple Serial Codes (separate with a comma):

After you have entered your Serial Code(s) click Next to move through the installation process.

Once the installation is complete you will receive the following Window:

SimpleCoverhseet Option B – SimpleCoversheet Already Installed:

If you have already installed the SimpleCoversheet software then all you need to do is Activate the demo.
Click the SimpleCoversheet icon from the SimpleIndex software or from your Windows Start menu.

Enter your Serial Number into the “Enter Serial Number to Activate” field in the Activation Window.

Click the Activate button to activate the license.

You will receive a confirmation that the license was properly activated and your license type will be displayed next to the “License Type:” section of the Activation Window.

SimpleCoversheet Option C – SimpleCoversheet Installed on Computer Not Connected to the Internet:

If you would like to install SimpleCoversheet on a computer that doesn’t have an internet connection an Offline Activation will need to be done.

First fully install the SimpleCoversheet software without activation.

Click the SimpleCoversheet icon from the SimpleIndex software or from your Windows Start menu.

Enter your Serial Number into the “Enter Serial Number to Activate” field in the Activation Window.

Click the “Offline Activation” button.

Click OK in the “SimpleCoverSheet Offline Activation” window, which asks you to call or email for an Offline Activation.

Select the license version that you ordered in the “SimpleCoversheet Version” drop down.

Then either call (865) 637-8986 option 2 or email support@simpleindex.com with the Authorization Request Code.  We will the provide you with the Activation Key.

Enter the Activation Key and then click the Offline Activation button.

Maintenance is optional, but covers tech support and upgrades for the software. Please consider purchasing maintenance if you haven’t already. Please refer to Simple Software Maintenance Agreement for more information.

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What are some other terms for Bar Code Scanning Software?

People searching for software to read bar codes from scanned documents, or create document separator sheets for batch scanning operations, can use a variety of terms to find what they are looking for. This page helps you find Bar Code Scanning Software on our website.

Related terms include: bar code creator, bar code printer, bar code stickers, barcode 2d generator, barcode generate, barcode printing software, barcode software freeware, free bar code software, free barcode software, generator barcode, label barcode, print bar codes, print barcodes, recognize PDF417 barcodes, bar code documents, bar code reading software, bar code scanner software, Bar Code Scanning Software, bar code scanning technology, bar code software, barcode data capture, barcode documents, barcode image software, barcode imaging software, barcode ocr, barcode ocr software, barcode reading software, barcode recognition software, barcode scan software, barcode scanner software, barcode scanners software, barcode scanning software, barcode software, document scanning bar code, document scanning barcode, PDF barcode recognition.

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Can I split TIFF or PDF files based on barcodes as a separator and also name the file with the barcode value?

Yes you can split TIFF and PDF files using barcodes as well as name files using the values from barcodes.

To do this simply create a barcode field and check the “Filename” and “Forward” options for that field on the Index tab.

The “Filename” option means the barcode values will be used to name the files. The “Forward” option means the barcode value will be carried forward to pages after it that don’t have barcodes.

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Will SimpleIndex read multiple barcodes on a page and save the value to the appropriate index field?

Yes, it can. By default barcodes on any page are read left to right and top to bottom. The first barcode read on the page will be filled into the first barcode field set up in SimpleIndex and so on. You can also narrow down results by matching against a template or dictionary as well as excluding barcodes that are not in a defined zone.

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How can I delete the barcode or blank page cover/separator sheet that I don’t need to save?

To delete any barcode page go into ‘Options’, to the ‘Barcode’ Tab and click the ‘Delete barcode page’ check box.

Blank page deletion is done through the minimum file size threshold located in ‘Options’ in the ‘Batch’ Tab. The option is called ‘Min. File Size (blank pages)’ and it has a field which you can enter numeric values on the left. The number corresponds to the number of pixels or bytes on the page.

To pick a number that will delete the blank pages and keep the pages with information you want, look at your largest blank page and your smallest page with information that you want saved and make the ‘Min. File Size (blank pages)’ number in between that.

For example, one of your largest blank pages is 4KB and one of your smallest pages with information is 8KB. You want to make the number in the ‘Min. File Size (blank pages)’ field in between 4000 and 8000. 6000 would be a good number to start with in this situation. At first, you will want to make sure this number is keeping all the pages you need and deleting those you do not want. Increase this number if blank pages are being saved; decrease it if pages with information are being deleted.

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How can I use barcodes or blank pages as Document Separators.

For processes that require fast separation for each document a barcode or blank sheet can be used.  Simply insert the barcode sheet (generic barcode sheet with the same value on each sheet) or blank sheet as the first page of each document before scanning or processing with SimpleIndex.

There are two different methods for document separation, which either use just one SimpleIndex Job Configuration file or two that run in tandem.  The advantage on just using one is that you can keep everything for the process together in one configuration file.  The advantage to using two is that you can have the barcode/blank separation process happen automatically and then once separated the user can view the documents for indexing the second job configuration.

How the separation works in SimpleIndex is by having the software increment an autonumber every time it sees a Barcode or Blank Page.  It then names the files with the autonumber or uses the autonumber to group the pages together depending on if you are using a one or two Job Configuration process.

One Job Configuration Instructions

  1. Create a Job Configuration.
  2. Set-up a Barcode Index Field in the Indexing & File Naming step or set the Blank Page Deletion in the Image Enhancement Step.
  3. Create an Autonumber index field in the Indexing & File Naming step.
  4. Set the number that you want to start on in the template of the  Autonumber index field.  Starting with “00001” is a good choice for this.
  5. In the Advanced Setting step expand Autonumber Settings and set the Autonumber Increment Event either to Barcode Field Found or Every Blank Page depending of if you are using Barcodes or Blank Pages as separators.
  6. Also check the box labeled “Combine pages into documents after processing” in this same step

Two Job Configurations Instructions

  1. Create a Job Configuration.
  2. Set-up a Barcode Index Field in the Indexing & File Naming step or set the Blank Page Deletion in the Image Enhancement Step.
  3. Create an Autonumber index field in the Indexing & File Naming step.
  4. Set the number that you want to start on in the template of the  Autonumber index field.  Starting with “00001” is a good choice for this.
  5. Check the Filename checkbox for the Autonumber field.
  6. In the Advanced Setting step expand Autonumber Settings and set the Autonumber Increment Event either to Barcode Field Found or Every Blank Page depending of if you are using Barcodes or Blank Pages as separators.
  7. Also check the box labeled “Combine pages into documents after processing” in this same step
  8. Create a second Job Configuration file that has the Input folder set to the same folder that the Output folder was set to in the first Job Configuration that separates with the Autonumber field.
  9. Uncheck “Split-Multi-Page Files” in the File Input step
  10. Configure the Index fields that you would like to assign to the documents that have been split in the first Job Configuration
  11. Open the first Job Configuration and set the second Job Configuration to run after it is complete by going to the Advanced Settings step, expanding Pre-Process & Post-Process and then putting in the full path to the configuration file in the Post-Process field. 
    EX. The second job configuration is named “Step 2 Naming.sic” and is in C:\Images then this would be put in the Post-Process:  C:\Images\Step 2 Naming.sic

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Barcode Recognition

Indexing Solutions with Barcode Recognition

Barcode recognition is the most efficient way to capture index data printed on documents. If you are unfamiliar with the use of barcodes in document scanning, you can learn more about barcodes in our Barcode Scanning Guide, but if you want to know more about barcode use with SimpleSoftware products, read on.

Some documents already have key information in barcode format on them. In many cases adding a barcode to a document is as simple as changing or adding a font. Adding barcodes to new documents is preferable as all the index data is on the document at the time it is created and in a format that can be read with near 100% accuracy.

As an alternative to placing barcodes on the individual documents, it is possible to print out a barcode cover page and place it on the file before it is scanned. The SimpleCoversheet application was designed to make this easy by providing a simple interface for selecting index values and printing a standard coversheet that contains these values in barcode format.

Barcode recognition can also be useful when you have documents with a variable number of pages that will all receive the same index values. If it is not possible to generate an indexed coversheet for these at the time they are created, a generic barcode coversheet can be used to separate the scanned images into multi-page files, one for each document. A second process can then be used to index these images one file at a time instead of one page at a time, greatly increasing throughput.

Barcode Recognition Features

With SimpleIndex Barcode you can:

      • Read barcodes printed on scanned paper documents
      • Read barcodes embedded in PDF files
      • Automatically rename files based on barcodes
      • Export barcode data to CSV file or any database
      • Separate multi-page documents with cover pages
      • Recognize 2D formats like PDF417, DataMatrix, Aztec and QR Code
      • Recognize 30 different 1D barcode formats
        Code 39, Codabar, UPC, Code 128, EAN 13, 2 of 5, etc.
      • Recognize postal barcodes like Planet, PostNet, Royal Post and Australian Post
      • Lookup barcode values in a database for additional data
      • Complete list of document scanning & indexing features

With SimpleCoversheet you can:

      • Create barcode coversheets for use with SimpleIndex and other scanning applications
      • Print barcodes on Avery label templates that can be applied to documents
      • Affordably enable every employee to print barcodes
      • Create coversheets that allow SimpleIndex to automatically index and file documents
      • Enable scanning and indexing from MFPs, network scanners and digital copiers
      • Perform “mail merge” with barcodes to print many coversheets at once
      • Supports many 1D and 2D barcode formats

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