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 formatsCode 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
Change the Dictionary Separator Value
Regular Expression (RegEx) – Syntax or Type
The Syntax or Type of Regular Expression/RegEx that SimpleIndex uses is .NET
Can SimpleIndex read bar codes from existing PDF files?
There are 2 types of PDF files. PDFs created by scanning applications use images, while PDF files created by software or printer drivers use text. SimpleIndex can read bar codes from either type of document.
With image PDFs, SimpleIndex will use normal image barcode recognition. With text PDFs, SimpleIndex can read the value of the barcode from text (if it was created with a font) or convert the PDF to an image and read it (if the bar code is an image).
To read the barcode from text is much faster and all versions of SimpleIndex include the ability to parse the text of PDF file.
Find out more about bar code scanning on our Bar Code Scanning Guide.
- Published in Bar Codes, Import, Office PDF Text Processing
I cannot recognize PDF417 or QR Code bar codes. What does “Advanced “Only” mean?
This error applies to versions of SimpleIndex prior to version 7. All current versions of SimpleIndex include 2D barcode recognition. The Barcode and Professional licenses include the faster and more accurate Accusoft bar code recognition engine. In order to enable the Accusoft engine with a Server license you need the Advanced Barcode Server add-on. For SimpleIndex 6 and below: 2D Barcode Recognition (aka Advanced Barcode) is licensed separately from the standard barcode recognition. You can add 2D Barcode Recognition to SimpleIndex Barcode or Full versions. A second serial number must be activated to enable this feature. Advanced Barcode also removes the 6 barcodes per second limit on recognition speed. Processing will go 5-20 times faster depending on your processor speed. Advanced Barcode recognition speed and 2D formats are enabled in the demo. Find out more about barcode scanning on our Barcode Scanning Guide. The Feature Matrix included with our Pricelist has more detail about t
- Published in Bar Codes, Licensing & Installation
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.
- Published in Bar Codes, SimpleCoversheet, SimpleIndex
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.
- Published in Bar Codes
Is there a way to just use part of a bar code or OCR value? For example, extract “50” from the value “124450”
To do this example, create a barcode field (Field 1 for example) and a 2nd field with type “Fixed”. In the template for the 2nd field, enter %FIELD1[5,2]% to get “50” from “124450”.
%FIELD1% would get the entire value for Field #1, the barcode field. By adding the [5,2] you tell SimpleIndex to start at the 5th character (5) and take 2 characters from the value (50).
Find out more about barcode scanning on our Barcode Scanning Guide and read up on Optical Character Recognition on the SimpleOCR scanning solutions guide.
- Published in Bar Codes, OCR, Office PDF Text Processing
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
- Published in Bar Codes, SimpleCoversheet
Some pages in my documents have unwanted barcodes that are being read. How can I exclude these from recognition?
There are several methods for doing this. The fastest, most effective method is to enter a Template for your barcodes to ensure only barcodes that match a specific pattern will be used for that field. Unfortunately it is not always possible to define a template to describe your barcode. In this case you can employ these methods: -Specify the “Barcode Type” for the barcodes you want. -If the wanted barcodes appear on a cover sheet with other barcodes on it, select “Pages with > 1 Barcode” from the “Pages to Process” option. -If the documents use cover sheets and are quite large, it can be more efficient to scan them one at a time. In this case you can select “First Page Only” from the “Pages to Process” option. This will dramatically improve performance as well, since recognition can be skipped for all but the first page. -You can set the zone coordinates for a Barcode field using the same method as OCR. Barcodes outside thi
- Published in Bar Codes
How can I use barcodes or blank pages as separator pages to indicate document breaks?
This answer applies only to generic barcode separator sheets that only indicate breaks between multi-page files and do not contain index data. The best way to do this with SimpleIndex is using a 2-step configuration. Using the command line interface, this can be automated to 1 step for the user. The first configuration creates filenames using an Autonumber field that is incremented each time a barcode is detected. Create a Barcode field to recognize the separator sheet, and enter a template to ensure no stray barcodes are recognized as separators. Check the “Delete barcode page” option to remove the separator sheet during this process. To use blank pages, set the “Min File Size” option on the Batch tab to 2000-5000 (for 200dpi, B&W) to detect blank pages. The setting is based on the file size in bytes–you may need to adjust for your scanner and documents. Set the “Autonumber Increment” to “Blank Pages” and don’t create a b
- Published in Bar Codes, SimpleCoversheet
Why are my barcodes not being recognized properly?
Several factors can affect barcode recognition. -Scan in Black & White instead of color. Barcode recognition must convert color to B&W which can decrease quality. -Print barcodes with a laser printer. Dot-matrix barcodes are very difficult to read accurately. -Check your Zone settings. If there are zone coordinates defined for any barcode fields, only barcodes in those regions will be recognized. -Check the barcode format. Code 39 (the most common font-based barcode) requires a * at the start and end of each barcode for it to be readable. Many document barcodes are missing this character. -Check the barcode type. Select “Unknown or All” if you don’t know the type. If you do know the type, select it from the list to prevent false positives. -Check the Template setting. If the template does not match the barcode exactly it will appear as though no barcode is read. Remove the template to see what is being recognized. -Check the “Minimum Confidence” va
- Published in Bar Codes
Barcode Scanning Guide
So you want to organize your documents using barcodes? That is an excellent idea! Not only will it improve the speed and accuracy of your document management workflow, but it is easier to set up than it sounds. The guide is written to give you real information instead of marketing, but you can follow the links links to read about the relevant features of SimpleIndex and other document management solutions on ScanStore. Other Useful Guides How to Scan Documents Scanners Guide OCR Guide ICR Guide Data Capture Guide Software Review Scanning Guides? Ain’t nobody got time for that! Read no further! Contact our experts and we’ll configure the whole scanning process for you remotely using the demo version of SimpleIndex! Why use barcodes in document scanning? There are many benefits to using barcodes 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. Barcod
Document Barcode Recognition
This video shows how barcode recognition can be used with our 1-click processing feature to index files quickly, easily, and accurately. If you are unfamiliar with the use of barcodes in document scanning, you can learn more about barcodes in our Barcode Scanning Guide. With a single click, a batch of documents is imported, barcodes are recognized, and files are exported to organized folders and filenames, as well as a SimpleSearch document database. In the second part of the video, a SimpleSearch configuration is used to search and view the files processed in the first part. Your browser does not support the video tag.
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 cover