Processing
Processing
Once the document is scanned in or opened in the software the Rec Save button becomes available.
The software can handle multiple pages to output to a single file. As more documents
are added you will see thumbnails begin to line up on the fly out panel on the right.
The term recognize is both the action to process the document and a description of what is taking place. The
software looks at each character (letter, number or barcode) that appears in the image and compares it to a
known character shape and makes the conversion based on that.
The program will process the image and prompt you to select a file name and file save location. It will then
open the document in the program that was selected on the previous page. At this point the document has
been converted to text so that the desired edits can be made.
Limitations
Limitations
Readiris is a very good tool for converting scanned or pre-scanned images, including Adobe Acrobat PDF
files into real text documents. However it cannot perform miracles. There are some kinds of documents it will
have trouble working with. While Readiris Pro 12 is greatly improved over previous versions it will have trou-
ble with forms.
A form typically has lines, boxes, check boxes and the like and is intended to be filled out on screen. Readiris
is intended to convert pictures of letters and numbers to actual text and numbers. Lines and boxes are usually
graphical elements or table borders that require more advanced features of the word processor.
Below is a IRS 1040 form that Readiris has no hope of replicating. In fact if you tried to create this from
scratch in Microsoft Word it would be a long complex task. That is the rule of thumb for these kinds of docu-
ments. If they cannot be created in the word processor without extraordinary effort then Readiris will have the
same difficulty.
The form on the right would be processed and outputted into the word processor in reasonable shape. There
would be additional work entailed to get it into its final form. From that point it could be saved as a template
for reuse.
If this is your primary purpose then a dedicated forms software may be more appropriate. On the Mac, the full
version of Adobe Acrobat is usually the best option.
