• Introduction
• Processing Documents
• OmniPage Pro Settings
• Customizing OCR
• Technical Information

Introduction
OmniPage Pro is a program that allows you to make use of documents such as reports or magazine articles without having to retype the entire piece of work.  This type of technology is referred to as Optical Character Recognition, or OCR.  This software will permit you to take scanned documents and image files and use them in your favorite applications with editable (notice this does not say edible) text.

Continue on in this section to find out more about:
 

• What is Optical Character Recognition (OCR)?
• The OmniPage Pro Desktop
• Getting Online Help
• Product Support

• Bring a document image into OmniPage Pro.
• Create zones to identify areas you want to recognize as text or retain as graphics.
• Perform OCR to convert text information into editable text characters.
• Export the document to the desired location.

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• The AUTO button lets you activate automatic processing or the OCR Wizard.
• The Image button allows you to bring in images by scanning or loading pages.
• The Zone button permits you to automtically create zones on images based on their original page layouts or predefined templates.
• The OCR button allows you to perform OCR or train characters for OCR.
• The Export button gives you the option of saving, copying, or sending your recognized document as a mail attachment.

Options Dialog Box
You can select settings for OmniPage Pro in the Options dialog box.  To open it, click the Options button or choose Options... in the Tools Menu.
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Getting Online Help
After installing OmniPage Pro, you can use its online help system to get information on features and procedures.

Help Menu
Use commands in the Help menu to open topics that provide information on features and procedures.
 

• Choose OmniPage Pro Help Topics to get contents and index listings for OmniPage Pro help topics.
• Choose Getting Started to get introductory topics to OmniPage Pro, including tutorial exercises.
• Choose Product Support to find out how to get product support services for OmniPage Pro.
• Choose Tip of the Day to get hints for using OmniPage Pro.

• Click the Help button in the Standard toolbar and then click any toolbar button, menu command, or area of the OmniPage Pro desktop to display information about that item.
• Click the question-mark button in the upper-right corner of a dialog box and then click an item in the dialog box to get an explanation of that item.
• Some dialog boxes have a Help button.  Click Help to ginformation about that dialog box.

• OmniPage Pro version and serial number
• The make and model of your computer system, scanner, and other peripheral devices (printer, monitor, and so on)
• The names and version numbers of any other scanning software you use
• The amount of memory (RAM) on your system.  To get memory information, choose Start/Settings/Control Panel in the Windows taskbar.  Double click the System icon in the Control Panel to open the System Properties dialog box.  On Windows 95, click the Performance tab to see memory information.
• The amount of free hard disk space on your system.  To get disk space information, open Windows Explorer and select the drive letter for your hard disk.  The status bar will report how much free hard disk space is available.

Processing Documents
This section describes how to work with documents in OmniPage Pro, along with each step in the OCR Process.
 

• Ways to Process Documents
• Bringing Documents into OmniPage Pro
• Creating Zones for OCR
• Performing OCR on a Document
• Checking OCR Results
• Using OCR in Other Applications
• Working with Documents
• Exporting Documents

• Bring a document image into OmniPage Pro.
• Create zones to identify areas you want to recognize as text or retain as graphics.
• Perform OCR to convert text information into editable text characters.
• Export the document to the desired location.

To process your document using the OCR Wizard:
 

• Set OCR Wizard as the command in the AUTO button's drop-down list.
• Click AUTO or choose OCR Wizard in the Process menu.  The first wizard screen will appear.

• Answer the question in the first screen and click Next.
• Conitnue answering questions in the screens that follow.

To process your document automatically:
 

• Set AutoOCR as the command in the AUTO button's dropdown list.
• Set the desired Image, Zone, OCR, and Export commands.  See Setting AutoOCR Toolbar Commands  for more information.
• Choose Options... in the Tools menu and check that settings are appropriate for your document.  See  Settings Guidelines  for more help.
• Place your document in your scanner if you are scanning.
• Click AUTO or choose AutoOCR in the Process menu.

Performing Multiple Tasks at Once
OmniPage Pro takes advantage of your computer's ability to handle more than one process at a time.  You can simultaneously scan, create zones, recognize, and edit documents. You do not have to wait for any process to complete before moving on to the next task.  For example, if you scan a multiple-page document, you can draw zones on an image as soon as the first page is scanned and you can edit recognized text as soon as it appears in the text viewer. These tasks can be done at the same time other pages are being scanned and recognized.

Starting the OCR Process Outside OmniPage Pro
You can start the OCR process outside Omni Page Pro in a variety of ways.  For example, you can use the OCR Aware feature to initiate OCR from another application and paste recognized text into an open document.  See  Using OCR in Other Applications  for more information.

Bringing Document Images into OmniPage Pro
You can bring document images into OmniPage Pro by:
 

• Scanning Pages
• Loading Image Files
• Loading Exchange Faxes

To scan pages into OmniPage Pro:
 

• Place your page in your scanner.  You can scan a stack of pages if you have an automatic document feeder (ADF).
• Set Scan Image as the command in the Image button's drop-down list.
• Choose Options... in the Tools menu and click the Scanner tab to make sure the appropriate settings are selected.  Select Scan Until Empty if you want to scan all pages in an ADF at once. Otherwise, you must click the Image button to scan each subsequent page.
• Click the Image button or choose Scan Image in the Process menu.

Loading Image Files
An image file is an electronic picture of text, Such as a scanned paper document or an electronic fax, that is saved in an image file format such as PCX or TIFF. You can load image files into OmniPage Pro. If a document is already open, loaded image files are inserted as new pages.

To load image files into OmniPage Pro:
 

• Set Load Image as the command in the Image button's dropdown list.
• Click the Image button or choose Load Image in the Process menu.  The Load Image dialog box appears.

• Select the folder location and file type of the file you want to load.  See  Supported File Formats for more information.
• Select the files you want to load.  You can Shift-click or Ctrl-click to select multiple files in the same folder.
• Click Advanced if you want to select files from more than one folder.
• Select a file and click Add to put it in the Selected Files list.
• Click Add All to add all files from the current folder.
• Click Open when you have selected all the files you want to load.  Image files are loaded in the order selected and combined into one working document.

To load Exchange faxes into OmniPage Pro:
 

• Set Load Exchange Fax as the command in the Image button's drop-down list.  This command only appears in the drop-down list if you have the Microsoft Fax component installed with Microsoft Exchange or Outlook.
• Click the Image button or choose Load Exchange Fax in the Process menu.  The Exchange dialog box appears.
• Select the folder that contains the faxes you want to load.
• Select the faxes you want to load.  You can Shift-click or Ctrl-click to select multiple faxes.
• Click Open when you have selected all the faxes you want to load.

Creating Zones for OCR
Page images are displayed in OmniPage Pro's image viewer where zones are created before OCR.  Zones are borders that identify areas of an image that will be recognized as text or retained as graphics. Any part of an image not enclosed by a zone is ignored during OCR.

Creating Zones Automatically
OmniPage Pro can analyze a page and create zones automatically for you.  It uses the selected setting in the Zone button to determine the text flow on a page and breaks it into ordered zones.
To create zones automatically:
 

• Choose a setting in the Zone button's drop-down list that most closely matches the format of your document.  You can choose Single-Column Pages, Multiple-Column Pages,Tables, Mixed Pages, or a template of your own.  See  Zone Button Commands  for more information on these settings.
• Click the Zone button or choose Auto Zones in the Process menu.

Performing OCR on a Document
Performing OCR converts an image to editable text.  This is also referred to as recognizing text.

To perform OCR:
 

• Choose Options... in the Tools menu and click the Page Format tab.
• Select an Output Format setting for your document.  OmniPage Pro uses this setting to determine the output formatting of a document during OCR.
• Set OCR and Check as the command in the OCR button's drop-down list.  Or, set Perform OCR as the command if you do not want error checking to begin automatically after OCR.
• Click the OCR button.  The page is recognized according to the current zones and settings.  If there are no zones on the page, zones are created according to the current command in the Zone button.

To check and correct errors:
 

• Click the Check Recognition button or choose Check Recognition... in the Tools menu.  The Check Recognition dialog box displays the first suspected error and a picture of how it originally looked in the image.

• Select one of these options for the word:
• Click Ignore to allow the word to remain as is.
• Click Ignore All to ignore all instances of the word in the current document.
• Click Change to replace the word with the word in the Change to edit box.
• Click Change All to replace all instances of the word with the word in the Change to edit box.
• Click Add to add the word to the current user dictionary.
• After you choose an option for the word, OmniPage Pro automatically continues to find the next possible error.
• Click Done to stop checking recognition.  Color markers are removed from words that have been checked.

To verify text against its original image:
 

• Double-click any word in the text viewer or select a word and choose Verify Text in the Tools menu.  The Verify Text window opens and shows a picture of the original word and its surrounding area.

• Click inside the window to enlarge or reduce the picture.
• Continue double-clicking words that you want to verify.  The window display changes as you select new words.
• Click the standard Close button to close the window.

To check and correct errors in Microsoft Word:
 

• Perform OCR on your document and then save it as the appropriate file type:
• Save as Word for Windows 7.0 if you are using that version.
• Save as Word 97 if you are using that version.
• Open the document in Microsoft Word.
• An OmniPage menu appears in Microsoft Word's menu bar along with a corresponding toolbar:

• Choose Check Recognition... in the OmniPage menu.  When the first suspected error is located, the Verify Text window appears displaying the original image of the text.  The Check Recognition dialog box also appears.

• Select one of these options for the word:
• Click Ignore to allow the word to remain as is.
• Click Ignore All to ignore all instances of the word in the current document.
• Click Change to replace the word with the word in the Change to edit box.
• Click Change All to replace all instances of the word with the word in the Change to edit box.
• Click Add to add the word to the current user dictionary.
• After you choose an option for the word, OmniPage Pro automatically continues to find the next possible error.
• Click Done to stop checking recognition.  Color markers are removed from words that have been checked.

• Follow steps 1 and 2 in the preceding instructions if your document is not already open in Microsoft Word.
• Select a suspect word.  Suspect words are marked in the color that was selected in the Microsoft Word section of OmniPage Pro's Options dialog box.
• Choose Verify Text... in the OmniPage menu.  The Verify Text window opens and shows a picture of the original word and its surrounding area.
• Repeat steps 2 and 3 to continue checking other suspect words.  The window display changes as you select new words.
• Choose Close Image Viewer in the OmniPage menu to close the window when you are done.

To use OCR Aware in an application:
 

• Align your document in your scanner if you plan to scan.
• Open the application in which you want to insert recognized text.  The application must be registered to work with OCR Aware.  You do not need to open OmniPage Pro itself.
• Place the cursor at the location in your document where you want to insert recognized text.  If no document is open, recognized text will be pasted to the Clipboard.
• Choose Acquire Text Settings... in the application's File menu if you want to check the current settings.
• Choose Acquire Text... in the application's File menu when you are ready to start the OCR process.  OCR processing occurs according to the selected settings.  Recognized text appears at the cursor location in your application. If no document is open, text is pasted to the Clipboard.

• Saving a Document as You Work
• Resizing a Page View
• Changing Pages
• Reordering Pages
• Deleting Pages
• Printing a Document
• Closing a Document
• Closing OmniPage Pro

Resizing a Page View
You can resize a page displayed in the image viewer or text viewer to enlarge or reduce the view.

To resize a page view:
 

• Click in the viewer you want to enlarge or reduce to make it active.
• Choose a size option in the Zoom drop-down list in the Standard toolbar.
• Or, choose Zoom in the View menu and select a size option in the drop-down list.  The page resizes as specified.

• Click the thumbnail of the page you want to display.
• Click the Next Page or Previous Page buttons at the lower-right comer of the OmniPage Pro desktop.
• Choose Next Page, Previous Page, or Go to Page... in the Edit menu.

Deleting Pages
If you delete a page from a document in OmniPage Pro, the thumbnail, original image, and recognized text for that page are all deleted.

To permanently delete pages:
 

• Choose Delete Current Page in the Edit menu to delete the currently displayed page.
• Select one or more thumbnails of pages you want to delete and press the Delete key.

To print a document:
 

• Choose Print... in the File menu and choose one of the following in the submenu:
• Choose Image... to print original page images.
• Choose Text... to print recognized text.
• Select the desired print settings in the Print dialog box.
• Click OK to start the print job.

Closing OmniPage Pro
Choose Exit in the file menu to close OmniPage Pro.  You are prompted to save the current document if you have not saved it or have modified it since the last save.

Exporting Documents
You can export a document to other applications by:
 

• Saving a Document
• Copying a Document to the Clipboard
• Sending a Document as a Mail Attachment

To save recognized text:
 

• Choose Save As... in the File menu.  You can also click the Export button with Save As selected in the drop-down list.  The Save As dialog box appears.

• Select a folder location and file type for your document.  See Supported File Formats  for a complete list of supported file types.
• Type in a file name and select save options.
• Click OK.  The document is saved to disk as specified. Graphics and formatting are saved in the document only if the selected file type supports them.

• Choose Save Image... in the File menu.  The Save Image dialog box appears.
• Select a folder location and file type for your document.  See Supported File Formats  for a complete list of supported file types.
• Type in a file name and select Save and Image options.
• Click OK.  The image is saved to disk as specified (zones and recognized text are not saved with the file).

To copy a document to the Clipboard:
 

• Set Copy to Clipboard as the command in the Export button's drop-down list.
• Click the Export button or choose Copy to Clipboard in the Process menu.  The document is copied to the Clipboard.

To send a document as a mail attachment:
 

• Choose Send Mail... in the File menu.  You can also click the Export button with Send Mail selected in the drop-down list.  The Send Mail dialog box appears.
• Specify a file type and attachment options for your document.
• Click OK.
• Log into your mail application if you are prompted to do so.  A new message appears ready for addressing.
• Address your mail message as desired and click the Send button.  The document is sent as an attachment to the mail message.

• Setting AutoOCR Toolbar Commands
• Selecting OmniPage Pro Settings

• AUTO Button Commands
• Image Button Commands
• Zone Button Commands
• OCR Button Commands
• Export Button Commands

• Click the down arrow next to each AutoOCR toolbar button and select a process command in the drop-down list.
• Choose Process Settings... in the Process menu or click the Options button and select process commands in the Options dialog box.

AutoOCR
Select AutoOCR to finish processing a new or open document according to the selected process commands. See Automatic Processing on page for more information.

OCR Wizard
Select OCR Wizard to have the OCR Wizard guide you through the entire OCR process.

Image Button Commands
Use the Image button to bring a document image into OmniPage Pro's image viewer.  The Image button's drop-down list contains the Load Image, Load Exchange Fax, and Scan Image commands.

Load Image
Select Load Image to load existing image files such as TIFF or PCX files.

Load Exchange Fax
Select Load Exchange Fax to load faxes from Microsoft Exchange or Outlook.  This command only appears in the drop-down list if you have the full Microsoft Fax application installed.

Scan Image
Select Scan Image to scan paper documents in your scanner.  This command only appears in the drop-down list if you have installed the Caere Scan Manager and have selected your default scanner.

Zone Button Commands
Use the Zone button to automatically create zones on document images. Zones are boxes that specify what will be recognized as text or retained as graphics on an image. The Zone button's drop-down list contains the Single-Column Pages, Multiple-Column Pages, Tables, Mixed Pages and HP AccuPage commands and the names of any zone templates you have created.  See  Creating Zones for OCR  for more information.

Single-Column Pages
Select Single-Column Pages to have OmniPage Pro automatically draw and order zones on single-column document images such as letters or memos.

Multiple-Column Pages
Select Multiple-Column Pages to have OmniPage Pro automatically draw and order zones on multiple-column document images such as magazine or newspaper articles.

Tables
Select Tables to have OmniPage Pro automatically draw and order zones on table format document images such as spreadsheets, or any page that contains a table.

Mixed Pages
Select Mixed Pages if your document contains multiple pages with a variety of page layouts. OmniPage Pro will automatically draw and order zones on each page.

HP AccuPage
If you use a scanner that supports HP AccuPage, you can select HP AccuPage as the auto zoning option for scanned pages.

Zone Templates
Select a zone template to create zones on document images using that template.  See  Creating Zone Templates  for more information.

OCR Button Commands
Use the OCR button to perform the selected OCR operation on document images. The OCR button's drop-down list contains the Perform OCR, OCR and Check, Train OCR, and Defer OCR commands.

Perform OCR
Select Perform OCR to recognize text on document images. During OCR, OmniPage Pro analyzes the image and identifies characters to produce editable text.  See  Performing OCR on a Document  for more information.

OCR and Check
Select OCR and Check to recognize text on document images and automatically start checking for errors after OCR.  See  Checking OCR Results  for more information.

Train OCR
Select Train OCR to teach OmniPage Pro how to recognize special characters. These pre-recognized characters are saved in a training file, which OmniPage Pro can use to compare with the characters in document images during OCR.  See  Training OCR for Special Characters  for more information.

Defer OCR
Select Defer OCR to delay text recognition during automatic processing. OmniPage Pro will process your document up to the point of OCR and then ask if you want to schedule the document to be finished later.  See  Scheduling OCR  for more information.

Export Button Commands
Use the Export button to export recognized text and retained graphics to other applications. The Export button's drop-down list contains the Save As, Send Mail, Copy to Clipboard, and Defer Export commands.

Save As
Select Save As to save a recognized document to disk in a specified file format.  See  Saving a Document  for more information.

Send Mail
Select Send Mail to send a recognized document as a file attached to a mail message if you have a MAPI-compliant mail application, such as Microsoft Exchange or Outlook, installed.  See  Sending a Document as a Mail Attachment  for more information.

Copy to Clipboard
Select Copy to Clipboard to place a copy of a recognized document on the Clipboard.  See  Copying a Document to a Clipboard  for more help.

Defer Export
Select Defer Export if you do not want to export your document right after automatic processing. OmniPage Pro will process your document up to the point of export and then stop.

Selecting OmniPage Pro Settings
Click the Options button or choose Options... in the Tools menu to open the Options dialog box. This is the central location for OmniPage Pro settings.
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• Accuracy Settings
• Scanner Settings
• Page Format Settings
• Language Settings
• OCR Aware Settings
• Process Settings
• Microsoft Word Settings
• Settings Guidelines

Scanner Settings
Click the Scanner tab to select settings for scanning pages.

Page Format Settings
Click the Page Format tab to select settings that determine how the formatting of a page is handled during OCR.

Language Settings
Click the Language tab to select language settings for your document.

OCR Aware Settings
Click the OCR Aware tab to select settings for the OCR Aware feature.  OCR Aware allows you to initiate OCR from another application.  See  Using OCR in Other Applications  for more information.

To register an application with OCR Aware:
 

• Launch the application you want to register and open a document in it.  This will ensure that the application name appears in the list box in step 5.
• Choose Options... in OmniPage Pro's Tools menu.
• Click the OCR Aware tab in the Options dialog box.
• Make sure that Enable OCR Aware is selected.
• Select the name of the application you want to register in the Unregistered list box.
• Click Add >> to add the selected application to the Registered list box and then click OK.  OmniPage adds the Acquire Text... and Acquire Text Settings... commands to the File menus of registered applications.

Microsoft Word Settings
Click the Microsoft Word tab to select settings for performing check recognition directly in Microsoft Word.  See Checking OCR Results in Microsoft Word for more information.

Settings Guidelines
The settings you select in OmniPage Pro can greatly affect OCR results.  Make sure that settings are appropriate for your document before you begin processing.  You may have to experiment with different settings to get the results you want.  Answer the following questions to get settings recommentdations for your documents.
 

• What type of document are you processing?
• Magazine and newspaper pages
• Memos and letters
• Spreadsheets and tables
• Legal documents
• Mixed formats or not sure
• What is the quality of the original document?
• Poor or not sure
• Good
• How much original formatting do you want to keep?
• Minimal
• Some
• As much as possible
• Do you want to retain graphics in your document?
• Yes
• No
• How many languages are in your document?
• One language
• More than one language
• Are you processing a multi-page document?
• Yes
• No

• Select Multiple columns in the Page Format settings.
• Select the appropriate page size and orientation in the Scanner settings if you are scanning.
• Draw zones manually or modify automatically created zones if auto zoning does not successfully create zones around all page areas you want to process.  See Customizing Zones for more information.  Keep associated sections of text, such as paragraphs, together in one zone.  Omit unnecessary parts of the page such as separator lines between columns.

• Select Single column in the Page Format settings.
• Select the appropriate page size and orientation in the Scanner settings if you are scanning.
• Identify graphics that you want to retain as Graphic zone types.

• Select Table in the Page Format settings.
• Select the appropriate page size and orientation in the Scanner settings if you are scanning.
• Select Retain flowing columns in the Page Format settings.
• Identify the zone type as Graphic for zones that contain graphics you want to retain.
• Identify the zone content as Numeric for zones that only contain numbers.

• Select Multiple columns in the Page Format settings if text appears in two or more columns.
• Select Single column in the Page Format settings if the document has one, page-wide text column.
• Select the appropriate page size and orientation in the Scanner settings if you are scanning.
• Draw zones manually or modify automatically created zones to omit unnecessary parts of the page.  For example, do not include line numbers in a zone if you plan to renumber lines in your word processor.
• Select Table in the Page Format settings and select Hard carriage return after every line in the Save As dialog box if you want to preserve line numbering.

• Select Mixed pages in the Page Format settings.
• Select the appropriate page size and orientation in the Scanner settings if you are scanning.
• Draw zones manually or modify automatically created zones if auto zoning does not successfully create zones around all page areas you want to process.  See Customizing Zones for more information.  Keep associated sections of text, such as paragraphs, together in one zone.  Omit unnecessary parts of the page such as unwanted graphics.

• Select Grayscale with 3D OCR in the Accuracy settings if you have a grayscale scanner and your page contains grayscale graphics, colored background, or colored text.
• Select Grayscale with HP AccuPage in the Accuracy settings if you have an HP scanner that supports HP AccuPage, and you selected HP AccuPage in the Scan Manager.
• For best accuracy, use the Black and white setting if your pages are black and white.  Lighten the setting for thick, run-together text characters or dark backgrounds.  Darken the setting for thin, broken text characters.
• Try to scan original documents rather than photocopies.
• Select Use Language Analyst in the Accuracy settings.  OmniPage Pro will evaluate words and make logical replacements for hard-to-recognize characters.
• Draw zones manually to omit any smudges or scribbles on the page.
• Choose Check Recognition... in the Tools menu to locate possible errors after OCR.
• Ask senders to select Fine or Best mode when they send faxes that you plan to recognize.

• Select Black and white in the Accuracy settings for the fastest processing if you are scanning.  Use a setting near the middle of the slider box.
• Deselect Use Language Analyst in the Accuracy settings for faster processing.

• Select Remove formatting in the Page Format settings.
• Click Font Mapping... in the Page Format settings and select one font and one font size to be used for all text.
• Select ANSI in the Save As dialog box if you want to be able to open the document in any application.

• Select Retain font and paragraph formatting in the Page Format settings.
• Click Font Mapping... in the Page Format settings and select the fonts you want mapped to various font types.
• Save to a file format, such as Rich Text Format (RTF), that supports the formatting.  Text formatting, such as bold and italics, is retained if the application supports RTF information.  Otherwise, only plain text will be retained.  Graphics are retained if the application supports bitmap images.

• You wish to keep font characteristics, paragraph formatting, column formatting and graphic positioning.
• Select True Page in the Page Format settings to retain the original appearance of a page using homes. The formatting will be more precise but will be more difficult to edit.
• Select Retain flowing columns in the Page Format settings if your page contains multiple columns and you want text to flow between paragraphs and columns in your target application.  The formatting may be less precise than True Page but will be easier to edit.
• Click Font Mapping... in the Page Format settings and select the fonts you want mapped to various font types.
• Make sure all parts of the page are included within zones.  Any part not enclosed within a zone is ignored during OCR and will not appear in the recognized document.
• Save to a file format, such as Rich Text Format (RTF), that supports the formatting.  Text formatting, such as bold and italics, is retained if the application supports RTF information.  Otherwise, only plain text will be retained.  Graphics are retained if the application supports bitmap images.

• Select Grayscale with 3D OCR in the Scanner settings if you are scanning with a grayscale scanner or loading a grayscale image file and you want to retain grayscale graphics.
• Select Black and white in the Scanner settings if you are scanning line-art drawings.
• Select Multiple columns or Mixed pages in the Page Format settings.  The Single column setting will not automatically detect graphics.
• Manually draw zones around graphic areas if necessary.
• Make sure separate zones are drawn around graphic areas and text areas.
• Make sure graphic zones are identified as Graphic zone types.  These are marked with a G in the upper-right corner.
• Select Retain graphics in the Save As dialog box when you save a document to another file format.
• To save graphics separately from text after OCR, choose Save Image... in the File menu and select Save each graphic zone to a file.

• For best accuracy, select Black and white in the Accuracy settings if your page contains block text on a white background.
• Deselect Retain graphics in the Save As dialog box when you save a document to another file format.

• If your document contains a language that is not installed in OmniPage Pro, you can add languages to OmniPage Pro by uninstalling and then reinstalling it.
• Select the document language in the Language settings.
• For faster processing and more accurate results, select only the language that appears in your document in the Language settings.

• If your document contains languages that are not installed in OmniPage Pro, you can add languages to OmniPage Pro by uninstalling and then reinstalling it.  You will be prompted during installation to select which languages you want installed.  Select all languages that your document contains, as well as any other languages you commonly use.
• Select the main document language and any additional languages in the Language settings.
• For faster processing and more accurate results, select only the languages that appear in your document in the Language settings.

• Select Scan until empty in the Scanner settings to scan a stack of pages at once if you have an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF).  Otherwise, you must click the Image button to scan each subsequent page.
• Select Double-sided pages to scan pages with print on both sides.  You will be prompted to turn the stack over.  Insert blank pages to separate more than one job within a stack of pages.  You can save pages between blank pages as separate files after OCR.
• Set the desired process commands and click AUTO to automatically process each page of your document in order.
• Create and use a zone template if all pages have similar zoning requirements.  See Creating Zone Templates for more information.
• Choose Schedule OCR... in the Process menu to schedule processing for a specific time.  Pick a time that you plan to be away from your computer.
• After OCR, choose Save As... in the File menu.  You can select an option to save the recognized document as a single file, one file per page, or a new file after each blank page.

• Set the desired process commands and click AUTO to automatically process the page.
• Click the Image button to add more pages to the document by scanning or loading images.

• Adjusting Page Images Before OCR
• Customizing Zones
• Specifying Fonts
• Training OCR for Special Characters
• Creating User Dictionaries
• Saving Settings Files
• Scheduling OCR

To rotate a page image:
 

• Click on the page image to make the image viewer active.
• Click the Rotate Image button to rotate the image 90-degrees (clockwise) at a time.  Or, choose Rotate in the View menu and select 90,180, or 270 degrees.

• Click on the page image to make the image viewer active.
• Click the Straighten Image button.  Or, choose Straighten Image in the View menu.  OmniPage Pro straightens the page image up to a maximum of 10 degrees. OmniPage Pro will not straighten a page if it determines that it is unnecessary.

• Drawing Zones Manually
• Modifying Zones
• Deleting Zones
• Changing Zone Properties
• Creating Zone Templates

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To draw rectangular zones:
 

• Click the Zone Properties button and select the zone type and content for the zone you are about to draw.  See  Changing Zone Properties  for more information.
• Click the Draw Rectangular Zones button.  The mouse pointer in the image viewer becomes a drawing tool.
• Enclose an area of the image you want as a zone by holding down the mouse button and dragging the drawing tool to form a rectangular box.  Try to keep areas of text, such as paragraphs or single columns, together in the same zone.  (3)
• Release the mouse button when you are done.  A number appears within the zone indicating its processing order.  (4)
• Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have finished drawing zones around the desired areas of the page.

• Click the Zone Properties button and select the zone type and content for the zone you are about to draw.  See  Changing Zone Properties  for more information.
• Click the Draw Irregular Zones button.  The mouse pointer in the image viewer becomes a drawing tool.
• Position the drawing tool where you want to start drawing the first side of the zone.
• Click the mouse button once.
• Drag the drawing tool to form the first side of your zone.
• Click the mouse button when you have drawn the desired line length.  (6)
• Draw a perpendicular line in either direction to form the next side of the zone.  (7)
• Repeat steps 6 and 7 to finish drawing each side of your zone. You will not be allowed to draw a line if it constitutes a restricted shape. The following zone shapes are restricted:

p

To move zones:
 

• Deselect the buttons in the Zone toolbar.  (If one of the first two drawing buttons is selected, you do not have to deselect it.)
• Place the mouse pointer inside a zone.
• Hold down the mouse button and drag the zone to the desired location.

• Deselect the buttons in the Zone toolbar.  (If one of the first two drawing buttons is selected, you do not have to deselect it.)
• Select the zone you want to resize by clicking inside it.  The selected zone is shaded and handles appear on its border.  Place the mouse pointer over a handle so that it changes to a two-way arrow.
• Hold down the mouse button and drag the handle in the direction that you want to enlarge or reduce the zone.
• Release the mouse button when you are done.  The zone border changes to display the modified zone area.

• Click the Reorder Zones button.  The numbers in the zones disappear.
• Click within the zone you want recognized first.  The number 1 appears in the zone.
• Click within the zone you want recognized next.  The number 2 appears in the zone.  (3)
• Repeat step 3 until all the zones are appropriately ordered.  If you do not number all the zones, they are automatically numbered for you when you start OCR.

• Click the Add to Zone button.  The mouse pointer in the image viewer becomes a drawing tool with a plus sign.
• Position the drawing tool at the point where you want to start extending the zone.
• Hold down the mouse button and drag the drawing tool in the direction that you want to extend the zone.
• Release the mouse button when you are finished extending the zone.  The zone border changes to display the modified zone area.

• Click the Subtract from Zone button.  The mouse pointer in the image viewer becomes a drawing tool with a minus sign.
• Position the drawing tool at the point where you want to start subtracting from the zone.
• Hold down the mouse button and drag the drawing tool in the direction that you want to subtract from the zone.
• Release the mouse button when you are finished subtracting from the zone.  The zone border changes to display the modified zone area.

• Click the Add to Zone button.  The mouse pointer in the image viewer becomes a drawing tool with a plus sign.
• Hold the mouse button down and drag the drawing tool over the area where you want the zones to be connected.
• Release the mouse button when you are done.  The zone border changes to display the modified zone area.

• Click the Subtract from Zone button.  The mouse pointer in the image viewer becomes a drawing tool with a minus sign.
• Hold the mouse button down and drag the drawing tool over the area where you want to divide the zone.
• Release the mouse button when you are done.  The zone border changes to display the modified zone area.

To delete zones:
 

• Select the zone you want to delete by clicking inside the zone.
• Shift-click to select additional zones.
• Choose Select All in the Edit menu to select all zones on the current page.  Selected zones are shaded.
• Press the Delete key or choose Clear in the Edit menu.  The selected zones disappear.

• Single-column zone for text zones that contain a single column
• Multiple-column zone for text zones that contain multiple columns
• Table zone for text zones that contain text in tabbed columns
• Mixed zone for text zones that contain a mixture of column layouts
• Graphic zone for photos, drawings, and areas of text that you want to retain as a graphic.  The letter G appears within graphic zones.  OCR is not performed on graphic zones.

To change the properties of a zone:
 

• Select the zone you want to modify by clicking it.  You can Shift-click to select multiple zones.  Selected zones are shaded.
• Click the Zone Properties button to open the Zone Properties dialog box.
• Select a zone type for the selected zones.
• Select a zone content for the selected zones.  You can only select a zone content setting for text zones.
• Click the standard Close button when you are done.

To create a zone template:
 

• Load a page image and create the desired zones.
• Choose Save Zone Template... in the Tools menu.  The New Template dialog box appears.
• Type a name for your file in the File name text box.
• Click OK.  The zone template file is saved in the data folder in your installation folder.  It can be selected in the Zone button drop-down list.

• Select the zone template that you want to use in the Zone button drop-down list.
• Click the Zone button or choose Template in the Process menu.  OmniPage Pro creates zones on the page image using the zone template.

• Proportional Serif--Character spacing varies depending on the character; short lines finish off the letter strokes. The body text in this manual is an example of this font type.
• Proportional Sans-Serif--Character spacing varies depending on the character; letter strokes do not have finishing lines. The headings in this manual are an example of this font type.
• Monospaced Serif--Character spacing is the same for each character; short lines finish off the letter strokes. Courier is an example of this font type.
• Monospaced Sans-Serif--Character spacing is the same for each character; letter strokes do not have finishing lines. Letter Gothic is an example of this font type.

• Choose Options... in the Tools menu to open the Options dialog box.
• Click the Page Format tab.
• Click Font Mapping... to open the Font Mapping dialog box.

• Select the font you want mapped to each font type.  The fonts available in the drop-down lists depend on the True Type fonts installed on your system.
• Click OK when you are done.

To create a training file:
 

• Open the image file or scan the page that includes characters you want to train.
• Create zones around the text that you want to train.
• Set Train OCR as the command in the OCR button's drop-down list.
• Click the OCR button or choose Train OCR in the Process menu.  OmniPage Pro analyzes the document and then opens the Train Characters dialog box.

• Double-click a character you want to train. Or select it and click Specify.  The Specify Character dialog box shows how the selected character appeared in the original page image.  (5)

• Specify how you want OmniPage Pro to interpret the character during OCR by entering a character in the Character edit box.  (6)
• Click OK to return to the Train Characters dialog box.  (7)
• Repeat steps 5-7 to continue specifying characters.
• Click Save to save the specified characters to a training file.  Or, click Append to add the specified characters to another training file.  After saving or appending to a file, you are asked if you want to make this the current training file.  Click Yes to recognize the current page using the training file you just created.  Click No to return to the image without recognizing it.

• Choose Edit Training File... in the Tools menu.  A dialog box appears listing all your training files.

• Double-click the training file you want to edit.  Or, select it and click Edit.  The Train Character dialog box displays characters in the
• selected file.

• Edit the characters as desired.
• Double-click a character that you want to edit.
• Click a character that you want to remove and click Delete.
• Do one of the following after editing the training file:
• Click Save to save changes in the training file.
• Click Append to add all trained characters to another training file.
• Click Cancel to exit without saving the edits to the training file.

To customize a user dictionary:
 

• Choose Edit User Dictionary... in the Tools menu.  A dialog box lists all user dictionary files.

• Do one of the following:
• Select a file and click Edit to edit an existing user dictionary.

• Click New to create a new user dictionary.  Enter a name in the dialog box that appears and click OK.

• Add or delete words as desired:
• Type a word in the User word edit box and click Add to add it.
• Select a word in the list box and click Delete to delete it.  Click Delete All to remove all words from the dictionary.
• Click Import... to add words from a text file.
• Click Close when you are finished editing the user dictionary.  OmniPage Pro's user dictionaries are saved in the data folder in your installation folder.

To save settings to a file:
 

• Choose Options... in the Tools menu.
• Select the desired settings in the Options dialog box.
• Click Save Settings... to open the Save Settings dialog box.

• Select a folder location for the settings file.
• Type in a file name for the settings file and click OK.  All the current settings in the Options dialog box are saved into a settings file with an .ini extension.
• Click OK to close the Options dialog box.

• Choose Options... in the Tools menu to open the Options dialog box.
• Click Load Settings... to open the Load Settings dialog box.

• Select the folder location of the settings file you want to load.
• Select the name of the settings file you want to load and click OK.  The settings change according to the selected file.
• Click OK to close the Options dialog box.

Topics in this section include:
 

• Scheduling Individual Documents
• Scheduling Documents from an Input Folder
• Modifying Output Options for Documents

To schedule individual documents:
 

• Choose Schedule OCR... in the Process menu.  The Schedule OCR dialog box appears.

• Click Add... to open the Add Jobs dialog box.

• Locate and select the files you want to add to the schedule.  You can select OmniPage Documents and supported image files.
• Click Open after selecting the desired files.  The Schedule OCR dialog box displays the newly added files.
• Select the time that you want OmniPage Pro to process the scheduled documents.  Select Finish now if you want OmniPage Pro to process all scheduled documents as soon as you close the dialog box.
• Click OK in the Schedule OCR dialog box to save your settings as specified.  All scheduled files are processed, in order, at the scheduled time.

To schedule documents from an input folder:
 

• Choose Schedule OCR... in the Process menu.  The Schedule OCR dialog box appears.

• Click the Options... button to open the Schedule OCR Options dialog box.

• Select Auto add new jobs from folder and select the desired input folder.
• Click OK in the Schedule OCR Options dialog box to accept the selected settings.  The Schedule OCR dialog box reappears and adds documents from the input folder to the processing queue.
• Select the time that you want OmniPage Pro to process scheduled documents.
• Click OK in the Schedule OCR dialog box to save the settings and close the dialog box.  Processing begins at the specified time.  Right before processing begins, OmniPage Pro checks the input folder again and adds any new documents to the processing queue.

To modify the output options for an individual document:
 

• Choose Schedule OCR... in the Process menu.  The Schedule OCR dialog box appears.

• Select a scheduled file and click Modify... to open the Modify Scheduled Job dialog box.

• Select the desired options for the document.
• Click OK to accept the selected options.  The Schedule OCR dialog box reappears.
• Click OK to close the Schedule OCR dialog box.

• General Troubleshooting Solutions
• Using Visioneer Scanners with OmniPage Pro
• Supported File Formats
• Scanner Setup Issues
• OCR Problems
• Uninstalling the Software

Topics in this section include:
 

• Solutions to Try First
• Testing OmniPage Pro
• Low Memory Problems
• Low Disk Space Problems

• Make sure that your system meets all requirements listed under Minimum System Requirements.
• Restart your computer and make sure other applications are functioning properly.
• Make sure that your scanner is plugged in and that all cable connections are secure.
• Turn off your computer and your scanner, turn your scanner back on, and then restart your computer.
• Use the software that came with your scanner to verify that the scanner works properly before using it with OmniPage Pro.
• Make sure you have the correct drivers for your scanner, printer, and video card.  See the Scanner Setup Notes for more information.
• Run ScanDisk for Windows 95 or Check Disk for Windows NT to check your hard disk for errors.  See Windows online help for more information.
• Defragment your hard disk.  See Windows online help for more information.
• Uninstall and reinstall OmniPage Pro and the Scan Manager.

To test OmniPage Pro in safe mode (Windows 95):
 

• Restart your computer in safe mode by pressing F8 immediately after you see the "Starting Windows 95" message.
• Launch OmniPage Pro and try performing OCR on an image.  Use an existing image file such as the Sample.tif file.
• If OmniPage Pro does not launch or run properly in safe mode, then there may be a problem with the installation.  Uninstall and reinstall OmniPage Pro, and then run it in Windows safe mode.
• If OmniPage Pro runs in safe mode, then a device driver on your system may be interfering with OmniPage Pro operation.  Troubleshoot the problem by restarting Windows in Step-by-Step Confirmation mode.  See Windows online help for more information.

• Restart your computer.
• Select Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00 [VGA mode] and press Enter.
• Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and select Task Manager.
• In the Task Manager dialog box, select all background applications and click End Process.  See your Windows documentation for more information.
• Launch OmniPage Pro and try performing OCR on an image.  Use an existing image file such as the Sample.tif  file.

• Restart your computer.
• Close other open applications to free up memory.
• Close unnecessary OmniPage Pro windows.
• Defragment your hard disk to free up contiguous blocks of disk space. See Windows online help for instructions.
• Increase the amount of free hard disk space.
• Increase your computer's physical memory (RAM).  More memory optimizes OCR performance.  See Minimum System Requirements for more information.

• Empty the Windows Recycle Bin.
• Delete the *.tmp files in the Temp folder.  This folder is usually located in your Windows folder.
• Run ScanDisk for Windows 95 or Check Disk for Windows NT to check for errors that may be using up disk space.  See Windows online help for instructions.
• Back up unneeded files onto floppy disks or other media and delete them from your hard disk.
• Remove Windows applications that you do not use.
• Defragment your hard disk.  See Windows online help for instructions.
• Clean the cache for your web browser and limit its size.

Supported File Formats
OmniPage Pro can open these file formats:
 

• Bitmap (*.bmp)
• DCX (*.dcx)
• JPEG (*.gif)
• OmniPage Document (*.met) -- Caere Documents from version 6.0 and earlier can only be opened if the original images were preserved.
• PCX (*.pcx)
• TIFF (*.tif) --TIFF files can be single- or multiple-page, line art or grayscale, compressed or uncompressed.  They can be 200, 300, 400 dpi, but 300 dpi is recommended.  OmniPage Pro stores and displays TIFF files as 300 dpi line art.

• Bitmap (*.bmp)
• OmniPage Document (*.met)
• PCX (*.pcx)
• TIFF Uncompressed (*.tif)
• TIFF Packbits (*.tif)
• TIFF Group 4 Compressed (*.tif)

Scanner Setup Issues
This section contains information on scanner setup and solutions for scanning problems you may encounter.  Topics in this section include:
 

• Scanner Drivers Supplied by the Manufacturer
• Scanner Drivers Supplied by Caere
• Problems Connecting OmniPage Pro to Your Scanner
• Missing Scan Image Command
• Scanner Message on Launch
• System Crash Occurs While Scanning
• Scanner Not Listed in Supported Scanners List Box
• Scanning Tips

Scanner Drivers Supplied by Caere
OmniPage Pro is shipped with special scanner drivers that allow it to communicate with supported scanners.  These scanner driver files are installed on your computer when you install the Caere Scan Manager.  These drivers often work in conjunction with the drivers from your scanner manufacturer.  In order to use your scanner with OmniPage Pro, you must select the appropriate scanner in the Caere Scan Manager.  See Setting Up Your Scanner with OmniPage Pro for more information.

Problems Connecting OmniPage Pro to Your Scanner
Try these solutions if you experience a problem between OmniPage Pro and your scanner or if you receive a scanner error message when you launch OmniPage Pro.
 

• Make sure the scanner is supported by OmniPage Pro with your version of Windows 95 or Windows NT.  A list of tested scanners is provided in the Scanner Setup Notes.  If your scanner is not listed, call your scanner manufacturer to find out if it is supported.
• Make sure the Caere Scan Manager is installed and that you have selected the correct scanner in the Scan Manager.  See Setting Up Your Scanner with OmniPage Pro.
• Make sure you have installed the appropriate scanner driver.  See the Scanner Setup Notes for more information.
• Make sure your scanner is connected, compatible with your system, and runs with the software provided by the manufacturer before you use it with OmniPage Pro.
• Make sure your scanner is connected securely and turned on before you start Windows.  Scanner drivers must be loaded at startup.  Turn on your scanner first and then restart your computer.
• Make sure the scanner is not in use by another application.
• Uninstall and then reinstall the Caere Scan Manager.

• You did not install the Caere Scan Manager or select an appropriate scanner.
• Your scanner is not connected to your computer or is not functioning properly.  See  Scanner Setup Issues.
• You use a Visioneer scanner or your scanner is set up to work with Visioneer's PaperPort software such as the HP ScanJet 5s.  See the Scanner Setup Notes for more information.

• SCSI ID or scanner configuration information (Consult your scanner documentation for the correct information.)
• Page size information (Enter the largest size page that your scanner supports.)

• Turn your computer off.  Turn your scanner off and on again to return the scanner to its default state.  Then restart your computer.
• Check your scanner setup.  See Scanner Setup Issues for more information.
• Check the TWAIN Scanner Settings tab in the Caere Scan Manager if you are using a TWAIN scanner.
• Check with the scanner manufacturer to make sure you have the appropriate driver for your scanner.
• Resolve low memory problems.  See Low Memory Problems for more information.
• Resolve low disk space problems.  See Low Disk Space Problems for more information.
• Check Caere Corporation's web site  for Scan Manager updates.

• Check Caere Corporation's web site for Scan Manager updates.
• Select TWAIN scanner as your current scanner in the Supported Scanners list box.

• Take the color and quality of your document into account when scanning.  High-quality documents return better recognition results than low-quality documents. Shaded, colored, or low-quality documents may result in poor recognition accuracy unless adjustments are made before scanning.  See What is the quality of the original document? for more information.
• Always try to scan an original document instead of a photocopy.
• Make sure the page is properly aligned in the scanner.  Select Automatically straighten page image in the Page Format settings of the Options dialog box to automatically straighten a page image by up to 10 degrees if necessary.
• Check the glass, mirrors, and lenses on your scanner for dust, smudges, or scratches.  Clean if necessary.
• Make sure the proper settings are selected in the Scanner section of the Options dialog box before scanning.

• System Crash During OCR
• Text Does Not Get Recognized Properly
• Problems With Fax Recognition

• Resolve low memory problems.  See Low Memory Problems for more information.
• Resolve low disk space problems.  See Low Disk Space Problems for more information.
• Minimize all applications or click Alt+Tab to check for Windows error messages.
• Check the quality of the image you are recognizing.  See What is the quality of the original document? for more information.  See Scanning Tips  in the previous section for ways to improve the quality of scanned images.
• Break complex page images (lots of text and graphics or elaborate formatting) into smaller jobs.  Draw zones manually or modify automatically created zones and perform OCR on one page area at a time.  See  Customizing Zones for more information.
• Restart Windows 95 in safe mode or Windows NT in VGA mode and test OmniPage Pro by performing OCR on Sample.tif.  See Testing OmniPage Pro.
• If you are performing multiple tasks at once, such as recognizing and printing, OCR may take longer.

• Look at the original page image and make sure that all text areas are enclosed by text zones.  If an area is not enclosed by a zone, it is ignored during OCR.  See Creating Zones for OCR for more information.
• Make sure text zones are identified correctly.  Alphanumeric text zones are marked by an A.  Graphic zones are marked by a G. Reidentify zones, if necessary, and perform OCR on the document again.  See Changing Zone Properties for more information.
• Make sure the correct main and secondary document languages are selected in the Language settings.  Only languages included in the document should be selected.
• Select Use Language Analyst in the Accuracy settings.  The Language Analyst evaluates words and corrects likely errors during OCR.
• Train OmniPage Pro to recognize special characters that might normally be difficult to recognize, such as the copyright symbol © or the registered trademark symbol ®.  See Training OCR for Special Characters for more information.
• If you use True Page as the Output Format setting, recognized text gets put into frames (formatting boxes) in the text viewer. Some text may be hidden from view if a frame is too small. To view the text, place the cursor in the text frame and use the arrow keys on your keyboard to scroll to the top, bottom, left, or right of the frame.
• Check the glass, mirrors, and lenses on your scanner for dust, smudges, or scratches.  Clean if necessary.

• Ask senders to select Fine or Best mode when they send you a fax. This produces a resolution of 200x200 dpi.
• Ask senders to transmit files directly to your computer via fax modem if you both have one.  You can save fax images as image files and then load them into OmniPage Pro.  See Supported File Formats for more information.
• Ask senders to use clean, original documents if possible.  Sans serif fonts (such as the one used for headings in this manual) are easier to recognize than serif fonts (such as the one used for body text in this manual).

• Zone templates (*.zon)
• Training files(*.trn)
• User dictionaries(*.ud)
• Temp files(*. tmp)

• Close OmniPage Pro.
• Click Start in the Windows taskbar and choose Programs/Caere Applications/Uninstall OmniPage Pro.
• Click Yes to confirm that you want to remove OmniPage Pro.
• Restart your computer.

• Close OmniPage Pro.
• Click Start in the Windows taskbar and choose Settings/Control Panel/Add/Remove Programs.
• Select Caere Scan Manager 3.0 and click Add/Remove.
• Click OK to confirm that you want to remove the Caere Scan Manager.
• Restart your computer.  Some icons and program files may remain on your system if they have been renamed, modified, or moved to different locations.