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Smart Business Card Reader Topics
Installation and Setup Installation Tip Connect the hardware completely (and plug it in) before installing the software. Calibrating the Reader: The reader will require a one-time calibration at the end of the software installation. Calibration is necessary and should only require being done once.You will need to re-calibrate if you move it to another computer or replace the scanner with a different one. Can I use any white paper or cards for calibration? No, You must use one of the claibration cards included with the software. My calibration card is bent or dirty, can I still use it?
If it is only dirty on one side, use the clean side for calibration (the clean side should face AWAY from you when claibrating). Otherwise, discard the bent or dirty card and use a clean and untattered one. Additional calibration cards are available from Seiko Instruments.
Scanning Cards
Scanning Tip For best results we recommend you insert the card facing away and aligned to the left edge of the scanner How does it work? First the scanner scans the card. Then the Optical Character Recognition reads the text from the card image. This text is then processed by our intelligent field-recognition software to locate the name, address and other fields on the card. The information is then put in to the built-in database as text. Can I feed it several cards at a time? You can scan cards quickly using our batch scan function. This will scan many cards in a short amount of time by delaying the OCR and field recognition processing to a later time. You will have to feed the cards in one at a time to avoid jamming the reader. Does it scan cards from all countries and languages? Although the SBCR reads all cards with standard alpha-numeric characters, the field recognition is optimized for cards with addresses from: USA, Canada, U.K., Australia, Germany and Netherlands. The following section quickly describes the advanced editing features that lets you check, correct and add text to the information recognized by the Smart Business Card Reader. Tip #1: Verifying Text on Image and Zooming
If you want to verify an data field entry, you can use the quick zoom feature to automatically enlarge that portion of the scanned image.
Tip #2: Drag and Drop Text from Card Image
In the event that some text did not make it into the correct data field, you can drag the data from the card image into the correct data field.
Tip #3: Moving Text from the Notes Section and Between Fields
Tip #4: Moving and Replacing Entire Fields
To move an entire field, press and hold the left mouse button over the field name and drag the text to the desired field location and release mouse button.
To replace a field entirely with the moved text, position the cursor on the receiving field's name and release the mouse button.
Scanning Quality and Accuracy
What types of cards are difficult to read? Cards with reversed text, angled or curved text, very thin or light-colored type, text on a dark or textured background, text with fancy script outline or shadowed text, or little contrast between the card and the text are difficult for the SBCR to read. How easy is it to fix the occasional errors? Our advanced editing tools make it easy to edit those occasional errors or make changes. You can drag and drop from one field to another in a snap. You can even drag and drop information from the image of the card itself! Wouldn't it be faster for a typist to key in the cards rather than scanning them and correcting any errors that happen? No, overall it is much faster to scan them than to type them in. Many of the infrequent errors can be corrected by quick drag-and-drop edits. Also, even an experienced typist must be careful when entering data to make certain that the appropriate data in entered in the appropriate fields- and this slows down typing. How accurate is the character recognition?
We use the most recent 32-bit OCR engine from Caere Corporation, the leader in OCR, with the highest accuracy available in the market. While OCR accuracy depends on the type of card scanned, most cards read at 100% accuracy, and some require editing.
Exporting data to PIMs and Contact Managers
One-Click Data Export
For many popular Contact Managers, we have provided a one-click DDE data exchange. In this release, you can send data to: ACT! 3.0, ACT! 2.0, ACT! 1.0, Maximizer, Goldmine 95, Goldmine, Packrat, ECCO, Commence, and 1st Act.
Click here to find out how to export to your favorite PIM or contact manager.
To select one of the above Contact Managers/PIMs for one-click DDE export, select PIM Link from the Edit - Preferences menu option and select the appropriate PIM from the list. Then just click on the PIM icon to transfer the current contact or all tagged contacts into your PIM. Printing Labels onto a Smart Label Printer The SBCR can print Convenient, one-at-a-time labels to the Smart Label Printer. Label Printing Tip
Ensure that you have installed the Smart Label Printer Windows Printer Driver and have set the label size and other settings properly.
Sharing a Parallel Port
What if my computer only has one parallel port and I want to share it with my printer and the SBCR- what can I do?
You have two easy choices: Using a Switch Box If you intend to use a Parallel Port Switch Box with the SBCR, select a MANUAL switch box. Most Automatic switch boxes will not work with the SBCR. We have tested BELKIN manual switch boxes and have confirmed that they work, although it should work with any brand that switches all 25 pins of the parallel port. IMPORTANT: You must use a properly shielded cables from the switchbox to the parallel port and from the switchbox to the SBCR.
Generally, most parallel cables are NOT shelded well enought for scanning. Therefore, we STRONGLY recommend that you purchase an addional data cable from Seiko Instruments when using a switchbox. In North America, call 1-800-688-0817 to order an additonal data cable.
Troubleshooting
Light (LED) Won't Turn On When You Plug It In You should not have a problem. With some models, the Smart Business Card Reader's LED will not turn on until you scan your first card. Go ahead, scan a card!
Won't Scan Properly or at All If you attempt to scan a card, but the scanner will not pull the card through, or the scanned image on the screen is completely black or otherwise unusable, review the list below: 1. Improper cable used or defective data cable
You MUST use the cable supplied with the Smart Business Card Reader. Use of any other cable will most likely not work, as must cables of this type are not properly shielded for use with the SBCR.
This is also important when using a switchbox. You must use SII cables for the connections from the SCBR to the Switchbox and from the Switchbox to the PC. 2. Power cable not connected or power adapter not plugged in 3. Parallel port not properly configured or selected
Make sure you have chosen the correct parallel port, if you have more than one. Also make sure it works- the easiest way is to connect a printer to it and print.
As we add more features to the Smart Business Card Reader, we will offer software upgrades. Check out the web site for the most current version. | ||||||