Scanning is the process of turning paper documents into electronic ones and with the right equipment it's very quick and very easy. At Quarks, we'll do the scans for you at the counter while you're using a PC, and then transfer the image to a central location that you can access and pick it up from. Don't worry, we'll show you how to retrieve it and save it (eg on a USB pen drive) or attach it to an email message.
Why do it?
There are lots of reasons why you'd want to do this, but here's some of the most common:
print out a contract, sign it and send it back via email
scanning an old photograph to upload to Facebook or simply save to your own device
taking old documents and creating an electronic backup - eg birth/marriage/death certificate
making an electronic image of something you've drawn or created.
How much does it cost?
We charge £1 per scan image, so, for example if you have four photographs or pages, then your total bill would be £4.00. However, for large jobs we do tend to offer discounts as long as you're prepared to give us some time, usually a few hours, to get the job done. This is at the discretion of the staff member you're dealing with, but a rule of thumb is that more than 10 scans will attract discounts. Just ask for a price before you get started ...
What happens when my document is scanned?
A bit like a photocopier or fax, a light is used to reflect against the paper and 'digitise' the markings (ie text or images) that are on it. Then, instead of simply reproducing that image onto another piece of paper, like a photocopy, it's simply stored electronically in a format that will show up on a computer screen. The technical term is jpg (usually pronounced 'jay-peg') which is a universal standard for images and can be opened and accessed by pretty much anyone.
Can I edit my document once scanned?
To all intents and purposes, no. OCR software (Optical Character Reader) DOES exist but it's still clunky and inaccurate. Images can be manipulated, of course, but this requires some skill on your part and sometimes some specialist software if you're making major changes which may not be installed on our PCs. Your best bet is always to make all the changes you need BEFORE scanning the document.
