Paper Porting

A very useful method of managing personal information. With it you can capture Web Resources, file images which have been scanned, output documents to it (a virtual printer), create folders and subfolders, generate thumbnails on the desktop, convert documents scanned via OcrPrograms? directly into text editors, OfficePrograms?, and then add your own personal annotation scheme to the collection which will allow your to recover text and images in any of the folders or documents on the desktop.

One such program furnished with my first scanner fits the bill for these purposes. It is called Paper Port. I have since upgraded the software with a suite of products which allow for great flexibility in the management of personal information.

Often the information which may be most useful in your own PersonalInformationSystem is not in the form of a file you can store in a directory or sub-directory on your computer. Examples include IndexCards, notes scribbled on a napkin, A handwritten document such as a letter, some notes from a meeting, notes or numbers scribbled while using the telephone, a captured screen from your PersonalComputerTelevision?, a page or a series of related pages from the internet, (including files from the Wiki organized in your own personal arrangement)[WhereWasiLast], an excerpt from a book or article you are reading or a clipping, receipt, bill, cancelled check, notes or handouts from a class or seminar, or any other object or image (including photos, snapshots, positives and negatives)which you can scan or view via programs installed on your computer.

The method utilized can best be called "PaperPorting". One of the many benefits of this schema is that the software allows the printing of documents to a virtual page or pages in color or black and white. PaperPorting can be employed in the capturing of web pages from a web browser - simply click on the web capture icon on the Paper Ports Interface Bar at the bottom of the Desktop, and the software automatically acquires the page or pages (optional choice) presently in use in the Browser. The result is stored in the presently opened folder in the Paper Port Directory Tree. Included in this tree can be mapped spaces from hard disks, floppies, zip drives, and network drives. This is done via a scheme of assigning a folder to that resource.

Through PaperPorting, there is little requirement for one to printout to paper anymore, since PaperPorting can become a substitute, with the attendant saving paper and ink. If for some reason the need exists for a paper copy, One may simply direct the page or pages to a printer, fax or other linked output device via the Ports Interface Bar. If the document is in good shape and consists of print or type, It is usually possible to use the Ocr feature to capture the document in many different program formats(including .txt .doc .xls ) Images can be converted to .bmp .png .jpg .tif and several other formats. One may also use the Paper Port as a printer/plotter for Cad Drawings or Designs.

Since Paper Port is a Windows program, and includes cut/copy/paste, I can also mix and rearrange the page, cut out parts not wanted, paste to a new page or insert in an existing page, etc. It gives the user versatility and power in the manipulation and annotation of many different media stored in its Paper Port.

I have found it to be a powerful and simple scheme for integration of information in my PersonalInformationSystem.

What hardware and software (product names and manufacturers would be neat to know) are you using to accomplish these amazing feats?

I use a scanner which cost 60 dollars and connects via the USB port The software used is made by Visioneer and is called PaperPort. I have the suite which includes an OCR program. One beautiful feature is that of a toolbar with the icons of at least a dozen programs including all of the Office programs, Picture editors, the palm pilot, Image editors, fax program, etc. The feature allows the user to drag and drop the stored page or pages to the icon, the program (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Notepad, etc) depicted by the icon is opened and the page(s) are inserted into the program (after being recognized by the Textbridge ocr program). The program is very inexpensive for what it does, The one I am using cost 60 dollars The new version for XP cost 100 dollars. And it works with almost any Twain compatible scanner.'' for more information go to the web site listed below.

(disclaimer - I do not work for any of the companies mentioned above and am not promoting software or hardware, just describing what I am using and have been using for over five years now. )

I hope that the software will be continually improved and made even more versatile and powerful (In terms of size) I already have several hundred folders and tens of thousands of documents and images.

Q: The scanner is called PaperPort?

A: Yes, but the PaperPort scanner is only one of many Twain compliant scanners supported by the Paper Port Software. There are many more which can be used. PaperPorting is the term used to characterize the use of the software and the flexible approach to archiving it provides. Paper Port is the name of the software which was written to facilitate the scanner's use.

If it is true that something that includes and extends usefulness of a technology or process is better, then PaperPorting is a candidate for IsAnythingBetterThanPaper. One may make notes on a card and later scan it into the Paper Port, where it will be instantly retrievable. The present the flexibility of writing notes on the fly and then filing them in the computer, where they can be easily found. I can file this with other information in a folder by the name of the page IsAnythingBetterThanPaper, including the non-paper printout of the current pageor the PaperPort WebCapture or the page (which when clicked on loads the current copy of the page from the Wiki), any other pertinent information, including stuff found on the web related to the topic. I can annotate the folder and later search on annotations to find the document. I have not discovered a simpler and more straightforward scheme.

A good way to save the useful pages stored in the ThreeRingBinder, in books or magazines, and other documents which contain a lot of extraneous (to you) material.

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CategoryWebAnnotation CategoryPersonalInformationSystem CategoryWorkEnvironment CategoryPaper

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