Frequently
Asked Questions
Last Updated August 12, 2003
(All
Trademarks used below are property of their respective owners.)
Conceptual and Technical
Questions
- What
is an electronic document?
- How
would I access and use this electronic document
- Do
you store the documents on tape, CD, or DVD?
- Are
there any hardware and software requirements?
- What
electronic formats do you offer?
- How
many documents can fit on one CD?
- Can
I add notes to the scanned documents?
- Do
I need special training to use a document CD?
- What
if I want to add more documents to my QQDoc CD that I had made
last year?
- What
if I want another copy of my document CD later?
- What
if I buy a new computer? Will it be able to read the QQDoc CD?
- What
if I decide to use a DVD (digital versatile disc) drive instead
of a CD drive in my next computer - - will I still be able to
use my QQDoc CD?
- What
if new technology should happen five years from now? Will I
be able to use my QQDoc CD?
- What
file format are the scanned pages?
- Do
you OCR documents as well? Can you convert the scanned files
in Microsoft Word® format? What is the accuracy? How much
does OCR cost?
- Do
you offer a searchable database of my documents?
- How
does my company allow for more than one person at a time to
access our scanned documents?
Questions Regarding
QQDoc Services
- How
much does converting paper documents to CD-ROM cost?
- How
do I make my documents "scan ready"?
- Is
there a minimum number of pages that I need to send to you to
have my documents scanned?
- How
fast can we get our documents converted to CD?
- Do
I need to make a contract?
- Do
you return the original documents?
- Can
you upload the image files to our server?
Conceptual and Technical
Questions
What
is an electronic document?
An electronic document
is a digital picture of the original paper document. When a piece
of paper is run through a scanner it makes an electronic image of
the document, similar to a digital camera.
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How
would I access and use this electronic document?
There are several possibilities
for your use.
- You can read the
document on your computers monitor.
- You can fax the
documents using your computer's fax-modem.
- With Internet access,
you can email the document.
- Using Optical Character
Recognition (OCR) software, you can convert the document images
into editable text for use with word processing and spreadsheet
software. QQDoc can perform the OCR service for you and provide
editable documents along with the document images.
- You can use your
printer to print the entire document, or only the pages you
need at that time.
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Do
you store the documents on tape, CD, or DVD?
QQDoc stores electronic
documents on CD-R media. The "R" stands for "recordable".
CD-R media has a longer shelf life than magnetic media such as tape,
wide support and compatibility, fast random access to files, cannot
be erased or altered, and is non-proprietary. CD-RW (ReWritable)
can be altered or erased, and for this reason it is not a good archive
medium for both security and legal reasons. Tape has moving parts
to break, dozens of different and incompatible formats. It is quite
slow to access, is erasable and alterable, and can be damaged by
common electromagnetic fields. We do not recommend tape for long
term storage of electronic documents, nor for frequently accessed
information. Tape is often not accepted as a storage method for
legal purposes because of the ability to alter the files on the
tape.
While we do offer DVD-R format for special applications, QQDoc
does not recommend the DVD format for most document archiving at
this time. While it does offer promise for large volume document
image storage, DVD is still a fairly new technology and has not
been standardized to provide the nearly universal access to your
documents that is possible with CDs. Not all customized DVD disks
are usable in all DVD drives.
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Are
there any hardware and software requirements?
A computer with a CD drive
capable of reading CD-R disks and imaging or document management
application software. CDs can be formatted to be read by Windows,
UNIX, Linux, OS/2, and Macintosh systems.
While many of our customers purchase document management software
from us along with scanning services, we can provide the documents
in a format that can be imported into your existing document management
system. Our document CDs include an Emergency Data Recovery program
which is suitable for basic document searching for one CD at a time.
See below for formats we offer.
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What
electronic formats do you offer?
QQDoc offers a variety
of formats including those listed below. If you don't see the format
you need, please inquire by phone or email. It is important to note
that each of these formats have their own unique set of advantages
and limitations.
- Adobe Acrobat
- ASCII Text
- Corel Draw
- HTML
- Illustrator
- InDesign
- JPG (Images Only)
- Microsoft Office
formats: MS Word, MS Excel
- Pagemaker
- Photoshop
- TIFF (Images Only)
- Other formats are
available. Please ask!
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How
many documents can fit on one CD?
Approximately 20,000 letter-sized,
black and white pages will fit on a single CD. Color documents and
photos can also be scanned to CD, but because they require more
memory, fewer will fit. This will let you find your document without
leaving your desk. Your files will be at your finger tips. The fact
that the documents are on a CD means that you may be able to eliminate
all those dusty files and file cabinets and vastly reduce the cost
of storage. You can transport millions of electronic documents in
your briefcase, something just not possible with paper.
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Can
I add notes to the scanned documents?
You cannot add notes directly
onto the CD. By its nature it is a read-only medium. This feature
keeps others from deleting or changing your originals and is usually
required if the images are to be used for legal purposes. You can
annotate or otherwise edit the documents once you copy them to your
hard drive or other read/write media. Additionally, many document
management systems will allow you to associate notes with your documents.
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Do
I need special training to use a document CD?
No special training is
required to view or print the documents when using intuitive software
such as PaperVision. Most computer users are able to get results
in just a few minutes.
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What
if I want to add more documents to my QQDoc CD that I had made
last year?
If there is sufficient
room, we can add to your existing QQDoc CD.
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What
if I want another copy of my document CD later?
We can make multiple copies
anytime as long as your QQDoc CD is still in readable condition.
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What
if I buy a new computer? Will it be able to read the QQDoc CD?
The CDs can be read by
PCs and Macs equipped with CD drives, and most new systems have
the drives included. Computer manufacturers have made their CD drives
compatible by having industry standards, which were established
by Sony and Phillips over 10 years ago. Some older CD readers pre-dating
1995 may need firmware updates to properly read CD-R media, and
some older drives just won't read recordable CDs. (The good news
is that a new CD drive costs only about $20.)
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What
if I decide to use a DVD (digital versatile disc) drive instead
of a CD drive in my next computer - - will I still be able to
use my QQDoc CD?
Most DVD drives on the
market are designed to read all standard CDs including those produced
by QQDoc. Check manufacturers specifications to see if the DVD
drive will read CD-Recordable (CD-R).
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What
if new technology should happen five years from now? Will I be
able to use my QQDoc CD?
If you keep your CD or
DVD drive - no problem. However, QQDoc will keep up with any widely-used
superior technology and will offer conversion services if and when
required for our customers. The CD format is generic enough that
the electronic industry will be able to convert or use them for
the foreseeable future. If and when the technology changes, you
will have adequate time to convert them.
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What
file format are the scanned pages?
QQDoc offers many file
formats, but as a default format we recommend black and white Group
4 TIFF for most document storage applications due to its wide support
by software developers, small file size, and ability to store multi
page documents in one file. Other image formats are available for
full color or special applications, subject to a higher cost per
image additional processing time, and in some cases, royalty fees.
If you require a special format, just ask.
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Do
you OCR documents as well? Can you convert the scanned files in
Microsoft Word® format? What is the accuracy? How much does
OCR cost?
QQDoc does offer conversion
of paper documents to editable file formats such as word processing
files, commonly called OCR or Optical Character Recognition. Accuracy
is entirely dependent on the quality of the original. Claims by
OCR software vendors for uncorrected documents are 99.7% accuracy
with a high-quality original but expect average of 95-99% based
on our industry experience. A document produced by a laser printer
or printing press with standard fonts on white paper is considered
a high-quality original. Photocopies, low-resolution printouts,
documents with non-standard fonts such as script, and documents
with poor contrast due to similar colors of paper and ink, are all
considered low-quality for the purposes of OCR and will probably
require extensive manual processing to improve accuracy.
QQDoc will perform one-pass processing on most OCR jobs using state-of-the-art
software with multiple OCR engines. One-pass means that there is
no correction of the document by our company. You would then take
your file and use tools such as spell check to find any errors it
may have, and adjust formating for your printer or other final output.
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Do
you offer a searchable database of my documents?
A searchable database
can be supplied. The creation of a searchable database of document
content is also called "indexing". There are many types,
and therefore costs and effectiveness vary greatly. QQDoc can
output your images and data in many different formats, some of which
are listed above. Another possibility is getting QQDoc to do the
conversion from paper to electronic images then having your staff
do the indexing and importation to your existing system.
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How
does my company allow for more than one person at a time to access
our scanned documents?
If your office has a LAN
(local area network) or WAN (wide area network), document CDs may
be placed in CD drives that are accessible on the network. For large
archives spanning more than one CD, some companies use CD "jukeboxes"
which hold multiple CDs ready for use. You may also get multiple
copies of your archive so each key staff member or branch office
has a complete set. You can also have your IT manager copy the files
to your server's harddrives for access across your network.
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Questions Regarding
QQDoc Services
How
much does converting paper documents to CD cost?
There are many factors
determining the costs involved with document conversion. The format
of the originals, their quality, the target format, number of pages,
and the condition of the paper files are all important factors in
the cost of your project. QQDoc can provide written estimates for
serious inquiries.
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How
do I make my documents "scan ready"?
"Scan ready"
means all the staples and other paper fasteners have been removed
from the files and the pages are not excessively wrinkled, torn
or otherwise damaged. The pages are all oriented the same way (i.e.:
all tops up) and facing the same way (if single-sided). If the pages
are of odd or mixed size, charges may apply for extra processing.
The files should also be separated and labeled in a way that is
logical to how you would store and access them normally. We will
assign a file name based on the label on the physical folder, unless
some other naming scheme has been planned. Each electronic file
should contain no more than 100 images because of the limits of
many computers' RAM memory prevents viewing of larger files. If
a particular physical file is more than 100 pages, it will span
more than one electronic file. Extra charges may also apply if there
are more than 2 unique file names for each 100 pages if we are required
to manually assign file names, and this requirement also applies
to extra directory levels.
If you wish, QQDoc will prepare your documents for scanning, although
this service will add significantly to your project cost.
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Is
there a minimum number of pages that I need to send to you to
have my documents scanned?
There is no minimum number
of pages, however QQDoc does have a minimum charge.
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How
fast can we get our documents converted to CD?
Turn around time depends
on the volume of documents, the level of service requested, advanced
notice, the condition of the paper files, and our current job queue.
If getting the best cost per page is not as important as getting
it back ASAP, rush jobs may be available, so contact a QQDoc representative
if you have a time constraint.
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Do
I need to make a contract?
Our proposal for your
job becomes your contract should you choose to accept it. There
is no "subscription" period, nor amount of time you must
commit to using QQDoc's services.
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Do
you return the original documents?
By default QQDoc returns
your paper documents. All transportation costs are paid for by the
customer. If you need to dispose of the originals, inquire about
document destruction with a QQDoc representative.
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Can
you upload the image files to our server?
Yes, we can, but the time
to do so might not be as time or cost-effective, or secure, as waiting
for the CD for on-site copying to the server by your in-house or
contracted technician who already knows your network system. The
CD is also your backup copy in case of harddrive failure or other
disaster. We also offer private FTP downloads of your data. If you
need special handling of your image files, bring up your needs to
your QQDoc representative when you inquire. |
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