Best Way to Scan and Digitize Your Old Books
Most of us have the habit of shelving books to preserve our love for reading. Old books, however, become vulnerable with time in the absence of proper care. A smart way to gift a long life to your favorite books is by digitizing them. There are dedicated devices to conveniently scan old books without damaging them.
The Methods to Scan Books
- Destructive Scanning
Destructive scanning involves a page-wise scanning of old books. Every page of the book is separated and scanned for conversion into PDF files. The scanned PDFs can be accessed digitally, or even transformed into newly printed books. The process archives your book electronically, thus helping you to preserve it forever.
Destructive book scanning is a 2-step process. At first, all the pages of the book to be scanned are cautiously removed. This ensures a high-precision scanning process. Next, the removed pages are scanned individually and converted into a high-resolution PDF file. The document can be used as it is or republished as a custom-printed book.
Destructive scanning is a fast and cheap method of getting your books digitized. Since each page is removed and subjected to separate scanning, you are ensured of quick and better results. The disadvantage, however, is that you will lose your original copy of the book.
- Non-destructive Scanning
Another smart alternative to digitizing your old books is non-destructive scanning. The process involves a physical scanning of the book in its original form. The book’s spine is not removed, and hence, the original copy is preserved. The scanned pages are then converted into PDF files for digitization.
Non-destructive scanning is carried out through special book scanners that take care not to damage the back or pages of the books being scanned. Thanks to technology, a wide range of overhead book scanners are available for digitizing books through the non-destructive method. Such scanners have air-blowing devices that can automatically flip pages for a high-speed scanning process.
Scanning old books through the non-destructive process requires them to have a strong binding. The thickness range of such books is between 1.5 inches and 3 inches. The books must have a uniform page size and the pages should not be stuck with each other.
How to Scan Old Books Without Damaging Them?
Overhead scanning is an intelligent device to scan old books without damaging them. Here’s a stepwise process to proceed with the task:
- Collect and clean the old books to remove dust. Look for any inserts and take them out too.
- Prepare an overhead scanner by setting it up in a suitable space.
- Begin the scanning process while capturing every detail with enough precision.
- Store the digital format of the book on your computer at the end of the scanning process.
- Your old books are back in good condition without damage!
CZUR Overhead Book Scanners
- Professional Scanner- ET18 Pro
The ET18 Pro scanner is a dedicated device for handling the diverse requirements of scanning professional documents. The device is a modernized inclusion in the ET series scanners with USB and wireless connectivity, allowing you to scan files to smartphones directly. The CMOS sensor facilitates the clearest scans up the A3 page size.
Key Features
- Extra Side Light
The scanner comes with an extra light at the side for even illumination of the documents. There are no reflections from this light, which takes care of convenient page visibility.
- Curve Flattening Technology
The device features a patented curve-flattening technology that automatically flattens and corrects the curve distortions in separate pages of old books. You are thus ensured of clear and even book scanning.
- 18MP Camera
The 18 MP Sony CMOS sensor-enabled camera produces clear scans with affordable brightness adjustments. There are options to set 4 different brightness levels for easy adjustments with the surroundings.
- Wi-Fi Available
This professional scanner grants you the portability advantage with seamless Wi-Fi connectivity. You can digitize the books and save them directly to your system or smartphone. The high-speed scanning response is an added advantage.
- OCR Software Available
The scanner has an ABBYY-powered OCR functionality that can convert digitized books into editable and searchable PDF files. The feature supports Excel and Word formats and recognizes over 180 different languages.
- Portable Scanner- Shine Ultra Pro
The Shine Ultra Pro is a portable scanner from CZUR that comes to you with a host of quick scanning advantages. The latest Sony sensor assures you of the best digitization quality in ultra-high definition clarity. The device has a wide capture area to conveniently scan A3-sized pages within a thickness of 10mm.
Key Features
- 24 MP High-Quality Camera
The device has a high-resolution 24 MP camera that captures the clearest images in UHD quality up to 5696 x 4272 pixels. The feature is exclusive merit of the Shine Ultra Pro model and is not available with other members of the Shine Ultra series.
- Curve Flattening Technology
The curve flattening technology automatically corrects the page distortions in the books being scanned by flattening them. Every detail on each page of the book is hence, properly scanned.
- Portability Design
The device is conveniently foldable and allows multiple height adjustments for conveniently scanning pages up to A3 size. The facility to fold the scanner through its arm makes it portable enough for easy handling.
- 1s/Page Scan Speed
The device is dedicated to quickly scanning books and documents with a high-page count through a 1-second/page scanning speed. You can hence, scan and convert the heaviest books in no time.
- OCR Software Available
The OCR feature of this scanner can convert scanned books into Word and Excel formats for easy editing and searching flexibility. The functionality is compatible with as many as 180 different languages.
Conclusion
The best way to protect old books is to get them scanned. You can choose between destructive and non-destructive scanning methods, the latter being more advantageous. Modern-day non-destructive scanning is carried out with overhead scanners without the slightest damage to your cherished books. Looking for the best options, you can rely on the ET18 Pro and Shine Ultra Pro models from CZUR.
