Scan to PDF

[Shirker]

Anyone used and recommend any software for batch scanning of individual one-page documents to PDF? There seem to be loads that can scan multiple pages into one single document but I'm looking for one page document to one page PDF.

[Chris H]

Are you scanning as images or text?

[Shirker]

Preferably as PDF images.

[Matt]

The HP software we got with our top end scanner does that for us, so have you installed/checked any s/w that came witht the scanner?

[Shirker]

Aye, the Dell stuff can scan to one single document but not break the scans down into single page ones.

[slaughteredlamb]

Do you mean you are putting several documents on the scanner at once and want them to each be individually saved as a PDF? Any scanner software will allow you to save a single document scanned individually as a PDF (at least I've not found any that can't) but I guess there could be problems if you are scanning two documents at once and want them as separate PDF's. That said most if not all scanner software allows you to do multi scans/crops where you define multiple areas to be scanned which are the output as separate images. Personally in the past I've used Photoshop and scan my multi documents into that which then appear as seperate documents and these I then manually save as PDF's. But since CS5 has dropped TWAIN support

I now use Vuescan which by default saves scans as individual PDF's although there is the option to save them all as one PDF.

[Shirker]

I've got about four years worth of health questionnaires, which at 20 a day is getting to be ridiculous amount, each of which is a separate one page document. I'm trying to get rid of all the paper copies, partly for space but mainly for security - as they're technically medical records it's better to have them on encrypted hard drives rather than in piles all over the place. The scanner will take about 40 forms at once so I'm trying to scan them to PDF in batches but have it recognise each page as a seaprate document.

Windows Fax and Scan will do it but has to save them as jpg, png, tiff or gif and earlier today I found one bit of software which will do it but at $695 its a bit pricey. However, found another (scan2pdf.org) which is £29 and has the option to scan a big batch in, then save each page automatically as a separate PDF file, so problem solved. Just tried it out and it seems to work a treat

[Haze]

For Words docs to pdf I use CutePDF Writer. Not exactly sure if it is what you're seeking though.

[Shirker]

Nope, scanning matey, not printing.

[Ben]

My suggestion would be to scan them onto the computer in whatever format the scanner/computer will do - whether that's JPG, PNG etc and then use a batch converter to throw these into a PDF, as they will all be separate files. It's a two stage process - but seems to be cheaper and easier way to go.

I'm sure there must be a free, or cheap, JPG/PNG/GIF --> PDF batch converter around.

[Shirker]

Scan2pdf is doing the job nicely now - we did a couple of thousand or so on Thu and Fri and it worked a treat. Less than 30 quid so can't grumble.

[Stealth]

Have a look at scansnap scanners.
Quite expensive but scans to pdf, single or duplex and has a sheet feeder. I love it, can shove a 20 page itemised mobile phone bill in and it scans automatically within about a minute.