First Graded Project

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• Goal of this project
  • Create a three-spreads document containing images and text on a topic of your choice.
  • Reuse the format (page guides, text styles, etc) already set up for the InDesign QuickTour document. Replace the text and photos with your own material (placing them on the appropriate layers).
• Gathering pictures--using the scanner
  1. Go to a computer connected to a scanner.
     • The following directions apply to the UMAX scanners using VistaScan software. To use other scanners, ask a lab aide for assistance.
  2. Place an image face down on the glass of the scanner. Close the lid.
  3. Create a folder on the desktop to hold your image files.
  4. Start the program "UMAX VistaScan" (in the "Utilities" folder on the startup drive).
     
     • The VistaScan window appears, with a preview area on the left and scanning controls on the right.
  5. Click the Preferences button in the upper-right corner of the window.
     
     • The Preferences dialog appears. Click on the 'Scan Destination' tab. Choose 'File' destination (indicated by the red disk icon on the left); choose 'TIFF' from the 'File Format' pop-up menu.
     • Click <Setting>. Locate your folder on the desktop as the destination of the scanned image file. Enter your choice of filename, then click <Save>.
     • Click <OK> to exit the Preferences dialog.
  6. Click the 'Advanced' button at the top of the window. This lets you control directly the image settings.
     • If you don't see a stack of pop-up menus in the right half of the window, click the Tool Selection icon (center-top) to display them.
       
  7. Make sure that 'Flatbed (Reflective)' is selected in the first pop-up menu from the top, on the right.
  8. Click the <Preview> button on the right of the window. VistaScan will activate the scanner and display a reduced view of your image.
  9. Using the Frame tool, click and drag the edges of the flashing selection box to resize it until it encloses only the preview of your photo.
     
     • Make sure the 'Auto Adjustment' checkbox is checked. This recomputes the exposure automatically based on your selection.
  10. Choose appropriate scan settings from the remaining pop-up menus:
      • Using the second pop-up menu, set the image type to 'B/W Photo' or 'Color Photo'.
      • Using the third pop-up menu, set the resolution to 150 dpi (if you were to print your work, this is a close match for an 80 lpi device like the laser printer in the lab).
      • Use the fourth pop-up menu to turn descreening on or off.
        • Descreening is only needed to avoid artifacts when the image is halftoned (as in magazine pictures).
        • For an original photograph, choose 'No Descreen' to avoid unnecessary alterations.
      • Turn off sharpening and blurring by setting the fifth pop-up menu to 'No Filter'.
      • Set the scale as needed for your layout by choosing from the sixth pop-up menu (the last one).
  11. Click <Scan>. The scanner will proceed to read your photo into the computer.
  12. Use the network connection or your Zip disk to copy your picture files (do not leave the computer without them, as any files left behind may be deleted at any time).
• Gathering text--optical character recognition
  1. Go to a computer connected to a scanner.
  2. Use the following commands to download the OCR program from the ACG_DOCS volume of the ACG file server:
     • In the Apple menu, select Chooser to display the 'Chooser' window.
     • Click on the name of the zone 'FC Student Server' (bottom-left list in the window).
     • Click on the AppleShare icon (top-left), then find and double-click the name of the file server 'ACG' in the list on the right.
     • In the next dialog, click on 'Guest', then click 'Connect'.
     • Double-click 'ACG_DOCS' in the list of volumes; the icon for ACG_DOCS will appear on the desktop of your computer. Close the Chooser window.
     • Double-click the 'ACG_DOCS' icon on the desktop; find and open the 'Additional Software' folder.
     • Copy to the startup drive of your computer the entire 'OmniPage Pro X' folder.
     • Drag the 'ACG_DOCS' icon to the trash to disconnect from the server.
  3. Find and double-click the icon of the 'OmniPage Pro X' program, in the folder you downloaded from the server.
  4. Edit-->Preferences. In the Scanner section, click 'Select' to choose settings matching the type of scanner connected to the computer:
     • Set Manufacturer to 'TWAIN driver'.
     • Set Scanner to either 'Epson Perfection 3200' or 'VistaScan TWAIN' (the latter for Umax scanners).
     • Click 'Verify' and the scanner should activate, then a dialog with info appears (click OK to dismiss).
     • Exit the preferences dialog.
  5. Place a page of text face down on the glass of the scanner. Close the lid.
  6. Choose 'Scan in B&W' from the pop-up menu below button 1 in the OCR Toolbar; then click button 1 to scan the page.
     • If you already have an image file of the text, choose 'Load Image' instead, then click button 1 to open the file. For best results, the file should be in TIFF format, black and white, 300 dpi.
     • For subsequent pages with similar layouts, you can also click the '1-2-3' button to repeat the entire procedure with the previous settings.
  7. Use the two pop-up menus to the right of button 1 to choose the type of original (when in doubt, choose 'Mixed Pages'), and the type of output (for text to be imported and formatted in a layout program, choose 'Plain Format').
  8. Choose 'OCR & Proof' from the pop-up menu below button 2 in the OCR Toolbar; then click button 2 to start recognition.
  9. A window with the recognized text appears. A second window will show the first word which may have been interpreted incorrectly, along with a detail view of the scan of the same piece of text.
     • If the word is in fact correct, click 'Skip'.
     • If the word is wrong, type a replacement (or chose it from the list of suggestions), then click 'Change'.
     • Continue until you have reviewed all questionable words.
  10. Choose 'To File...' from the pop-up menu below button 3 in the OCR Toolbar; then click button 3 to save the recognized text.
  11. A 'Save' dialog appears. Find your folder on the desktop, the choose the settings for the text file:
      • Set Format to 'ASCII Text'.
      • Choose 'Create One File for All Pages' (this will generally make it easier to thread the story in the layout program).
      • Enter a filename with '.txt' extension, click Save.
  12. Use the network connection or your Zip disk to copy your text files (do not leave the computer without them, as any files left behind may be deleted at any time).
• Managing your files--network transfers
  1. If you used the scanner on one computer, and you intend to complete the project on a different computer, you can use the network to transfer your files.
  2. Make a note of the station number posted on the destination computer.
  3. Use the following commands on the scanner computer to connect to the destination computer:
     • In the Apple menu, select Chooser to display the 'Chooser' window.
     • Click on the name of the zone 'Building 1000 Student' (bottom-left list in the window).
     • Click on the AppleShare icon (top-left).
     • Find and double-click the name of the destination computer ('ACG' followed by its station number) in the list on the right.
     • In the next dialog, click on 'Guest', then click 'Connect'.
     • Double-click 'Shared Folder' in the list of volumes; the icon for the 'Shared Folder' on the destination computer will appear on the desktop of the scanner computer.
     • Close the Chooser window.
  4. Copy your files to the 'Shared Folder' on the desktop.
  5. Drag the 'Shared Folder' icon to the trash to sever the connection between the two computers.
  6. Go to the destination computer. Find and open the 'Shared Folder' (usually located on the second drive, labeled 'Boot2'). Retrieve your files.
• Managing your files--Zip formatting
  1. If the icons that appear on the desktop when you insert your Zip disks in the drive have 'PC' on them, you will want to reformat at least one of your Zip disks as a Macintosh volume. This will ensure greater reliability.
  2. Before reformatting the Zip disk, double-check that there is nothing of value on it. Reformatting involves a complete erasure of the disk.
  3. Make sure that File Sharing is turned off (use the Control Strip--the tab protruding from the edge of the screen): if the folder icon has wires attached to it, click and hold on it and turn off File Sharing.
     
  4. Next, find and launch the Tools program, part of the Iomegaware set of Zip programs, in the Utilities folder on the startup drive.
  5. In the Tools program window, click the Erase button.
     
  6. In the Erase dialog window, choose Mac OS Standard from the Format pop-up menu.
     
  7. Finally, still in the Erase dialog window, click the Short Erase button.
     
  8. When done erasing, eject the Zip disk and re-insert it: it should re-appear on the desktop with the Mac-format icon. You can then quit the Tools program, and turn File Sharing back on.
• Managing your files--burning a CD
  1. If you are running out of space on your Zip disk, you may want to transfer your files to a CD.
  2. Go to a computer with a CD burner (indicated by a hologram sticker on the front, near the burner door).
  3. Press the button on the CD burner door to open it (or press the media key on the keyboard, marked with an arrowhead pointing up).
  4. Place a blank CD-Recordable on the CD burner tray, then retract the tray by pressing the media key again.
  5. A dialog appears; click 'Prepare'.
  6. A CD icon will be displayed on the desktop. Drag your files to the icon.
  7. When you have collected all your files, drag the CD icon to the Trash. The burner will record your data on the disc, then it will eject it.

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This document originally at <http://www.sanedraw.com/LEARN/DTP_I/PRJCT1A/INDEX.HTM> Copyright 2004 by Sandro Corsi. Created 2004-01-26. Last modified 2004-02-09.