Video: Calibrating your ImageScan Pro ADF scanner

We’ve had quite a few requests for instructions on calibrating an Ambir ImageScan Pro ADF scanner. So we whipped up a little video that shows how. Enjoy.

Friday Quick Tip: How to calibrate your Ambir ADF scanner

Calibrating your Ambir ImageScan Pro series scanner is a simple, 3 step process.

Step 1: Click “Start”, then click “All Programs”.

Step 2: Find the “Ambir ImageScan Pro…” folder in the All Programs list, then click on the Calibration Wizard.

Step 3: Have either the calibration sheet that came with the scanner or a blank white piece of paper at the ready. Then, simply follow the steps in the Calibration Wizard.

Voila. Your scanner is ready to rock. Scan away.

Need to download an Ambir driver? Here’s how.

You need a new driver for your Ambir scanner. Maybe you got a new computer. Maybe you inherited a new scanner. Whatever your reason, here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Head to ambir.com.

Step 2: Click “Support”.

Step 3: Select your device from the scanners pictured. If you don’t see your scanner, continue to Step 4.

Step 4: If you don’t see your scanner pictured, click “View All Drivers >”.

Step 5: Find your device on the following screen and click the link. Note that there are both 32-bit and 64-bit drivers on under many scanners. If you know what operating system you’re running, skip ahead to Step 6. If you aren’t sure which you are running, there’s an easy way to find out:

First, click the Start button, then right-click “Computer” and select “Properties”.

In the Properties window, check under “System Type” for your operating system. If there is no mention of either 32 or 64-bit anywhere in the window, you have a 32-bit system.

Note: If you’re running windows XP or Vista, select Start>Control Panel>System to check your operating system.

Step 6: Once your download is complete, click the .exe file and follow the install wizard. The file should be in your Downloads folder.

How can TWAIN work for you?

The words “plug & play” are usually welcome when it comes to hardware. But what makes something work that well?

If you’ve ever used a scanner or digital camera that just seemed to work, chances are it came with loaded with a TWAIN driver.

The TWAIN driver came about in 1992, as an answer to the need for a universal standard between personal computers and imaging devices. The name, if you’re wondering, supposedly comes from either the original developer’s fascination with Mark Twain’s letters of correspondence or author Rudyard Kipling’s 1889 poem “The Ballad of East and West” (“never the twain shall meet”).

There’s also the joke that suggests it’s an acronym for “Technology Without An Interesting Name.” But that can’t be right.

Today, TWAIN is the standard in digital imaging. It allows many imaging applications to recognize and process the images your scanner captures. In short, TWAIN makes things more compatible and your life easier.

TWAIN also ensures scanners are compatible with many leading EMR, practice management and EDRMS systems. Oftentimes, users can scan directly into an EMR from its TWAIN interface. In other words, these software systems are made for TWAIN. And many of them depend on the capture of patient and customer information.

Which is why all Ambir scanners come with TWAIN drivers. Whether you’re using complex enterprise content management software, an EMR or just organizing your bills at home, TWAIN helps you connect faster and capture quicker, without the need for proprietary software. You can use any imaging application software your heart desires. Here are a few we recommend:

• Presto! PageManager 9
• AmbirScan 3.0
• Adobe Acrobat
• Windows Fax & Scan
• ABBYY FineReader

How to Scan on a Mac with an Ambir (or any TWAIN compliant) Scanner

Enjoy this rather serene-looking Mac setup. Beautiful, isn't it?

Apple is rarely out of the news, but with their impressive recent surge on Wall Street, it’s as good a time as any to talk about Ambir (or any TWAIN compliant) scanners and Mac compatibility. (Yeah, yeah… we know the new iPad and iPhone are responsible for most of the freakish growth.)

We offer Mac OS X drivers for many of our scanners.  Because they’re TWAIN drivers, they ensure your scanner works with Image Capture, the standard image acquisition application in OS X. They also interface with any other TWAIN software available for your Mac.

Here are the steps to start scanning on a Mac on any TWAIN scanner:

1. First, plug your scanner into any USB port on the Mac.
2. Next, head to your scanner manufacturer’s site, download the appropriate driver and install. Or install from the disc that came with your scanner.
3. Restart your Mac.

You should be ready to scan, since the TWAIN driver automatically facilitates image acquisition. If you wish to scan with Image Capture:

1. Open the Image Capture application.
2. Select your scanner from the Devices list on the left of the Image Capture window.
3. Set preferences like: Kind, Resolution, Size, Output Format and Output Location.
4. Click “Scan.” The file will appear in the location you selected.

Keep in mind Image Capture is a simple image acquisition application. It doesn’t offer nearly as robust a feature set as some other document management programs for Macs, like Presto! PageManager 9, which integrates features like scanning to Evernote and Google Docs.

Scanning on a Mac is simple with a TWAIN scanner. Just remember: Download your driver, install and restart.

Ambir ADF Scanners for Healthcare – Healthcare Gadget Friday

Our ImageScan Pro ADF scanners are reviewed for the healthcare market by the popular blog EHR and HIPAA. It’s part of the HealthcareScene.com blog network. They cover everything in healthcare IT, from Meaningful Use news to mobile health IT. They’re a great resource, with constantly updated content. Check them out!

5 Green Tech Tips to Save the Earth – and Some Cash

Bamboo makes for a super sturdy workspace.

Earth Day was founded in 1970. This was during an era that saw Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River actually burst into flames due to pollution.

Needless to say, the time was ripe for a day devoted to Mother Earth. Founded by Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson all those years ago, Earth Day lives on today, celebrated on April 22 each year.

We pride ourselves on taking a green approach at Ambir. We specialize in helping people and organizations digitize and organize their paper while saving their money. We believe paperless is the way to go, and that scanners are only the beginning. We don’t even own a fax machine.

So whether you view Earth Day as an excuse to head outside and enjoy the weather or as a meaningful platform for change, here are a few tech-based ways to keep our planet healthier and your wallet a little heavier.

1. Recycle your old electronics: A lot of businesses probably have a drawer full of old phones and chargers or a closet stacked with old computer parts. Don’t throw them out! Websites like gazelle.com and yourenew.com offer instant estimates for thousands of products and payments via check or PayPal. Free up some extra space, get rid of your electronics responsibly, and grab some extra cash with a few clicks.
2. Go paperless: You may be a little closer to this goal than you thought. With apps like Evernote, you can digitally organize your thoughts and sync them with your computer, tablet and cell phone automatically. And with simple ways to scan piles of documents, if you don’t already have a scanner, it’s easy to find an affordable, efficient model to help finally ditch all the paper. It’s a fast way to save on printer paper and ink while becoming better organized.
3. Electronic billing: This is really one more step toward going paperless. With most companies, it’s easy to enroll in electronic billing. Some even go so far as to give you a small refund for enrolling. Bills are sent to your inbox for electronic payment, and you’ll never get hit with a late fee again.
4. E-read!: If you’re a reader who wants to go green, consider buying an eReader like the Kindle or the Nook. Prices have dropped quite a bit, so though it’s a bit of an investment now, it pays for itself with slightly lower prices per title for books and subscriptions. On top of that, many libraries now have online eBook downloads, so you can rent your digital copies from your own computer.
5. Watch your energy consumption: First of all, go with Energy Star appliances. They cut average power usage by about 75%. Just by looking for the brand with the sticker, you can save hundreds of dollars per year. You should also take a look at your water heater’s temperature setting. Chances are it can be turned down. It’ll save you some cash on your gas bill, and you won’t burn your hands on scalding water anymore.
6. Bonus Tip! Plug into Power Strips: There’s a nasty, energy-leeching ghoul that inhabits many houses and offices. It’s called phantom power loss. Your phone charger? It’s still drawing power, even when it’s not juicing up your phone. Your computer, TV and microwave are doing the same. The solution? Plug them all into power strips. When you’re not using them, just flip the switch.

Document Spring Cleaning: How to Finally Get Organized

Spring is here, and it’s time to clean. But just because you’ve vacuumed the carpets and emptied the trash doesn’t mean you’re finished.

No, you’re not done until everything is tidy. And that includes your home or office’s paper records. With one scanner and a computer, you can revolutionize the way your small business runs or your method for taking care of life’s everyday tasks.

Maybe you’ve been putting it off for a while now. Watching the copies of bills, bank statements, invoices and receipts pile up for months or even years. And every day you don’t start it, the more daunting a task it becomes.

But today’s the day. This guide can help you on your way to becoming a little more paperless. You’ll finally have room on your desk for your mouse pad again.

1)    Enroll in Paperless Billing: First, head to the websites of as many of your utility providers, cable services and whoever else sends you bills to enroll in paperless billing. You already get enough junk in your mailbox every day. Ditch the archaic paper bills. It’s usually a quick process; companies actually want you to do it and promote it accordingly on their websites.

2)    Make Use of Online Banking: Have access to online banking? It’s time to utilize that handy online bill pay your bank provides. Free yourself from the pesky processing fees utility providers often place on online and phone payments and automate the whole process, so you never pay a late charge again.

3)    Get Yourself a Scanner: Got a scanner? If not, check these out. You’re going to need one. If you have mountains of paper, you might want to consider an ADF scanner. If you have only molehills of documents, a sheetfed scanner will probably get the job done for you.

Either way, a scanner is a great investment for the long term. It’s tough to completely stop the flow of incoming paper, and you may need to scan random files in the future. Plus, you can always scan old photos and business cards you wish to keep.

4)    Find a Shredder: Another thing you might want to have is a good shredder. Some of what you have lying around is probably sensitive information, i.e. bank statements, credit card bills, love letters from an old flame, etc. So after you digitize and store it securely, there’s no point in having a paper copy for anyone to discover. (That is, after you’ve backed it up.)

5)    Make a Plan: Be sure to have directories and folders set up for appropriate storage. Know where it’s all going, before you begin. Or consider document management software to make organization even easier. We offer Presto! PageManager 9 and BizCard 6.

If you would like to scan to Evernote or Google Docs, there are ways to do that as well. (Click either link to learn how.) Again, determine this all beforehand. It’ll make your job easier.

6)    Should It Stay or Should It Go?: Take this opportunity to re-assess your current document situation. Choose what you want to scan carefully. Don’t just scan every scrap of paper you have. If you don’t need it, don’t scan it.

But when in doubt, keep it. Some official business documents need to be kept for a minimum of six years. Some even require ten. Some need to be kept forever. Here’s a guide.

7)    Scan!: Scanning time. If you have an ADF model, you can load many documents at once and set a path for them to take. If you’re using AmbirScan, refer to this post for instructions on ADF workflow.

If you’re using an Ambir sheetfed model, you will be able to utilize the AutoContinue function, which allows you to continuously scan without the program prompting you between sheets. It’ll place each document in the same PDF file. This is especially helpful for scanning packets of information.

8)    Keep an Extra: Back everything up. Whether it’s onto an external hard drive, to the cloud or even to a memory stick, be sure you have at least two digital copies of everything. It’s too easy to accidentally hit the delete key.

If you’re scanning for your business, be sure to go over the scanning process and the expectations for the future with any other. Living and working digitally is an ongoing process, but with just a little bit of coordination, it can streamline any small business’s document workflow.

9)    Stick with it: Scanning can be hard work. But if you follow the plan you’ve set up beforehand, you’ll start to see a whole new way of working and living coming together in front of your very eyes. Everything in it’s rightful place, just a click or two away.

Some other tips:

• Scan at a maximum of 300 dpi for increased speed
• If you want to get rid of stored data, erasing it won’t always do the trick. The hard disk must be destroyed.
• If you’re using Liquid Paper to protect information, be sure it’s dry before scanning.
• Remove your staples!
• If you scan photos or other physically sensitive documents, use protective sleeves.
• If your scans are blurry, streaky or completely nonexistent, refer to our post on calibration.

Ambir to Exhibit at GE Centricity® Healthcare User Group

Digital capture leader to showcase scanning solutions for Centricity users

Elmhurst, IL (April 9, 2012)— Ambir Technology, a leading provider of digital document capture devices, will share their full line of sheetfed and automatic document feeding scanners with GE Centricity® Healthcare User Group (CHUG) attendees April 20-21 in Las Vegas. CHUG brings Centricity® users and healthcare IT experts together to increase the quality of patient care and ease EMR transition.

“Healthcare professionals need easy and efficient ways to digitize their records to meet meaningful use requirements,” said Mike O’Leary, CEO of Ambir Technology. “Ambir’s ADF and sheetfed scanners provide healthcare professionals the means to do it. We hope to show healthcare professionals that implementing and maintaining the GE Centricity® Practice Solution with Ambir scanners isn’t as daunting an endeavor.”

This year Ambir will highlight the ImageScan Pro® 820i and the ImageScan Pro® 930u ADF models. Both high speed duplex scanners feature TWAIN drivers and small desktop footprints. Ambir’s HIPAA compliant ADF scanners smooth the increasingly trying process of paperless office maintenance and EMR transition.

The Ambir ImageScan Pro® 820i high-speed duplex scanner scans up to 50 sheets at a time, converts them to industry standard PDF format and still fits on even the most crowded reception desk. With its customizable scan presets, ImageScan Pro 820i users can capture multiple types of media including legal & letter size documents and insurance cards at the press of a button.  Fully TWAIN compliant, the ImageScan Pro 820i offers broad compatibility with literally thousands of software applications.

Key Features:

• ADF Scanning Speed—25 ppm/50 ipm (200 dpi, grayscale/B&W mode, A4 Portrait)
• ADF Capactiy – 50 sheets (A4/Letter, 70 g/m2 or 18 lb.) 20 sheets (Business Cards) Plastic Card, Max thickness under 1.2 mm
• Dimensions – (L x W x H) 10.36” x 5.02” x 5.83” (263 x 127.5 x 148 mm)

The Ambir ImageScan Pro® 930u scans up to 100 sheets at a time, capturing both sides of documents at up to 600 dpi resolution. It can handle a wide variety of media, including letter and legal size documents, driver licenses and insurance cards. It also features ultrasonic misfeed technology, which ensures smooth scans by preventing paper jams. For high-volume batch scanning tasks, the ImageScan Pro 930u also employs customizable scanning buttons for one-touch operation.

Key features:

• ADF Scanning Speed – 40 ppm/80 ipm (300 dpi, grayscale mode, A4 portrait); 40 ppm/80 ipm (300 dpi B&W mode, A4 portrait)
• ADF Capacity – 100 sheets (A4/Letter, 70 g/m2 or 18 lb.); 30 business cards; 5 plastic cards, max thickness under 1.2 mm
• Dimensions – (LxWxH) 12.5” x 9”x 9” (319 x 231 x 228 mm)
• Ultrasonic Misfeed Detection – Prevents jams and double-feeds, ensuring smooth scans

About Ambir Technology

Ambir Technology, Inc is an industry leader in digital capture and document management solutions. Combining professional-grade ID card and document scanners, unique digital imaging software and expert-level customer service, Ambir provides their customers with comprehensive, enterprise-level business solutions. Specializing in the healthcare, legal and financial sectors, Ambir helps organizations reduce costs, increase productivity and strengthen data security. For more information, visit www.ambir.com.

For media inquiries:

Elizabeth Gregg, Public Relations

630-530-5400, ext. 133

egregg@ambir.com

Ambir Technology Releases ImageScan Pro® 930u & 940u ADF Scanners

New line of high speed ADF scanners include batch scanning capability and ultrasonic technology

Elmhurst, ILL., April 4, 2012 – Ambir Technology, a market leader in digital imaging and document management solutions, announced recently a new line of high speed, high-volume automatic document feeding (ADF) scanners. The ImageScan Pro^® 930u and 940u deliver affordable, professional-grade high-volume scanning to customers in the healthcare, legal and financial IT industries.

“These scanners represent a significant shift in the automatic imaging market,” said Bill Hawkins, president of Ambir Technology. “For years, we’ve provided organizations with the best card scanners for the point of admissions. Now, we have the opportunity to enter the high speed ADF market with a much lower price point on a professional-grade product.”

The Ambir ImageScan Pro^® 930u and 940u scan up to 100 sheets at a time, capturing both sides of documents at up to 600 dpi resolution. The scanners handle a wide variety of media, including letter and legal size documents, driver’s licenses and insurance cards. They also feature ultrasonic misfeed technology, which ensures smooth scans while preventing paper jams. For high-volume batch scanning tasks, the ImageScan Pro line employs customizable scanning buttons for one-touch operation.

Key features

•  ADF Scanning Speed – 40 ppm/80 ipm (200 dpi, color mode, A4 portrait); 40 ppm/80 ipm (300 dpi, grayscale mode, A4 portrait); 40 ppm/80 ipm (300 dpi B&W mode, A4 portrait)
• ADF Capacity – 100 sheets (A4/Letter, 70 g/m2 or 18 lb.); 30 business cards; 5 plastic cards, max thickness under 1.2 mm
• Dimensions – (LxWxH) 12.5” x 9”x 9” (319 x 231 x 228 mm)
• Ultrasonic Misfeed Detection – Prevents jams and double-feeds, ensuring smooth scans

“These new ImageScan Pro^® scanners emerged from us listening to our customer base and keeping trend with changes in the industry,” said Mike O’Leary, CEO of Ambir Technology. “For instance, the healthcare world is experiencing massive change right now, in the form of EMR transition. We needed to give our customers an affordable, high-quality way to scan huge quantities of documents.”

About Ambir Technology

For more than ten years, Ambir Technology has been an industry leader in digital capture and content integration products. Specializing in hardware and software solutions in ID card and document management for the healthcare, legal, field services, financial, government and hospitality sectors, Ambir strives to help organizations save time by reducing costs, increasing productivity and improving data security. www.ambir.com

For media inquiries:

Ambir Technology

Elizabeth Gregg, Public Relations

630-530-5400 ext. 133

egregg@ambir.com