Dancing Dots
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Where Music Meets Technology for the blind
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Dancing Dots serves blind musicians and their educators through technology and training

Using Scanner Interfaces

This page tells you how to configure different scanner interfaces for use with music recognition software (SharpEye and SmartScore). SharpEye must use your scanner's software interface to acquire images and there are certain circumstances where you might want to use your scanner's interface with SmartScore. These interfaces are different for each scanner manufacturer but the basic goal is to set your picture type to grayscale and the resolution to 300dpi. We used to recommend Text, Line Art or Black and White Document but then SharpEye was changed to accept grayscale images (version 2.50 and later) and does a better job with them. SharpEye 2.68 is the latest version of SharpEye 2 so make sure you have the latest version especially if your version does not accept grayscale images.

SharpEye will only accept grayscale and black and white images. Color images won't be accepted by SharpEye.

** Note that the steps below were written before SharpEye was changed to accept grayscale images so now you should modify these directions to select grayscale instead of black and white.

Note that the steps below that involve settings (like resolution and scan type) will probably only need to be made once unless they are changed which might happen if your scanner is used for other purposes. Steps that probably need to be performed only once are marked with "$".

HP Precision Scan

These instructions have been tested on many different PrecisionScan versions and need to be performed each time PrecisionScan is opened. Note that these directions are new and the results that were obtained using these new directions were much better. The old directions made the correct kind of file but the data was much worse.
  1. Do not use an automatic document feeder.
  2. Go to Acquire Image from your scanning software.
  3. Check Select parts of page or View page first. (Don't worry about the status of the Scan in color checkbox.)
  4. Click on Scan.
  5. From the menu go to Settings | Region Type and select Black and White Drawing then click on OK. ** See Notes above!
  6. You may need to try the Select | Entire Page menu item. Ignore this step the first time but try it if your music recognition software complains about the image or if parts of the image are missing from your music recognition software.
  7. Click on Accept.

CanoScan ScanGear

Note that all the Canon scanners that we've used expect the top of the page to be away from the hinge.

Scan Gear 5.7 (Older models including N656U)

  1. Go to Acquire Image from your scanning software.
  2. $ Press CONTROL+TAB then press ALT+A to go into Advanced Mode.
  3. $ On the Main tab there is a setting called Color Mode. On tabbing to this combo box, you'll be in a list of options. Press "B" for "Black and White". ** See Notes above! You should probably press G for grayscale.
  4. $ Tab to Output Resolution and make sure it is set to 300 dpi (dots per inch).
  5. Press ALT+S to Scan or ALT+P to see a preview first.

Scan Gear 7.0 (Newer models including LiDE 30)

  1. Go to Acquire Image from your scanning software.
  2. $ Press ALT+V to go into Advanced Mode and then press CONTROL+TAB.
  3. $ On the Main tab there is a setting called Color Mode. On tabbing to this combo box, you'll be in a list of options. Press "B" for "Black and White". ** See Notes above! You should probably press G for grayscale.
  4. $ Tab to Output Resolution and make sure it is set to 300 dpi (dots per inch).
  5. Press ALT+S to Scan or ALT+P to see a preview first.

UMAX VistaScan

Windows XP

  1. Tab to Adjust the quality of the scanned picture and press the space bar.
  2. Press ALT+R (for Resolution) and type 300.
  3. Press ALT+T (for Picture type) and select Black and white picture or text. ** See Notes above!
  4. Press ENTER to close the dialog.
  5. Press ALT+S for Scan and return to SharpEye.

Windows 95, 98 & Me

The settings controls of this interface are inaccessible by the JAWS screen reader and probably others. Note that you can always use The First Time directions but if you are using a screen reader Subsequent Times is much easier.

The First Time (or if SharpEye Complains about the Image)

  1. Go to Acquire Image from your scanning software.
  2. $ Click on the Beginner Button at the top middle.
  3. Click on Text/Lineart and the correct scan will start.

Alternate Directions for Subsequent Times

  1. Go to Acquire Image from your scanning software.
  2. Press ALT+S.

Back to Scanning Tech Support Page

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