Using a book scanner to digitize historical photos and written material for future use

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Using a book scanner to digitize historical photos and written material for future use.

Smart TV (e.g., Insignia Fire TV):

wireless network connection may not work
Ethernet network connection may be needed

Options for (Windows 11 Miracast) laptop connection:

direct HDMI connection
remote MiraCast mirroring connect (hold Home, select mirroring, connect laptop)
remote wireless display adapter (USB power required, not from TV)
remote Microsoft display adapter (USB power required, not from TV) [discontinued by Microsoft]


CZUR ET24 Scanner	Foldable tent	flattening/deskew technology

CZUR ET24 Pro Professional Book Scanner, 24MP Document Camera, 3rd Gen Auto-Flatten & Deskew Tech, A3 Document Scanner, 180+ Languages OCR, Support HDMI, for Windows/MacOS/Linux, with Auto-Flatten and Deskew technology.
CZUR Portable Foldable Studio Box, 24” × 24” Professional Tent Kit for Document Scanner


CZUR ET24 Scanner	Foldable tent

The ET24 Pro scanner is about $580 on Amazon. (as of 2025-01-14) It was about $520 as a Black Friday special (November, 2024).

The foldable tent is about $70 on Amazon. (as of 2025-01-14).

For those using multiple monitors, the software runs on the primary monitor and cannot be moved to another monitor.

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) converts (large size) images to (small size) searchable text.

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness: con?e before his
presenoe-with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is Sod: it is h® that
hath n/ade us, and not we ourselves; we are his people,
and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into
his courts with praise: be thankful unto bin?, and bless
his narqe.
For the Lord is good; his njercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.
Psalm 100

Options	Default	Used
Prefix	image	spum2002‑
Digits	5	3
Start	image‑00001	spum2002‑001

Format: <prefix>-<digits>

If the process is restarted, the previous settings are not remembered.


As placed on scanner (glare)	As seen by scanner (glare removed)	Image as scanned. (deskewed)

The software automatically detects the edges of the page and will deskew the scan.

Manual cropping not needed.
Exact placement not needed.
Most glare removed.

The spirals appeared to confuse the scanner at times, so restarted with single pages.

just under 20 minutes
85 pages/images
about 15 seconds per page/image
the spirals required a few seconds adjusting on every page flip.

foot pedal makes it easy to take scans (in case hands are busy)
an automatic mode (not yet tried) will detect when the page is turned and automatically scan the next image.

Page of text as image: 1,000,000 bytes (not searchable)
Page of text as text: 1,000 bytes (searchable)

The OCR is available in many language but works best on simple fonts. The output is available in Word, Excel, text, searchable PDF (Portable Document Format).

Select the images (usually all).
Select the options.

The OCR conversion can take a while so take a break and come back later. For the 85 images, including pages of directory names and addresses, it took about 4 minutes. One can move the task to the background and continue with other tasks.

The Word document, with OCR text, separates the photos. The photos and text can be extracted (e.g., via a simple Python program). The names and addresses can be extracted in a similar manner.

Note that one reads left-right on a line and then goes to the next line. The software may extract in column rather than row order.

The Excel spreadsheet, with OCR text, appears to include only the text.. The text can be extracted (e.g., via a simple Python program). The names and addresses can be extracted in a similar manner.
Note that one reads left-right on a line and then goes to the next line. The software may extract in column rather than row order.

The above half-tone picture shows the Honor Roll structure recently erected by the Elizabethtown Lions Club on the vacant lot opposite the American Legion Home here, and which contains the names of the men and women from this borough and com- munity who are serving, or who have served in the various branches of the United Stales armed forces in the present war. The dedication ceremony was held last Tuesday evening, July 11. The Honor Roll structure is 20 feet in length and 12 feet high, and has provision for 1000 names. It is a very creditable piece of workmanship and is the product of the Elizabethtown Planing Mill. Of the 816 names appearing on the Honor Roll, six have paid the supreme sacrifice, namely: Henry B. Aldinger, Charles Alien, Nojrman E. Davis, Stan- ley M. Disney, John H. Espenshade and Curl H. Hahn. The cooperation of the public is asked in supply- ing omitted or additional names in the future, by informing the Lions Club. Below is a list of the names appearing on the newly erected structure.

The enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan. Carl von Clausewitz (Prussian military theorist)

More: Carl von Clausewitz

Some future work:

Separating images within images on selected pages.

More notes:

A TPS (Transaction Processing System) is used to get input into the computer.

good design needed (systems design and analysis)
primary keys (relational database considerations)
being prepared for volunteers to scan
proper setup needed