1DollarScan offers monthly subscription, new features

simplyparticular · 01-09-2013, 10:06 AM

I haven't used this service, but I've been tempted:

http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/artic...ument-scanning

BeccaPrice · 01-09-2013, 11:11 AM

I just scanned a book using 1DollarScan (there are several threads about them, if you search).

I paid extra for the 600 DPI scan, hoping that it would decrease OCR issues - I can't say what the book would have been like at 300 DPI, but I was disappointed by how many OCR issues I did find in my book.

AnemicOak · 01-09-2013, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I just scanned a book using 1DollarScan (there are several threads about them, if you search).

I paid extra for the 600 DPI scan, hoping that it would decrease OCR issues - I can't say what the book would have been like at 300 DPI, but I was disappointed by how many OCR issues I did find in my book.

OCR issues using their OCR or OCR you did yourself? What was the source book like (old paperback, new paperback, hardcover)?

BeccaPrice · 01-09-2013, 12:04 PM

It was a fairly old paperback, and I used their OCR.

it's possible that the higher DPI actully created more OCR problems than it solved, if spots on the page might have made their software mis-read a letter. I intend to do the next book with 300 DPI, and see if that's better or worse.

I'm converting duplicates of a rather obscure author of whom I am fond, slowly. I hope I can find some of her other fans to do the proofing for me, since I'm lousy at that.

HarryT · 01-09-2013, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I'm converting duplicates of a rather obscure author of whom I am fond, slowly. I hope I can find some of her other fans to do the proofing for me, since I'm lousy at that.

Scanning is the easy bit - proofing is the hard work. BTW - I'm sure you know this, but take care if you do decide to implement your plan. If these books are still protected by copyright, it would be copyright infringement to give anyone else a copy of the eBook.

BeccaPrice · 01-09-2013, 02:36 PM

Copyright is an issue, and I'm being very cautious. The proofreader I have in mind is my sister, if that makes a difference.

I have no idea how to contact this writer's (Patricia Veryan)'s literary estate to encourage them to issue her books in e-format. Many of her fans have tried and failed to locate a literary executor - her books may be stuck in some publisher's limbo, which is a damn shame.

rkomar · 01-09-2013, 03:24 PM

I'm not familiar with Mac or Windows software, but under Linux, there is a program called unpaper that can be used to clean up scanned images. Part of that is removing specks and marks that don't appear to be part of the text. Maybe you can find something similar for your platform, and give it a try before the OCR step?

mrevent · 04-22-2013, 02:39 PM

Does anyone know whether in Europe there is a similar service? --offering the option of sending books directly to them from amazon and other stores?

Thanks

JoHunt · 04-23-2013, 09:12 AM

I don't know if there is a similar service in Europe, but amazon.com has no geo-restrictions on regular books, so perhaps you can use the US site. Shipping from Amazon to 1DollarScan is $3.99 per book, which might even be less than shipping a similar item in Europe.

mrevent · 04-23-2013, 10:16 AM

Thanks joehunt, yes, I am aware of that. Yet, some of the sellers on amazon (not amazon itself) send only domestically. A European branch would be most useful in those cases. (similarly, for stores on abebooks and other local ones that either send only domestically or charge quite a lot for international shipping).

JoHunt · 04-23-2013, 11:37 AM

I think I'm misunderstanding what you're asking. 1DollarScan is located in the US, so all sellers on Amazon will ship to them.

Perhaps you're asking about a freight forwarder which provides you with a US address and then ships your purchases to you? If so, there are many such services available to various European countries (but I don't believe that they are inexpensive).

mrevent · 04-23-2013, 01:17 PM

Thanks again.
I don't need any US address. -- I probably had to specify as "amazon germany," "amazon france," "abebooks germany" etc. in the first message.

An example: a local store in France has a rare book. The store uses amazon.fr or abebooks.fr to sell their books.

But they ship only to France, or within Europe.

In this scenario (and many other variations --including the case of national bookstores, chapitre.com, buch.de etc.) a European branch would be very useful.

JoHunt · 04-23-2013, 02:43 PM

OK now I understand. Perhaps one of our European members will be able to provide some ideas for you.

mrevent · 09-27-2014, 04:13 AM

I suspect that I wrote about this before --but couldn't find it after searching here... Eridian.de seems to offer a service very similar to 1dollarscan. They are located in Germany --so very useful for books purchased on German sites... (the rates are not too higher than 1dollarscan).

(Still couldn't find any place for French books though, would be very useful... Anyone?)

mrevent · 11-25-2014, 11:00 AM

Ok, I have now used eridian.de for the first time and am really impressed! So, my review will almost be like an advertisement!

The scan quality was great and they added as a promotion what they call an OCM-format pdf — which vectorizes the OCR fonts. It seems similar to Acrobat’s clearscan, but at least in the case of the book they scanned for me, OCM-pdf was both smaller and cleaner than the clearscanned version I made with Acrobat Pro X for comparison. (I wonder about the program they use for obtaining such a result...)

The file with regular OCR was large as expected (as is the case for 1dollarscan OCR’s / any OCR in general with ‘text under image’); OCR quality was top in this “regular” version as in the ocm-pdf.

Plus, although I did not choose the “expedited shipping” option, they sent me the link to the pdf in one week only. And, they charge no extra fees for direct shipments from bookstores.

Thus, rather surprisingly, the scan costed less than what 1 dollarscan would charge for the same process. Less than half of it, actually, in this case. (if 1dollarscan charges for OCR/direct shipment/ quick delivery is added in to the calculation — and if the very attractive Premium/ Lite membership option there is disregarded). If eridian continues to give such a fast service, it will remain a quite viable option (especially for those ordering books from Europe).

Very kind and helpful “customer service” as well. Overall, highly recommended, especially so for books on sale in Germany/ Europe.

01-09-2013, 10:06 AM	#1
simplyparticular Guru Posts: 610 Karma: 1395952 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New York Device: Oasis 3 & GlowLight 4	1DollarScan offers monthly subscription, new features I haven't used this service, but I've been tempted: http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/artic...ument-scanning

04-23-2013, 01:17 PM	#12
mrevent Zealot Posts: 105 Karma: 87300 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: kindle 3w, dxg, 5, Kv	Thanks again. I don't need any US address. -- I probably had to specify as "amazon germany," "amazon france," "abebooks germany" etc. in the first message. An example: a local store in France has a rare book. The store uses amazon.fr or abebooks.fr to sell their books. But they ship only to France, or within Europe. In this scenario (and many other variations --including the case of national bookstores, chapitre.com, buch.de etc.) a European branch would be very useful. Last edited by mrevent; 04-23-2013 at 01:23 PM.

11-25-2014, 11:00 AM	#15
mrevent Zealot Posts: 105 Karma: 87300 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: kindle 3w, dxg, 5, Kv	Eridian.de Ok, I have now used eridian.de for the first time and am really impressed! So, my review will almost be like an advertisement! The scan quality was great and they added as a promotion what they call an OCM-format pdf — which vectorizes the OCR fonts. It seems similar to Acrobat’s clearscan, but at least in the case of the book they scanned for me, OCM-pdf was both smaller and cleaner than the clearscanned version I made with Acrobat Pro X for comparison. (I wonder about the program they use for obtaining such a result...) The file with regular OCR was large as expected (as is the case for 1dollarscan OCR’s / any OCR in general with ‘text under image’); OCR quality was top in this “regular” version as in the ocm-pdf. Plus, although I did not choose the “expedited shipping” option, they sent me the link to the pdf in one week only. And, they charge no extra fees for direct shipments from bookstores. Thus, rather surprisingly, the scan costed less than what 1 dollarscan would charge for the same process. Less than half of it, actually, in this case. (if 1dollarscan charges for OCR/direct shipment/ quick delivery is added in to the calculation — and if the very attractive Premium/ Lite membership option there is disregarded). If eridian continues to give such a fast service, it will remain a quite viable option (especially for those ordering books from Europe). Very kind and helpful “customer service” as well. Overall, highly recommended, especially so for books on sale in Germany/ Europe. Last edited by mrevent; 11-25-2014 at 11:08 AM.

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01-09-2013, 11:11 AM	#2
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	I just scanned a book using 1DollarScan (there are several threads about them, if you search). I paid extra for the 600 DPI scan, hoping that it would decrease OCR issues - I can't say what the book would have been like at 300 DPI, but I was disappointed by how many OCR issues I did find in my book.

01-09-2013, 12:04 PM	#4
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	It was a fairly old paperback, and I used their OCR. it's possible that the higher DPI actully created more OCR problems than it solved, if spots on the page might have made their software mis-read a letter. I intend to do the next book with 300 DPI, and see if that's better or worse. I'm converting duplicates of a rather obscure author of whom I am fond, slowly. I hope I can find some of her other fans to do the proofing for me, since I'm lousy at that.

01-09-2013, 02:36 PM	#6
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	Copyright is an issue, and I'm being very cautious. The proofreader I have in mind is my sister, if that makes a difference. I have no idea how to contact this writer's (Patricia Veryan)'s literary estate to encourage them to issue her books in e-format. Many of her fans have tried and failed to locate a literary executor - her books may be stuck in some publisher's limbo, which is a damn shame.

01-09-2013, 03:24 PM	#7
rkomar Wizard Posts: 2,985 Karma: 18343081 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633	I'm not familiar with Mac or Windows software, but under Linux, there is a program called unpaper that can be used to clean up scanned images. Part of that is removing specks and marks that don't appear to be part of the text. Maybe you can find something similar for your platform, and give it a try before the OCR step?

04-22-2013, 02:39 PM	#8
mrevent Zealot Posts: 105 Karma: 87300 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: kindle 3w, dxg, 5, Kv	Does anyone know whether in Europe there is a similar service? --offering the option of sending books directly to them from amazon and other stores? Thanks

04-23-2013, 09:12 AM	#9
JoHunt I am what I am Posts: 6,625 Karma: 62235665 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: iPad3, Voyage	I don't know if there is a similar service in Europe, but amazon.com has no geo-restrictions on regular books, so perhaps you can use the US site. Shipping from Amazon to 1DollarScan is $3.99 per book, which might even be less than shipping a similar item in Europe.

04-23-2013, 10:16 AM	#10
mrevent Zealot Posts: 105 Karma: 87300 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: kindle 3w, dxg, 5, Kv	Thanks joehunt, yes, I am aware of that. Yet, some of the sellers on amazon (not amazon itself) send only domestically. A European branch would be most useful in those cases. (similarly, for stores on abebooks and other local ones that either send only domestically or charge quite a lot for international shipping).

04-23-2013, 11:37 AM	#11
JoHunt I am what I am Posts: 6,625 Karma: 62235665 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: iPad3, Voyage	I think I'm misunderstanding what you're asking. 1DollarScan is located in the US, so all sellers on Amazon will ship to them. Perhaps you're asking about a freight forwarder which provides you with a US address and then ships your purchases to you? If so, there are many such services available to various European countries (but I don't believe that they are inexpensive).

04-23-2013, 02:43 PM	#13
JoHunt I am what I am Posts: 6,625 Karma: 62235665 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: iPad3, Voyage	OK now I understand. Perhaps one of our European members will be able to provide some ideas for you.

09-27-2014, 04:13 AM	#14
mrevent Zealot Posts: 105 Karma: 87300 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: kindle 3w, dxg, 5, Kv	I suspect that I wrote about this before --but couldn't find it after searching here... Eridian.de seems to offer a service very similar to 1dollarscan. They are located in Germany --so very useful for books purchased on German sites... (the rates are not too higher than 1dollarscan). (Still couldn't find any place for French books though, would be very useful... Anyone?)