Sharp PPC-ALL User Manual

Sharpdesk
V3.3
User’s Guide
Version 3.3.04
Sharpdesk User’s Guide i
Copyright
Trademark Acknowledgements
SHARP® is a registered trademark of SHARP CORPORATION.
Microsoft® and Windows® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
®
Internet Explorer
All other trademarks identified herein are the property of their respective owners.
, Word®, and Excel® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
ii Sharpdesk User’s Guide
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction.......................................................................................................1
Overview ................................................................................................................................ 2
About This Guide ................................................................................................................... 3
User’s Guide Organization..................................................................................................... 3
Definitions of Terms............................................................................................................... 4
Sharpdesk Online Help .......................................................................................................... 4
Chapter 2 Installing Sharpdesk ........................................................................................5
Installation Procedure............................................................................................................. 5
Software Location.............................................................................................................. 5
User File Location .............................................................................................................5
Sharpdesk CD Installation................................................................................................. 6
Uninstalling Sharpdesk ..........................................................................................................7
Chapter 3 Sharpdesk Overview........................................................................................8
Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 8
Starting Sharpdesk.................................................................................................................. 9
Menu Bar ........................................................................................................................... 9
Folder Window .................................................................................................................. 9
Toolbar ...............................................................................................................................9
Work Area ........................................................................................................................10
Property Bar..................................................................................................................... 10
Output Zone .....................................................................................................................10
Status Bar ......................................................................................................................... 10
Scroll Bars........................................................................................................................ 10
Navigating in Sharpdesk ...................................................................................................... 11
Working with the Folder Window................................................................................... 11
Right-Click Options.................................................................................................... 11
The Sharpdesk Menu....................................................................................................... 13
The Sharpdesk Toolbar .................................................................................................... 15
The Sharpdesk Property bar ............................................................................................ 16
The Sharpdesk Output Zone............................................................................................ 16
Exiting Sharpdesk ................................................................................................................ 17
Chapter 4 Working with Sharpdesk ...............................................................................18
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................18
Viewing Images and Documents ......................................................................................... 18
Working within a Folder.................................................................................................. 19
Working with Images.......................................................................................................20
Combine ...................................................................................................................... 20
Split.............................................................................................................................. 20
Sharpdesk User’s Guide iii
Rotate........................................................................................................................... 20
Controlling the Desktop Display..................................................................................... 21
Changing the Thumbnail Size .................................................................................... 21
Adding/Removing an Application on the Output Zone............................................. 21
Set up Sharpdesk Entry Folder ................................................................................... 21
Viewing Image Files (Not supported in Windows Vista / Windows 7)......................... 22
Setting the File Types to be viewed by Sharpdesk Imaging (Not supported in Windows
Vista / Windows 7)...................................................................................................... 22
Notification of Changes to File Type Viewer (Not supported in Windows Vista /
Windows 7) ................................................................................................................. 22
Setting Export Options .................................................................................................... 23
Changing the Default Export Resolution ................................................................... 24
Changing Color Settings............................................................................................. 24
Viewing a Document’s Property Details......................................................................... 24
Organizing Files ................................................................................................................... 25
Selecting Files.................................................................................................................. 25
Opening Files...................................................................................................................25
Deleting Files................................................................................................................... 26
Restoring a File................................................................................................................26
Moving Documents and Folders..................................................................................... 26
Creating Folder Shortcuts................................................................................................ 26
Reordering Folders .......................................................................................................... 26
Copying a File..................................................................................................................26
Renaming a File............................................................................................................... 27
Attaching a Document to Electronic Mail (Email)......................................................... 27
Compressing Images ....................................................................................................... 28
Using Image Compression Tool (ICT)....................................................................... 30
Input formats supported.............................................................................................. 30
Compressed Output File ............................................................................................. 31
Output Page Size......................................................................................................... 31
Controlling ICT........................................................................................................... 31
Quality / Size............................................................................................................... 32
Output Folder .............................................................................................................. 34
Viewing the new PDF file........................................................................................... 34
Controlling the ICT Preferences Dialog..................................................................... 34
Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................... 35
Enhance Image................................................................................................................. 35
Creating Text PDF................................................................................................................ 35
Scanning with Sharpdesk..................................................................................................... 36
Scanning Documents....................................................................................................... 36
iv Sharpdesk User’s Guide
To scan an image from a scanner using the TWAIN driver: ..................................... 36
To scan an image from a scanner using the WIA driver:........................................... 36
To scan an image from a camera using the WIA driver: ........................................... 36
Setting Scanning Options ................................................................................................ 36
Viewing Scanned Images ................................................................................................37
Changing Scanning Options............................................................................................ 38
Chapter 5 Searching with Sharpdesk ............................................................................39
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................39
Setup Required................................................................................................................. 40
Index Databases ..........................................................................................................40
Ignored Words............................................................................................................. 41
Restrictions.................................................................................................................. 41
Searching ..............................................................................................................................42
To run a search .................................................................................................................42
Search Query Syntax ....................................................................................................... 43
Phrases.........................................................................................................................43
Wildcards (* and ?)..................................................................................................... 43
Examining the Results..................................................................................................... 45
Sorting the Results List.................................................................................................... 46
Moving Files....................................................................................................................46
Running Another Search ................................................................................................. 46
Viewing the Last Search.................................................................................................. 47
Using Favorite Searches.................................................................................................. 47
Advanced Searching Techniques .................................................................................... 47
File Attributes Tab....................................................................................................... 48
Document Properties Tab............................................................................................ 48
Favorites Button.......................................................................................................... 49
Customizing Search Preferences ......................................................................................... 49
Setting up an Index............................................................................................................... 51
Creating a New Index Database...................................................................................... 51
Editing an Index Database............................................................................................... 55
Deleting an Index Database............................................................................................. 56
Setting up an Index Schedule............................................................................................... 56
Manually Indexing the Database..................................................................................... 58
Monitoring the Indexing Process .................................................................................... 58
Show Progress............................................................................................................. 60
Show Last Indexing ....................................................................................................60
Perform Indexing ........................................................................................................60
Cancel Indexing ..........................................................................................................61
Exit............................................................................................................................... 61
Sharpdesk User’s Guide v
Chapter 6 Composing with Sharpdesk..........................................................................62
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................62
Starting Composer................................................................................................................ 64
Menu Bar .........................................................................................................................64
Toolbar .............................................................................................................................64
Work Area ........................................................................................................................64
Reference Area................................................................................................................. 65
Menu Options ..................................................................................................................65
Toolbar Options ...............................................................................................................66
Working with Composer...................................................................................................... 67
Loading Pages into Composer ........................................................................................67
Adding Pages into Composer ..................................................................................... 68
Adding Pages from Sharpdesk or Windows Explorer............................................... 68
Creating Composer Documents ...................................................................................... 69
Arranging Pages.......................................................................................................... 69
Deleting Pages............................................................................................................. 69
Controlling Page Content ................................................................................................ 70
Headers and Footers.................................................................................................... 70
Paper Source................................................................................................................ 72
Attaching a Document to Email...................................................................................... 73
Saving Documents........................................................................................................... 73
Opening a Composer Document..................................................................................... 74
Closing Composer................................................................................................................74
Chapter 7 Sharpdesk Imaging ........................................................................................75
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................75
Basic Imaging Concepts....................................................................................................... 75
What is Imaging?............................................................................................................. 75
Types of Images............................................................................................................... 76
Image File Formats.......................................................................................................... 76
Image Documents............................................................................................................ 76
Sharpdesk Imaging...............................................................................................................77
Imaging Application ........................................................................................................77
Display Images............................................................................................................ 77
Convert Image Files.................................................................................................... 78
Change Image Display................................................................................................ 79
Scan Images................................................................................................................. 79
Annotate Images ......................................................................................................... 79
Create a Contact Sheet ................................................................................................ 80
Image Processing ........................................................................................................80
Using the Imaging Application ....................................................................................... 81
vi Sharpdesk User’s Guide
Starting Sharpdesk Imaging........................................................................................ 81
Finding an Image Document ...................................................................................... 81
Setting Properties ........................................................................................................ 81
Finding Specified Properties....................................................................................... 82
Displaying an Image Document...................................................................................... 84
Opening the Document............................................................................................... 84
Changing the Display.................................................................................................. 84
Displaying and Changing Thumbnails....................................................................... 85
Creating a Contact Sheet............................................................................................. 86
Annotating a Document................................................................................................... 87
Applying a Rubber Stamp ..........................................................................................87
Adding a Highlight ..................................................................................................... 89
Changing Highlight Properties................................................................................... 89
Document Enhancement .................................................................................................90
Removing Speckles From a Document...................................................................... 90
Straightening a Page.................................................................................................... 90
Chapter 8 Converting Images to Text ............................................................................92
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................92
Setting Convert by OCR Options ........................................................................................ 93
Setting the Output File format......................................................................................... 94
Setting the Original Document Layout........................................................................... 94
Setting Languages in Document ..................................................................................... 95
Selecting a User Dictionary............................................................................................. 95
Selecting an existing dictionary.................................................................................. 96
Modifying a user dictionary ....................................................................................... 96
Creating a new User Dictionary .................................................................................97
Setting the Reject Character ............................................................................................ 98
Controlling the OCR Options Dialog .............................................................................98
Controlling Application Launch...................................................................................... 98
Convert an Image using Drag-and-Drop............................................................................. 98
Chapter 9 Glossary ........................................................................................................100
Sharpdesk User’s Guide vii
Chapter 1
Introduction
Welcome to Sharpdesk! This software offers you a complete, easy-to-use solution for organizing and working with your paper and electronic documents and images. Once a document has been saved to your PC, you can use Sharpdesk to organize it, view it, and then print it or e-mail it. Sharpdesk integrates the tools you need.
This User’s Guide describes the standard features of Sharpdesk. Sharpdesk also works with other Sharp products that might add new capabilities to Sharpdesk that are not included in this Guide. The details of these new capabilities are described in the literature that comes with the Sharp product that “links in” to Sharpdesk.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 1

Overview

Working with Sharpdesk, you can:
Scan Images and Documents Sharpdesk works with your scanner to let you read paper
documents into your PC using all of the scanning controls and options provided with your TWAIN scanner or Sharp multi-functional peripheral (MFP) with the Network Scanner Tool option. Sharpdesk provides you with both “simple” scanning options as well as “advanced” options, giving you full control over scanning preferences.
Convert Images to Text Text images scanned into Sharpdesk can be converted into
editable text for use with common word processors. Sharpdesk uses an advanced Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engine that even preserves your document layouts. You can also convert an image containing text into a word processing format by simply dragging it from any folder onto the Sharpdesk Output Zone.
Prepare Production Ready Documents Using Sharpdesk Composer, you can combine
files of different types into a single production-ready document. For example, combine a
®
file with an Excel® file and then add in a Lotus® file. In general, any application that
Word can send documents to a printer can contribute pages to a Composer document. Reorder pages as you want them to appear and then print the entire document into stapled sets, making a single trip to the printer to collect your new documents.
View Your Images Using Sharpdesk Imaging, viewing your stored images, scanned
images, and digital camera images is quick and easy.
Distribute Your Documents Distribute documents by e-mail or print a hard copy as
easily as dragging a file onto an icon on the Sharpdesk Output Zone.
Import/Export an Image or Document Import, store, and manage .BMP,.JPG,
.PCX,.TIF, or .PDF documents and images directly from Sharpdesk.
Advanced Search Capabilities Search for images and documents using a wide variety
of search criteria including a single word, a phrase, or a list of words. Search for particular images or documents using a document path, image/document type, modified date, image/document size, a document’s property specifications, or Boolean operations “and”,
“or”, “not”, or “near”
.
2 Sharpdesk User’s Guide

About This Guide

This User’s Guide assumes you have a basic understanding of Windows operation and are familiar with Windows terms. This includes how to start your system and navigate within a Windows environment, and perform such basic Windows functions as copying, printing and moving documents. For assistance in using Windows or Internet Explorer, refer to your Microsoft Windows user documentation.

User’s Guide Organization

This user’s guide is organized into the following chapters:
Chapter 1, Introduction
A basic overview of Sharpdesk features, options, system requirements, and User’s Guide organization.
Chapter 2, Installing Sharpdesk
Reviews the installation process and how to uninstall the software.
Chapter 3, Sharpdesk Overview
This chapter looks at how to navigate and work within Sharpdesk, including its menu and toolbar options.
Chapter 4, Working with Sharpdesk
This chapter explains how to change the view of your images and documents in Sharpdesk, and how to organize them, including how to open, save, copy, and move documents. It reviews Sharpdesk scanning options and controls including how to select a scanner, scan an image into Sharpdesk, and set scanning options.
Chapter 5, Searching with Sharpdesk
This chapter shows you how to search for images and documents using Sharpdesk’s advanced searching capabilities from using a single word or phrase, to using the Boolean operations “and”, “or”, “not”, or “near”.
Chapter 6, Composing with Sharpdesk
Creating production-ready documents could not be easier with Sharpdesk Composer. This chapter shows you how to combine documents, re-order documents, and print a final document.
Chapter 7, Sharpdesk Imaging
The tools for viewing images are reviewed in this chapter, including adjusting the view of images, printing images, and adjusting Imaging default options.
Chapter 8, Converting Images to Text
This chapter shows you how to convert an image into a format you can use with your favorite word processor and provides a few helpful hints on what you can do once it has been converted.
Chapter 9, Glossary
List of terms used in this Guide or related to image processing.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 3

Definitions of Terms

As you work with Sharpdesk, keep in mind how the following terms are used:
Images
In Sharpdesk, the term Image refers to items that can be loaded into Imaging.
Devices
A device is a piece of hardware such as a scanner, printer, fax machine, digital camera or copier.
OCR
Optical Character Recognition (OCR). A technology that lets you convert an image into a form that is compatible with common word processors.

Sharpdesk Online Help

The online help provides step-by-step instructions for performing Sharpdesk tasks. You can access the online help by using the Help menu in each application.
4 Sharpdesk User’s Guide
1.
Chapter 2
Installing Sharpdesk

Installation Procedure

Installing the Sharpdesk software is simple and straightforward. When you install Sharpdesk, the entire suite of Sharpdesk applications, including Sharpdesk, Composer, and Imaging, is loaded into your PC.

Software Location

By default, the Sharpdesk software is installed on your default boot drive (usually C:\) in a folder named Sharpdesk (the full path is C:\Program Files\Sharp\Sharpdesk\), unless you specify another drive and/or folder during installation. The installation process also changes some of your system files to allow all the Sharpdesk components to work properly.

User File Location

You can also specify the location of where to store the documents and images you work on in Sharpdesk. Unless otherwise specified, the installation program creates a new Sharpdesk Desktop folder and subfolders under C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\My Documents\ (C:\Users\<username>\Documents\ on Vista / Windows 7 systems). If you specify another location for your data files, you should not assign them into the same folder (or sub-folder) as the Sharpdesk software, since all Sharpdesk software folders will be deleted if Sharpdesk is ever uninstalled.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 5

Sharpdesk CD Installation

To install Sharpdesk from a CD:
1. If any Windows applications are open, close them to ensure that the software installs properly. In particular, anti-virus programs such as “Norton AntiVirus” may report false warnings if they are not disabled prior to installation.
2. Log into your PC with a user ID with full Administrator privileges. Note: Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 will allow non-administrator users to perform administrator tasks if they know the login to a full administrator; however, it will not work for Sharpdesk. If presented with a Windows “Run As” dialog, Cancel the dialog and log in as an Administrator before starting or continuing the installation of Sharpdesk.
3. Insert the installation CD into your CD-ROM drive. In a few moments, the installation Welcome screen automatically appears on your monitor screen. If the Welcome screen does not appear (for example, because you have disabled the Windows Auto Run feature), run the Setup.exe program located in the \Sharpdesk directory on the CD. NOTE: If the CD supports multiple languages, you need to choose a language first.
Sharpdesk Installation Welcome Screen
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
5. Once the installation completes, Sharpdesk is ready to use (no reboot required).
During installation, a folder is created in your Program Files directory or the location you specified during installation containing all the Sharpdesk, Composer, and Imaging software files. You will also find a Sharpdesk entry added to your Start/Programs menu containing the Sharpdesk and Imaging software files. Finally, a Sharpdesk shortcut is placed on your desktop making access to the software very convenient.
6 Sharpdesk User’s Guide

Uninstalling Sharpdesk

If you need to uninstall Sharpdesk, you can do so using the following standard Windows procedure for uninstalling software.
1. Click the Windows Start button, then Settings and Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
Add/Remove Programs Properties Dialog Box
3. In the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box, scroll down the software list and click on Sharpdesk.
4. Click Add/Remove.
5. When the confirmation message displays, click OK to complete the Sharpdesk uninstallation. Note that the uninstall process will not delete document files or folders created or modified after Sharpdesk was installed. Data files installed with Sharpdesk (Search Samples, for instance) will be removed during uninstall if they have not been modified.
6. When complete, click OK to close the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box.
The menu item, “Uninstall”, in the Windows startup menu also launches this process.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 7
Chapter 3
Sharpdesk Overview

Introduction

Sharpdesk is a Windows application that provides integrated organization for all your paper and electronic documents and images. With Sharpdesk, you can:
Scan and view documents
Convert images into text documents
Organize documents and images among Windows folders
Distribute documents by e-mail
Sharpdesk makes working with the devices connected to your computer (scanner, printer, or digital camera) more efficient, easy, and productive than ever before.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 8

Starting Sharpdesk

r
r
You can start Sharpdesk from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start, pointing to Programs, then to Sharpdesk, and finally clicking Sharpdesk.
You can also start Sharpdesk from the Windows desktop by double-clicking the Sharpdesk shortcut icon.

Menu Bar

Property Bar
Toolba
Work Area Folder Window
Output Zone
Status Ba
Sharpdesk Main Window
Folders and files are selected by clicking on them in the Folder Window or in the Work Area. Once selected, you can display information or execute commands by right-clicking on them. Or, you can choose a command from the Menu Bar, Toolbar, Propert Bar, or Output Zone. Sharpdesk provides you with a convenient way of viewing, organizing, and distributing your files.
Sharpdesk is comprised of the following elements:
Menu Bar
The menu bar contains all the commands that are available in Sharpdesk, from opening and displaying documents to accessing product support on the Internet.

Folder Window

The Folder Window lets you access your files and system resources. It can be used much like Windows Explorer to locate and display information from Sharpdesk or your Folder/Drive.

Toolbar

The toolbar provides quick access to key commands and other Sharpdesk applications such as the Sharpdesk Composer and Imaging.
In circumstances where a command or application is not possible, the toolbar button is dimmed and unavailable for selection. (Exception: The “Acquire” Button is dimmed after the first
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 9
execution if it is unavailable.) To see what a toolbar option can do, place the mouse pointer directly over the toolbar icon and a tool tip appears explaining the function of that option.

Work Area

The work area displays the contents of a selected folder in a thumbnail view. From the work area, you can select a file to work with, and then view it, convert it to text, or print it.

Property Bar

The property bar gives details or properties of a selected thumbnail in the work area.
Using the search box on the property bar, we can search for a keyword from the selected database(s).

Output Zone

The Sharpdesk Output Zone displays icons for various destinations you can send files to. The Output Zone lets you print, fax, e-mail, enhance the images with the options like de-speckle, auto crop, straighten, and auto-rotate, convert images to text, compress images into PDF files, and pass files to other applications of your choice with a simple drag-and-drop operation.

Status Bar

The status bar displays information about a selected file in addition to command and toolbar definitions. The definitions appear when you move the mouse pointer over a command or toolbar option. This is standard Windows status bar behavior.

Scroll Bars

If the contents of the Folder Window or the Work Area are more than can be displayed in the current window, Sharpdesk provides scroll bars that let you view all the available information.
10 Sharpdesk User’s Guide

Navigating in Sharpdesk

Working with Sharpdesk is very easy. It is designed to let you find your images and documents quickly using the Folder Window, the Menu Bar, and the Toolbar.

Working with the Folder Window

By default, the Folder Window appears at the left on the Sharpdesk screen. The Folder Window can be used much like Windows Explorer to locate and display information from Sharpdesk, your hard disk, or any connected network drives.
Using the Folder Window, you can display both the hierarchy of your Folder/Drive contents and the individual contents of each selected folder in the work area. Click on a folder to display the files contained in that folder in the work area.
Expand all
Collapse all
Sharpdesk Desktop contains files and documents that you use often or are important to you.
Use the Folder Window as you would Windows Explorer to locate, select and manage your documents.
Sharpdesk Folder Window
Note: Deleting or renaming system files or folders may cause Windows or other applications to become unstable. Do not delete or rename files or folders without understanding what can occur.
Right-Click Options
Right-click on a folder
in the Folder Window to display a popup menu with Explorer-like menu
options that let you perform the following actions:
New Folder — create a new folder at the current location.
Rename — rename the selected folder.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 11
Delete — delete the selected folder into the Windows recycle bin.
Sharpdesk Folders — add a folder shortcut to the Sharpdesk Folder window, reorder folders
in the Folder Window, or remove folder shortcuts from the Folder Window.
Copy — copy the contents of the selected folder into the Clipboard.
Paste — paste the contents of the clipboard at the current location.
Properties — display property information for the selected folder.
Right-click in the Work Area Explorer-like menu options that let you perform the following actions:
(away from any documents) to display a popup menu with
Scan Document — displays the Scanning dialog that lets you set scanning options and then
scan an image into Sharpdesk.
From Scanner or Camera — displays the Device dialog allowing you to select a scanner or
camera. A Scanning dialog (which will be different for each device) then displays allowing you to set scanning options for the selected WIA device and then scan an image into Sharpdesk.
Paste — paste the contents of the Clipboard at the current location.
Search — display the Search page
Select All — select all documents in the current folder.
Arrange — arrange thumbnails by Name, Date, Size, Type, or force all new folders to the
end of the folder (Auto Arrange Off).
Preferences — set preferences for displaying thumbnails, names for new scanned files, text
conversion and image export resolution options.
Right-click on a document options that let you perform the following actions:
in the Work Area to display a popup menu with Explorer-like menu
Open — open the selected file. If a readable image is selected, it opens in Imaging.
Copy — copy the selected files to the clipboard.
Combine — stack two or more images together into a single file.
Split — separate a multi-page image file into two files.
Rotate — rotate the selected file 90 degrees to the left or right.
Rename — rename the selected file.
Delete — delete the selected file into the Windows recycle bin.
Send As — attach the selected file to a mail message using default email client on the user’s
PC. If the selected file is an .SDF file, and the PDF format is selected, the file is first converted to PDF format before starting the email client. Only .SDF files may be converted to PDF format before they are sent.
Convert to text PDF—Converts images into searchable PDF and allows working with the
text present in the PDF.
Properties — display property information for the selected file.
12 Sharpdesk User’s Guide

The Sharpdesk Menu

The Sharpdesk menu provides you with the following options:
FILE MENU DESCRIPTION
New Folder Create a new folder at the current location.
Open… Open the currently selected file or folder. If a readable image is selected, it
opens in Imaging.
Rename Lets you rename a selected file or folder.
Delete Delete the currently selected file or folder into the Windows recycle bin.
Sharpdesk Folders… Display the Sharpdesk Folders dialog allowing you to add a folder shortcut
to the Sharpdesk Folder window, reorder how folders display in the Folder Window, or remove s shortcut from the Folder Window.
Print… Print a selected file by opening its native application and causing it to print to
the current system default printer.
Acquire Image… Displays the User Interface from the TWAIN driver (which will be different
for each scanner) that lets you set various options and then scan an image into Sharpdesk. For more information, refer to “Chapter 4, Working with Sharpdesk.”
Select Scanner… Select a TWAIN scanning driver for use in scanning images and documents.
From Scanner or Camera Displays the Device dialog allowing you to select a scanner or camera. A
Scanning dialog (which will be different for each device) then displays allowing you to set scanning options for the selected WIA device and then scan an image into Sharpdesk.
Send As Attach the selected file to a mail message using the default email client on
your PC. If the selected file is an .SDF file, and the PDF format is selected, the file is first converted to PDF format before starting the email client. Only .SDF files may be converted to PDF format before they are sent.
Properties Display property information for the selected file.
Exit Exit and close Sharpdesk.
EDIT MENU DESCRIPTION
Copy Copy the currently selected file or folder to the clipboard.
Paste Paste the contents of the clipboard at the current location.
Combine Stack two or more images together into a single file
Split Separate a multi-page image file into two files
Rotate Rotate the selected file 90 degrees to the left or right.
Select All Select all documents in the current folder.
VIEW MENU DESCRIPTION
Folders Toggle the default folder window on and off.
Toolbars Toggles the Toolbar, Text Labels, and Large Buttons on and off.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 13
VIEW MENU DESCRIPTION
Status Bar Toggle the status bar on and off.
Output Zone Toggle the display of the Output Zone on and off.
Property Bar Toggle the display of the Property Bar on and off.
Refresh Refresh the thumbnails in the work area.
Arrange Arrange thumbnails by Name, Date, Type, or Size. Select Auto Arrange Off to
have all new files added at the end of the folder, regardless of their name, date, type, or size.
Next Page If the thumbnail has more than one page, view the next one
Previous Page If the thumbnail has more than one page, view the previous one
Launch Explorer Launch Windows Explorer.
Application Look Toggles the Blue Theme and Silver Theme on and off.
TOOLS MENU DESCRIPTION
Product Configuration Configure your Sharp-connected devices.
Preferences… Set preferences for displaying thumbnails, names for new scanned files, text
conversion, image compression and image export resolution options.
Desktop Return to the thumbnail view in the currently open folder
Search Display the search page, view, edit or create an index database, view or
change the indexing schedule, view the results of the last search, or display the Search Properties page.
Imaging Launch Imaging component of Sharpdesk.
Composer Launch Composer component of Sharpdesk.
INTERNET MENU DESCRIPTION
Sharp Product Info Display the Internet page connected to Sharp Product Information.
OUTPUT ZONE MENU DESCRIPTION
Print Prints a single copy of the image to your default printer. To print to another
printer, click on the Down Arrow and select the desired printer.
FAX Sends the image/document to the host-resident fax utility allowing it to be
transmitted over a telephone line.
eMail Launches your e-mail application inserting the selected image/document as an
attachment.
Convert by OCR Sends the image/document though the OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
engine displaying it in the selected editor.
Composer Prints the document using the Sharpdesk Composer print driver and opens
Composer.
Enhance Image Provides image enhancement options like de-speckle, auto crop, straighten
and auto-rotate to allow the user to enhance the image documents.
ICT (Image Compression Tool)
14 Sharpdesk User’s Guide
Converts images into PDF files using JPEG 2000 compression algorithm to make the size of the file smaller.
Convert to Text PDF Converts images into searchable PDF and allows working with the text
p
present in the PDF.
Application Allows you to access other applications from the Output Zone. In the example
above, Microsoft Paint has been added to the Output Zone. To add an application to the Application button, use the Tools/Preferences menu item described later.
HELP MENU DESCRIPTION
Contents and Index Display the Sharpdesk online help.
About Sharpdesk Display Sharpdesk product version and copyright information.

The Sharpdesk Toolbar

The Sharpdesk toolbar allows you quick access to key commands and additional Sharpdesk applications such as Composer and Imaging.
To display a popup tip for a command, move the mouse slowly over its icon.
Sharpdesk Toolbar
The toolbar lets you perform the following functions:
TOOL BUTTON DESCRIPTION
Acquire Displays the User Interface from the TWAIN driver (which will be different for
each scanner) that lets you set various options and then scan an image into Sharpdesk. For more information, refer to “Chapter 4, Working with Sharpdesk.”
Copy Copy the currently selected file or folder to the clipboard.
Paste Paste the contents of the clipboard at the current location.
Combine Stack two or more images together into a single file
Split Separate a multi-page image file into two files
Rotate Rotate the selected file 90 degrees to the left or right.
Arrange Arrange a selected folder display in the work area by Name, Size, Type, or Date.
The current selection will be used to sort the thumbnails of every folder selected. If the folder receives many new files, you may want to turn Auto Arrange off. This will cause each new file to appear at the end of the folder.
Explorer Start Windows Explorer.
Desktop Return to the thumbnail view in the currently open folder.
Search Display the search page, view, edit or create an index database, view or change the
indexing schedule, view the results of the last search, or display the Search Properties page.
Imaging Launches Imaging, allowing you to view documents and images. For more
information, refer to “Chapter 7, Sharpdesk Imaging.”
Composer Launches Composer, letting you combine pages from multiple documents into a
new Shar
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 15
desk document. For more information, refer to “Chapter 6,Composing
with Sharpdesk.”

The Sharpdesk Property bar

The Sharpdesk property bar lets you view the properties of the selected thumbnail in the work area. It also allows you to quickly search for a key word using the search box provided on the property bar.
You can also select the different databases, in which you want to search for a keyword.
Property Bar

The Sharpdesk Output Zone

The Sharpdesk Output Zone lets you perform functions by simply dragging and dropping a selected file to the appropriate Output Zone button. You can also highlight a file and click the desired Output Zone button. To change the destination of an Output Zone button, click the “down arrow” to its right and select another choice from the drop-down menu that appears.
Output Zone
The Output Zone, when enabled, appears at the right of the Sharpdesk Work Area. The Print, Fax, and eMail buttons appear if your computer has the supporting software installed. For instance, if you do not have a Fax driver (‘fax’ somewhere in its name) installed the Fax button will not appear. The same is true for the eMail button if your computer does not have a MAPI­compliant email client installed:
LABEL DESCRIPTION
Print Prints a single copy of the image to your default printer. To print to
another printer, click on the Down Arrow and select the desired printer.
Fax Sends the image/document to the host-resident fax utility allowing it to
be transmitted over a telephone line.
eMail Launches your e-mail application inserting the selected image/document
as an attachment.
Convert by OCR Sends the image/document though the OCR (Optical Character
Recognition) engine displaying it in the selected editor.
Composer Prints the document using the Sharpdesk Composer print driver and
opens Composer.
16 Sharpdesk User’s Guide
Enhance Image Provides image enhancement options like de-speckle, auto crop,
straighten and auto-rotate to allow the user to enhance the image documents
ICT (Image Compression Tool)
Convert to Text PDF Converts images into searchable PDF and allows working with the text
Application Allows you to access other applications from the Output Zone. In the
Converts images into PDF files using JPEG 2000 compression algorithm to make the size of the file smaller.
present in the PDF.
example above, Microsoft Paint has been added to the Output Zone. To add an application to the Application button, use the Tools/Preferences menu item described later.

Exiting Sharpdesk

To exit and close Sharpdesk, choose the Exit command from the File menu.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 17
Chapter 4
Working with Sharpdesk

Introduction

Sharpdesk makes it easy to identify, locate, and organize your files. This chapter reviews how to work with each of the options Sharpdesk provides.

Viewing Images and Documents

When you open a folder in Sharpdesk, you view the documents contained in the folder as a thumbnail of the document. If the number of documents within a folder exceeds the available work area, horizontal and/or vertical scroll bars appear. You can use them to scroll through the work area to view all the documents.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 18

Working within a Folder

On the Folder Window, click on the desired folder. The documents contained in the folder are displayed in the work area. Each of your documents appears as a thumbnail image, showing the file’s name and type. Note that it takes longer to generate thumbnails the first time a folder is selected.
The Thumbnails view shows each file as a thumbnail of the
l file.
actua
Viewing Files as Thumbnails
To page through a multi-page document, click on the document to select it, and then click on the tab on either side of the thumbnail near the top. Or, use the Next Page or Previous Page options in the View menu. When you move to the second page of a multi-page document, Sharpdesk will “look ahead” at all of the pages to be ready for the next page request. The caption of the thumbnail contains the current page number and the total known page count of the document, separated by the ‘/’ character. (For many documents, it is necessary to page through the entire document to determine the total number of pages. Until the total page count of the file is known, only the current page number will be displayed.) You can page back to the front of the document using the left arrow or the Previous Page option on the View menu. Note that page numbers displayed on the thumbnails are only an approximation of the number of pages known to the application that created the file; the thumbnail page numbers may not match those the application would use. Similarly, page breaks shown in the thumbnail may not match those shown by the creating application.
The work area is automatically arranged according to the selected option from the Arrange toolbar button. You can arrange thumbnails by Name, Date, Size (of the image file), or Type. Whenever new documents are added to the work area, the thumbnails will be rearranged according to the current setting of the Arrange option, with the new document occupying the
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 19
appropriate place. If you want new files arriving in the folder to be placed at the end, select Auto Arrange Off; they will remain in that position until you refresh the display.
If the document cannot be displayed as a thumbnail (for instance, it may be a “zip” file or it may be password-protected), it will be shown in the work area in the following manner:
If the document is an encrypted PDF file, it cannot be displayed as a thumbnail. Instead, the following icon will be displayed for an encrypted PDF file:
If the thumbnails do not appear as expected, select the Refresh command from the View menu or press the ‘F5’ key on the keyboard to correct the problem.

Working with Images

Combine
You can combine .TIF image documents in the work area by clicking on an image, then dragging and dropping it on the .TIF image you want to combine it with. You can also combine .TIF images by clicking on the images (hold down the Shift key to select multiple images), then selecting the Combine command from the Edit menu, or from the Combine button on the toolbar. You can also combine .SDF documents in the same manner.
Split
You can split multi-page .TIF and .SDF documents into separate documents by clicking on the multi-page document, stepping through the thumbnail pages to the spot where you want to split, and then select the Split command from the Edit menu or from the Split button on the toolbar. The split will cause the selected thumbnail page to appear as the first page of the split document.
Rotate
You can rotate a .TIF image files 90 degrees to the left or to the right by clicking on the file, then selecting the desired option from the Rotate option in the Edit menu (or from the toolbar). Note that all images within a multi-page image document are rotated. If the .TIF file contains pages that are Grayscale or compressed using JPEG, rotation is not permitted from Sharpdesk Desktop. Open the file with Sharpdesk Imaging (described in “Chapter 7: Sharpdesk Imaging”) to attempt operations not permitted on thumbnails on the Desktop.
20 Sharpdesk User’s Guide

Controlling the Desktop Display

Sharpdesk lets you customize the Desktop according to your preferences:
Choose the Preferences command from the Tools menu, and click on the Desktop tab, if
not already displayed.
Desktop Display Options
Changing the Thumbnail Size
To change the thumbnail size, click on your preference: Small, Medium, or Large.
Adding/Removing an Application on the Output Zone
The current applications available on the Output Zone are listed in the Output Zone list box. To add an application, click the Add button and enter the path to the program you want placed on the Output Zone, or use the Browse button to locate and select the program. After selecting the application, click OK.
To remove an application from the Output Zone, select its name from the Output Zone list box and click on the Remove button.
Set up Sharpdesk Entry Folder
If you always want to enter Sharpdesk with the Sharpdesk Desktop folder displayed, uncheck the ‘Remember last folder…’ box. If you want to enter Sharpdesk with the last folder you were in displayed, check the ‘Remember last folder…’ box.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 21
To save your preference settings, click OK.

Viewing Image Files (Not supported in Windows Vista / Windows 7)

Sharpdesk lets you choose the various image file types you can view with Sharpdesk Imaging. To do so, choose the Preferences command from the Tools menu and click on the Imaging Files tab:
Imaging Files Handling Options
Setting the File Types to be viewed by Sharpdesk Imaging (Not supported in Windows Vista / Windows 7)
The file types that can be viewed with Imaging are listed. Simply check the box next to the file type you want Imaging to open when files of that type are double-clicked.
Notification of Changes to File Type Viewer (Not supported in Windows Vista / Windows 7)
Other programs also view image file types. If these programs are installed after Sharpdesk, they may change the automatic association with Sharpdesk Imaging that was set up when Sharpdesk was installed. When Sharpdesk starts, it checks to see if .TIF files, at least, are still associated with Sharpdesk Imaging. If they are not, a message to that effect will be displayed.
22 Sharpdesk User’s Guide
If you want Sharpdesk Imaging to view your .TIF files, click Yes. Sharpdesk Imaging will be set up to open your TIF files when they are double-clicked.
If you want the currently registered program to view your .TIF files, click No. This will allow the current viewing program to open your .TIF files when they are double-clicked. If you do not want to see this message again, click the ‘Do not ask me again.’ Checkbox. [If you change your mind later, you can re-establish the connection with Sharpdesk Imaging using the Tools/Preferences menu.]

Setting Export Options

Both Sharpdesk and Sharpdesk Composer allow you to attach and send files via email. In addition, Sharpdesk Composer allows you to export Composer files as Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) format files. (Refer to Chapter 6: Composing with Sharpdesk for details.) If you have Adobe’s PDFWriter software installed (version 5 or later), Sharpdesk will use that driver to create the PDF file.
If you do not have Adobe’s PDFWriter installed, Sharpdesk will create an “image PDF” file instead. The Export tab controls the PDF generation process for the image PDF file Sharpdesk provides. It does not affect the controls that are provided by Adobe with their software.
If your workstation has limited resources, converting a large image to a 300 dpi PDF file can take considerable time and disk storage. Or, if you want to send a large file via email, converting that file to a 300 dpi PDF file and sending it may strain the resources of either your or the recipient’s email application or may exceed size restrictions placed on email attachments by some Internet Service Providers. In such cases, you may modify the default image Export resolution settings. To do so, choose the Preferences command from the Sharpdesk Tools menu, and click the Export tab.
Sharpdesk User’s Guide 23
Loading...
+ 79 hidden pages