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  • #2116731

    Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

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    by jujulady15 ·

    I just took over a job where the person before me was responsible for inputting a HUGE amount of data into an Access 2000 database. The work is for a non-profit organization that maintains a large contact database. Most of the information is on copies of Avery Label sheets (3 columns across, 10 rows down). Is there a way I can scan this information into Word or Excel, and then import it into an already existing Access table?

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    • #3856221

      Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      by officemanager ·

      In reply to Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      you can run them thru an OCR program like Omnipage, this will save as Word, then copy and paste each label

      • #3856204

        Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

        by jujulady15 ·

        In reply to Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

        I have scanned and saved several pages with OCR software in Word in a table format, but did not know how to import this data into Access to fit into the appropriate fields in my existing table. I also scanned same pages into Excel, with a similar result.

    • #3856078

      Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      by donq ·

      In reply to Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      Absolutely, You will need to create an Access table with one Field for each label part; and from your description you have 30 CONSISTENT parts. If your Avery Label sheets are on disk text is already stored as 30 seperate text objects. If the labels are on paper you will need a software program that converts graphics to text, AND allows you to individually identify the 30 seperate column/row intersecting text fields. Then you can import the text file directly into the Access Table where the individual Fields can be managed.

      If all this fails, or your not-for-profit organization can’t by software to convert graphic text (or a printed page) to written text Access recognizes you may need to create a user interface where each label is manually entered? Good Luck – Don Q.

    • #3858037

      Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      by mal4462 ·

      In reply to Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      Scan the labels and save the scanned file as an excel document or as a table. This will allow you to create an Access table easier. You will then be able to import the scanned excel spreadsheet into an already existing access table. Good luck

    • #3857037

      Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      by it_cowboy ·

      In reply to Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      Unfortunately, there is no way of automating this process entirely. There are too many variables with the data you have scanning in.

      For instance, if the number of lines on each label vary (3 on some, 4 on others, maybe 5?), which data goes intowhich field?

      If you have successfully scanned the documents to text, you have saved yourself the majority of work, but the rest is cut and paste.

      If I was presented with this problem, I would go about it in the following manner…

      I assume each label (all lines on one label) has scanned into one table cell? Working on this theory…

      Copy and paste the table into Excel, this will put each label in one cell.
      Give each column a heading, then copy and paste the range including the headings into Access (thats right, just go to the tables tab in Access and right click, paste, click yes to the headings message that comes up).

      Now your data is in access. Manipulate the data so that each label is in one field, you may have to create a new table and append each column.

      In the new table, create the fields that you need the data to go into. You will now have one record with the data in its current state and a blank field for each of the fields you want in your new table.

      If you can program, you could look for hard returns in the data and automate pasting sections of the information into the required fields, otherwise, you will have to look at each record and cut and paste the relevant sections of data from the label fields into the required fields.

      Best of luck.

      PS: Any automation of this task with the cutting and pasting of data would need to be checked record by record as your source is unreliable. The first rule of data is ‘garbage in, garbage out’, if the condition of your information is inconsistent, i am afraid it will largely be a manual process.

    • #3890340

      Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      by dalehb ·

      In reply to Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      Don’t know, but I have had some success with a program called Monarch. If you can describe a pattern at all, you can set it up to capture data and then export to an access table.

    • #3827573

      Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      by jujulady15 ·

      In reply to Access 2000- Importing Scanned Text

      This question was auto closed due to inactivity

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