21:03 – The trial and error of scanning!

2016, 21 Day Challenge, Declutter, Documents and papers 3 Minutes

day-03Here we are at day three of our 21 day challenge, and I guess it’s time for a quick update on how this is going.

As I have sorted through my papers over and over again the last couple of years, I find that most everything I’ve collected is stuff I need and want to scan, which means there are a lot, a lot of scanning to do 😦

I bought a new printer earlier this year, mostly for the sake of having a proper scanning device.  This particular printer will scan double sided documents as well as single sided ones, and as it has a automatic document feeder it will do bulk scanning.

So how is this printer/scanner working out?

After a bit of trial and error, I have found that I need to be a little careful about putting to many pages in the document feeder at a time. The automatic document feeder can hold 30 pages, but unless the the paper is completely prisine, I have found that everything runs just a little smoother if I don’t fill it to the top of it’s capasity.

I’ve also found that it sometimes, mind you not all the time, but sometimes, is a bit temperamental when it comes to paper quality. Curled corners, tear or two, or mixed sized paper, does not always seem to agree with the scanner. This has resultet in me having to do a few re-scans to get everything right.

I am finally starting to get the hang of it, and I now know a bit more about how to proceed, to get things running more smoothly. Hopefully this will speed up the process, because, until now, it’s been a bit slow going for my pacience :-/

When I scan my documents, I mostly use the scan to PDF function on my printer. I alternate between duplex or single side scanning, all depending on what’s in the document. Now unfortunately I can’t mix the two in one session, so I have to decide up front what I want.

As I do not yet have any good software for editing my pdf files, I have to be a bit “crafty” when I scan my documents.

If there is only one or two double sided page(s), within a large document, I will copy the “second” page, add it to the pile and scan everything as single sided pages. If there are more double sided pages than single sided, I will scan everything as double sided, and just live with the blank pages in the file.

If you guys have any experience with a good, and cheap, PDF editing software. Please let me know, so I can check it out. And if I come accross one, that doen’t cost an arm and a leg, I will off course let you know.

Now that we have talked about the scanner, is there any progress on that pile?

Well as you can see from the picture below, my work-space is a mess (yes, that’s my dining room table 😉 ), the piles are still all over my livingroom floor, and my pile of done and scanned stuff, is only about 6 inches high.. even thought I am working on it, as we speak 😉

2016-11-21-19-57-00

 

My next post 

After a comment from tigerofmyheart, on her already having a bag ready to go, but no shredder in sight. I was thinking about doing a small piece on the importance of shredding your papers. On why, how and where you can have this done for you.

Stay tuned.. that’s what’s next on this page!

 

JOINING IN 

There is a saying “The more the merrier”, and so far there are a few of us who will be attacking the paper piles. And I for one, can’t wait to see what stacks we all will shed!

– Melinda, at PurpleSlobinRecovery, is joining with about 15 minutes a day
– Viv, at GriefHappens, said she needed to be on this “like an over-sugared kid in a bouncy house”, and are joining with 30 minutes a day 🙂
– Jena, at All Round Better me,  is in for 60 minutes a week
– Amy, at More time than money, also joining with 60 minutes a week
– Grace, at The CFO MOM Blog, just told me she is joining, woohoo

Sitting on the fence
– Gilly, at Anything Except Housework is waiting to see if we survive it all 😉
– Jen, at The Hidden Hoarder, is hard at work on her front porch, and haven’t quuuuite decided yet 😉

Anyone else want to jump in? Let me know, and I’ll ad you to the list 🙂

 

 

Published by Anne Lene @ MinimalistSometimes

Published

30 thoughts on “21:03 – The trial and error of scanning!”

  1. Well done! The view from up here on the fence is looking good. I must confess that I did have a mad scanning phase a couple of years back but am not sure which hard-drive I stored everything on. I probably will have another go at the pile I have amassed since then. Actually, it isn’t a pile as I have been very good lately at using a giant lever arch file in alphabetical order. Go me! 🙂

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    1. Go you 🙂 🙂 I have most stuff filed nicely away as well, it’s just that somewhere along the way I went from one ring-binder to several, add being responsible for my townhouse “community” + all the files I brought home when I left my company.. and there is a mess, a big MESS!!!

      Your fence is starting to look awful nice right now 😉

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  2. I go through phases of scanning due to time restraints, but I’m essentially doing what you are. The only difference is that I bring papers with me to work and scan onto a thumb drive. Although I’m going slowly, I’ve reduced a ton of paper. After verifying a successful scan, I can immediately shed documents.

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            1. Yeah.. migraines is not fun, there are days I think chopping off my head would be more fun 😉 I’ve had them for years a few days a month, but that is nothing, compared to how it’s been the last six years.

              Due to extremely stressed shoulder/neck I had a physical therapist work on my shoulder/neck one day, and I have no idea what the heck kinda button she found, but I have had a permanent 24/7 tension and migraine headache since.

              Although I am waaaaaay better now, than how I was the first couple of years after this happened, I still struggle on a daily basis. The difference now is that I can have a life (sort of), as opposed to the first couple of years, as I would have gladly kissed the ground you walked on, had you been so kind as to behead me 😉

              So I now spend a lot of my time at home.. working my way through the house trying to downsize to a level, where (if I should ever want to) can bring with me (anywhere in the world) my PC and a hard-drive, and still have all my documents, pictures, videos and films with me 🙂

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            3. I guess I could be… but I don’t think so. My headaches/migraines seems to hang very closely to some of my very active shoulder trigger points which won’t give in (probably due to constant inflammation in the body) I also know that food/hormones and stress affects them. I am currently trying out removing/adding certain foods to see if I can get the inflammation under control, and if I do.. hopefully the head will follow. Now the only downside of this trial and error stuff I’m doing right now.. is that my weight is dropping way to fast. The first few pounds was great, the last few ponds… well lets just say.. it’s starting to become an issue. Which means, I’m hoping I get this food stuff under control soon.. if not there will only be a bag of bones left to write on this blog 😉

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            4. I hope you get it figured out. I’m still leaning towards toxins–which can cause inflammation along with almost everything you’ve said. Have you tried anything like activated liquid zeolites? Just given things I’ve been recently reading about all of this, I think it may help.

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  3. Hi Anne,
    I know Melinda and Gilly. They are good friends of mine. I am always at war with clutter and blog about productivity often.
    Thanks for coming by my site and liking my 71 Blogging Tips Post. I wrote it about a year ago. It’s nice people are still finding value from it.
    Janice

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    1. Hi Janice, I found the post through Melinda, and I have to say there are a lot of good tips there. I will study it more closely when I find my computer later today (on the phone now) and check out some of the links in it. Thanks for popping by and saying hello, its always great to meet new friends 😀
      Anne Lene

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      1. Thanks Anne,
        Melinda is my best blogging friend. She has often referred people to me. Any friend of Melinda’s is a friend of mine! I will look forward to your return visit to my blog. Nice to meet you.
        Janice

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    1. How fun would that be, you joining in 🙂 But it’s allowed to take some time off. You guys have done so much decluttering, you deserve taking it easy for a while 🙂 I’m sure, before we know it.. you’ll be right back at it.. and challenging us to get going 🙂
      I seem to remember we agreed (yes, you and me 😉 ) to do another 21 day declutter challenge over the holidays? So just say when.. and I’m ready (well.. as soon as this paper thing is over, that is)…

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      1. I’m in for a declutter-a-thon – I will just need to start in a week or so. I’ve done the paper thing like you’re doing – it took me so much longer than I thought it would. How much of a break will you “need” after the paper before we start? A long weekend? Just let me know!

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  7. Pingback: Paper Purgathon- Pal | purpleslobinrecovery

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