When having your documents scanned, it is important to choose a file format which is suitable for your organisation. Amongst all of the technical jargon, it can be difficult to tell what the difference is so here's a short and simple guide to three of the most popular file formats.

TIFF

TIFF is short for Tagged Image File Format and, depending on your experience with electronic files, you may or may not have already heard of it. While the TIFF format is a popular one to convert documents to, there are a number of factors you need to consider before choosing this format.

Advantages of Scanning to TIFF

The main advantage of using a TIFF format to convert your scanned files to is that this format is highly compatible with most systems and software. The file also remains uncompressed meaning you won't lose any image detail during the conversion or through frequent saves.

Disadvantages of Scanning to TIFF

There is a disadvantage to the uncompressed feature of the TIFF however and that is the file size. Because a TIFF file remains uncompressed, its file size can be really large. This can become a problem if you're wanting to share your files by email. If you just want your files to be stored and accessed from a document management system though, this can be done easy with TIFF files.

JPEG

JPEG (or you may have seen if referred to as JPG) stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group. If you have anything to do with photography, you will almost definitely have heard of this as it is a popular format for photographic images and digital paintings.

Advantages of Scanning to JPEG

In contrast to the TIFF, JPEGs are compressed files which reduces the file size making it easy to share by email. The initial compression uses good enough ratios to still maintain decent quality images.

Disadvantages of Scanning to JPEG

Unfortunately, the compression will have an effect in the long run because when you save and edit the files over and over again you will experience something called generational degrading which means the images will begin to lose their quality over time.

PDF

The PDF (or Portable Document Format) is probably the most popular format to convert scanned images to. Whether you work with electronic documents on a regular basis or not, you will almost definitely have had some encounters with PDF, from downloadable brochures to online books.

Advantages of Scanning to PDF

The main advantage of a PDF file is that it preserves all of the formatting and layout of the original document. PDFs also offer customisable features and the ability to compress the file for storage and sharing purposes without losing any image quality. The PDF is also a highly mobile format and even lets you view documents on smartphone and tablet devices.

Disadvantages of Scanning to PDF

While PDF might seem like the perfect file format, it does come with some disadvantages. It can be very difficult to edit files stored as PDFs because the format captures the document exactly as it is and remains just that. Due to the nature of the ratio, you may also need to scroll and zoom on your computer to view the entire image.

So there we go, I hope this article has gone some way to explaining the good and bad points of the three main files formats to help you make the best decision
 for your scanning project.

Here at Pearl Scan, we provide document scanning and file conversion services for companies and organisations in London and right across the UK. Our sales team can provide you with excellent consultation and draw up a free quote for your project including any one of the file conversion formats above. Contact us by email, call us or complete our online form and one of our experienced staff will be in touch.

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Nationwide: 0845 22 55 923          London: 0207 183 1885
Manchester: 0161 832 7991         Birmingham: 0121 285 1900

Document shredding isn’t something that’s usually at the forefront of every business’ ‘to do’ list but it can be both useful and important. Here’s how.

1.Going Digital

When your company switches to dealing with documents digitally, there is no longer a need to store paper copies of them too. In this scenario, all the hard copies would be doing is gathering dust and taking up valuable space. So the most efficient thing to do would be to destroy the paper documents but it is also vital to make sure you do this securely. Shredding the documents will provide a safe way to dispose of them, especially if the documents are cross shredded because this makes it difficult to piece the shreds back together.

This brings me onto the second reason you should shred your documents…

2.Identity Theft

More than 89,000 UK people are the victims of identity theft every year and a lot of this comes as a result of the criminals gaining access to personal data stored on documents that have been thrown away rather than shredded. It only takes one or two confidential documents for someone to be able to steal your identity. If the thought of having your personal details or even your entire identity stolen by some random stranger isn’t enough to make you start shredding confidential data then I don’t know what will.

3.Recycling

For the past decade or so there has been a huge emphasis on companies reducing their carbon footprints and boosting green credentials wherever they can. This has seen a lot more businesses making more of an effort to recycle but this is where the risk factor comes in. In their efforts to save the environment, many people are not realising that they are throwing entire confidential documents into the recycling bins for anyone to find. Adding a simple shredding process into the mix will allow you to continue your recycling efforts but also secure that confidential information. It’s a win-win situation as they say.

Shredding Services

Here at Pearl Scan we have been providing businesses with document scanning and management solutions for over a decade. We provide secure shredding and disposal with all of our scanning services because we understand the need for confidential data and information to remain just that.

We can provide secure on-site shredding services as well as mobile shredding for you to witness the destruction of your documents and gain peace of mind. For more information, check out our website or for a free document scanning quote, give us a call and speak to a member of our friendly and experienced team.

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For more information feel free to give us a call: 
Nationwide: 0845 22 55 923          London: 0207 183 1885
Manchester: 0161 832 7991         Birmingham: 0121 285 1900

Transform your admin office into a slick and efficient production line by managing your files digitally. Whatever your current problem, document scanning can help.

Admin Problems

Administration and filing are tasks that many workers shy away from but those who work all day in admin offices that manage documents manually can face a long list of problems. Here are just a few.

Poor Filing & Slow Tasks

Are you struggling to locate files in an unorganised system? Is file retrieval slowing down or even halting your everyday tasks? Paper files and documents can easily be misfiled and once a file is placed in the wrong section it is, in effect, lost until a member of staff accidentally comes across it while searching for another document. This leads to slow and often unproductive tasks.

Picture this…

You have been asked to retrieve an important file for a member of staff. When you search through a filing cabinet for this file, you find that it’s not there. You spend a long time searching the office for this one particular file but it’s no where to be seen. Not only have you just wasted a great deal of valuable time but you also have to break the news to the member of staff who needs it and they almost certainly won’t be impressed.

Compliance Issues

With an unorganised system, it becomes difficult to keep track of all of your files so if you’re asked to retrieve certain files and you can’t find them quickly enough, you can risk fines for breaking compliance laws. Breaking compliance laws also won’t do a great deal of good for the company reputation either.

Lack of Space

Files stored in hard copy can soon overrun any office with cumbersome filing cabinets, boxes and folders. Office space is highly valuable, especially in lucrative parts of the country, so wasting it by filling it with unnecessary things is certainly not the best way to go about it.

Low Morale

All of the problems above are bad enough but if you have to deal with them on a daily basis, your morale is almost certainly going to be affected. It can be stressful and knock your confidence when you feel you can’t do the job you are being paid to do.

Digital Document Management

There’s one solution that can solve all of the problems above and more. While it might sound like complicated, digital document management simply refers to the process of storing and managing files in a digital format rather than manually. Digital document management enables files to be stored electronically and if done correctly, you can end up working with a highly efficient system that will transform your office.

Digital document management (also known as electronic document management) can be used by admin offices in a wide range of industries so whether you work in education, law, finance, healthcare or any other industry, going digital can save you time, space and money and relieve compliance and security issues.

Document Scanning

Now you’re probably wondering how you can set up a system that will banish all of those problems. Well, it’s simple, all you need to do is digitise your stored files and set them up in an electronic document management system. Once the system is set up, you will be able to retrieve necessary files in an instant through simple text searches as well as securing them with file encryption and password protection. That’s not all. You can also share files electronically to avoid loss or delay.

Scanning Services

If setting up the system yourself seems a bit too complicated, we can help. Pearl Scan provide document scanning and document management solutions for businesses and organisations across lots of industries. We can scan your documents in high quality and have a system set up almost immediately so you can get started reaping those benefits.

If you would like some more information about how we can help you and your company to go digital with administration tasks then give us a call or browse our website and blogs.

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The Scan-do People^tm


For more information feel free to give us a call: 
Nationwide: 0845 22 55 923          London: 0207 183 1885
Manchester: 0161 832 7991         Birmingham: 0121 285 1900