Barcode

Barcode can be used in Pre-Classification Processing, First Page Identification, Page Processing, Last Page Identification, or Post-Processing to obtain information from a barcode. The information read from the barcode can be used to populate a field, to name the document, or to create folders. Many people use barcodes on slip sheets to identify and categorize documents, or use barcodes in conjunction with Lookup to accurately populate many fields based on a number encoded in the barcode that refers to an item in an external database.

Tips for saving time when using Barcode:

  • Specify only the barcode types that apply for your document
  • Use only one barcode orientation.
  • Place the barcode in the same area of each page and specify the region where the barcode can be found.

Example: The law firm of Fleece & Golden scans case documents, each of which is several pages long. They use separator sheets with barcodes that identify the documents as contracts or partnership agreements so Quick Fields can process them accordingly.

Example: The Phoenix Clinic encodes patient identification numbers into barcodes, which it affixes to its patient records. When they scan the documents, the patient identification number is read from the barcode. With Lookup, the patient identification number is matched to a database record, and the fields are filled out with information from the database, such as the patient's name, date of birth, current prescriptions, and blood type.

To use Barcode

  1. In the Session Configuration Pane, select the stage of processing where you want to use Barcode.
  2. In the Tasks Pane, select Barcode.
  3. You can optionally enter a name for the process under Process Name.
  4. Move through each step of the wizard at the bottom of the pane. You can also click Skip Wizard to display and configure the properties all at once.
  5. Page Range: When configuring a process in Page Processing or Post-Processing, you will be prompted to specify a page range. In other stages, default settings will be automatically applied.
  6. Region Selection: By default, the barcode process will search the entire page. To restrict the search, define one or more regions.
    • To define a region, click Add and either drag and resize the zone on the Display Pane or specify coordinates in pixels or by percentage in the Tasks Pane.  

      Tip: If you are zoomed in to a specific area of an image, adding a zone will place it in the top left corner of the zoomed in image for convenience.

    • Specify a name for the region. This will also be the name of the token that represents the value extracted from the barcode in the region.
    • To define an additional region with the same settings, click Add again.
    • To remove a barcode region, click Remove.

    Note: Zones can be copied and pasted within this and other processes that contain zones. When copying a zone within this process, pasting using CTRL + V will paste the zone directly on top of the zone you copied. Right-clicking on a different area of the image and selecting Paste Zone from the context menu will paste the copied zone where you right-clicked.

  7. Identification Condition: When configuring Barcode in First Page Identification or Last Page Identification, you will be prompted to set an identification condition, such as whether there is a barcode in that region or whether it contains a particular value.
  8. Barcode Type: Choose the types of barcode to be read. If you have multiple types of barcodes or are not sure what types you have, you can select many types. Selecting fewer types will help the process run faster.
  9. Barcode Direction: Select the direction to scan the barcodes.
    • Horizontal: Barcodes will be scanned from right to left.
    • Vertical: Barcodes will be scanned from top to bottom.
    • Both: Both settings will apply. This is useful if you have multiple barcodes in different directions.
  10. Minimum Length: Specify the minimum number of characters a barcode must contain to be recognized as valid by this barcode process.
  11. Use Checksum: If the barcodes you are reading include checksums designed to help confirm the data has not been corrupted, you can select this option to examine the checksums.
  12. Convert to ASCII: Certain types of bar codes start or end with special characters that are normally ignored. These types of characters may prevent a bar code from being read. This option allows those characters to be recognized and included in the value extracted by the bar code process.
  13. Optional: To preview how this enhancement will affect scanned images and OCRed or extracted text, test processes. For the best results, add a custom sample page before testing. Adjust and test until you are satisfied with the results.

Note: If you define a barcode region using percentages for scanned pages of a certain size, the size and placement of the region will change if a page of a different dimension is scanned. For example, the region defined for a scanned page that is 8.5 x 11 in size will be a different size and in a different location on a scanned page that is 8.5 x 14.

Note: Some processes come with the basic Quick Fields installation, and some must be purchased as add-ons. Contact your reseller for more information.