Microsoft Lens: Scan Your Physical Documents
Chances are that you first skimmed through this article before finally settling on a full read. Even now that you have decided it’s worth your time, you are probably thinking of moving onto the next one. That’s how short the human attention span is, averaged at about eight seconds.
If meetings are not quick and snappy — and provide instant gratification — you are most likely going to lose focus midway and miss on some critical points. It happens to the best of us.
You must have at one point felt that so much was covered in a conference that you attended, but you only managed to grab a small portion of it. Assuming you were fully attentive throughout, it’s still close to impossible to catch everything. This is why you need Microsoft Office Lens.
Getting Started With Microsoft Office Lens
Have you ever been to a conference where you want to capture the information from the PowerPoint the speaker is talking about? Remember having an urge to take a picture of that whiteboard with an exceptionally impressive roadmap that you thought could be useful in the future? What about a situation where you want to take a snapshot of a business card, or a napkin deal — in a good way.
Well, it turns out there is an app for all these functions called Office Lens.
Google Play describes Microsoft Office Lens as a mobile scanner that enables users “to convert images to PDF, Word and PowerPoint files, and save on OneNote, OneDrive, or your local device.”
How Do You Set Up Microsoft Office Lens?
The set-up is as simple as downloading the app from your app store and installing it.
- Office Lens is a free app available for download on Google Play, App Store, and of course Microsoft Store. It operates via the user’s gadget’s camera. You will need to permit it to access your camera and storage features after installation.
- Once you have taken a snapshot of whatever you want to capture — flip chart, magazine, whiteboard/blackboard, menu, business card, receipt — the app automatically frames, enriches, and makes the photos legible.
- You can then transform them into the desired formats — either PowerPoint, Word, or PDF. With Microsoft Office Lens, it is also possible to manually trim the images from any angle if you do not like the product from the automated in-app adjustment.
Perhaps Office Lens’ most revolutionary feature is the capacity to transform shots of OCR-readable texts into Word and PowerPoint documents that can be edited.
Capturing Shots And Converting Them Into Editable Texts Using Office Lens
The following guide applies when you want to take pictures and convert them into documents. However, Office Lens also allows you to convert and edit photos from your gadget’s gallery.
In case you are using OneNote, you have an in-built Office Lens. For iOS and Android users, you first have to download and install the app from your app store.
After download and successful installation:
- Click and open the app: You will automatically be directed to a preview of what you want to scan. This could be a photo, a whiteboard/blackboard, a business card, or a document.
- Position the device above the object that must be well-illuminated: If there isn’t enough light, use your gadget’s flashlight. Note that the image captured must be clear and OCR-readable.
- Once you have a good frame, take a picture and click Done: Do not stress a lot about the framing. Office Lens does much of the framing work once the shot is taken, what’s important is having a clear image capturing all the desired details.
- The next interphase will request you to choose the location and format in which you want to store the image: Location options available include OneDrive or OneNote. Alternatively, you can share it via the Photo Library — as a PDF, PowerPoint, or Word file.
- Normally, the app will trim and adjust the image for you: If you need to frame it further, you can use the Cropping and Re-orient tools on the edges of your screen. Name and save your final copy.
- In case you are planning to edit the document in text form, then the best options are to save it either as a PowerPoint or Word file: In such cases, you may also need to have Microsoft Word installed on your gadget. The other option is to export the file to OneDrive from where it can be opened by any PC, provided you have logged into your WordDrive account.
For business cards, the process varies a little. You can save the card under the Photo Library or OneNote. The reason why only these two options are the ones available is to enable you directly export the card to your Contacts.
Already Have Your File… Here Is How To Edit It
When you open the saved document, you will have a preview of the initial image and its portions that the app managed to convert into editable texts.
After you have already saved the file, you can still alter the contact system, storage location, or format. For instance, you can convert a business card into a Word file, edit and restore it to the original form.
Getting The Best Out Of Microsoft Office Lens
Microsoft Office Lens is just one out of many revolutionary Microsoft innovations that serve to simplify workplace operations. Like any other technological undertaking, there is always the concern of cybersecurity. Although Office Lens has a two-level authentication protocol, you can never be so sure about the security of your data.
Save your staff the hassle of an added security concern. Seek the help of an established IT service provider to handle the maintenance and safety issues.
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