Image pre-processing options

Images are pre-processed as they are added to a batch: they are distributed between documents, despeckled, and rotated. If needed, you can configure more complex pre-processing, such as automatic cropping or removal of color marks. For low-quality images, you can use special image enhancement profiles. Pre-processing corrects errors that can occur with photos of documents (including those taken on mobile devices) and with scans that have a complex background that impedes recognition and data extraction, such as certificates and passports. This stage improves the quality of recognition results for low-quality images.

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Where you can set pre-processing options

You set pre-processing options on the Image Processing tab. You can set them for the following:

• A project. These options are used by default when new images are added manually to project batches. Select Project → Project Properties in the main window, and then click the Image Processing tab.
• An import profile. These options are used when this import profile adds new images. When creating an import profile, select image pre-processing options at the Image Processing stage.
• Images added manually. When adding images from a file, click the Image Processing Settings button in the Load Images dialog box.
• A batch type. These options are used when processing images from batches of that type. When creating a batch type, select image pre-processing options on the Image Processing tab.

The options specified for a batch type also apply to:

• Images received from the Scanning Station or Web Scanning Station if they were not assembled into documents on that station. The options in the Image processing section apply to received images whether or not they are assembled into documents.
• Images added by Web Service API methods (if the ExcludeFromAutomaticAssembling flag is set to false). For more information, see the Web Services API documentation.
• Images added from a Hot Folder (if the Use image processing options from batch type option is selected). For more information, see Image import profiles.
• Images added manually from a file. In this case, the batch type options are used by default.

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Pre-processing options

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Delete empty pages

Select Delete empty pages to skip blank pages during processing.

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Document separation

Choose how images are added into documents:

• Automatically when Document Definition is applied. Images are separated into documents during matching (during recognition), not immediately when they are added. Documents are assembled only after the pages are analyzed and recognized based on the structure in the appropriate Document Definition. For more information, see Create Document Definitions for multipage documents and Assemble documents.
• For each image file. A new document is created for each file (an image file can contain multiple pages).
• For images separated by. A new document is created when ABBYY FlexiCapture reaches a separator sheet. By default, separator pages become the first page of each document. To keep them out of the batch, select Delete separator pages. Select the separator type from the drop-down list:
  • blank pages – Set the detection parameters in the Blank Page Detection dialog box.
  • pages with barcode – Click Settings to set additional parameters. If you specify a barcode value, the document identifier is changed to that value.

You do not have to use separator pages. They are essential in only one case: when a page’s appearance makes it impossible to tell whether it belongs to the previous document or the next one. For example, this happens when a document can contain any number of identical pages and the batch can contain more than one such document. For documents scanned or added on the Scanning Station, batch and document separation options are specified on the Scanning Station in the batch type settings.

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Incoming image processing

Choose how incoming images are processed:

• Auto (FlexiCapture will decide which enhancements to apply). ABBYY FlexiCapture automatically chooses the most appropriate image enhancements. This mode is recommended for normal-quality images that do not require complex processing. In this mode, you can also:
  • Select an image source type: Photo, Scan, Digital-born, or Auto. For the best results, select the type that matches your images. Auto is selected by default and handles images of mixed types.
  • Disable the Crop image option.
  • Disable the Correct page orientation option.
• Use image enhancement profile. Use a special image enhancement profile. This option is recommended for specific images, fed in a uniform or mixed flow, that require more complex editing. If you process photos fed in a mixed flow that require a different tool set, select Use special profile for photos and select the second profile.
  • Store original image during processing. Save original images in the file storage so you can return to the original if significant data was removed during automatic processing.

Deskewing based on black separators or black squares is not included in the Auto image enhancement mode. To use it, create an image enhancement profile and enable the Deskew tool in that profile. Saving original images increases the space a project takes up and slows processing. Enable Store original image during processing only when you really need to return to the original image, for example, when image cropping or stamp removal is enabled.

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PDF processing options

• Auto (FlexiCapture will choose between PDF text layer and OCR). The optimal processing type is chosen automatically, depending on the availability and quality of a text layer.
• Prefer PDF text layer if available. The text in the text layer is used where available.
• Use OCR only. OCR is performed on all documents, even those with a text layer.

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Office format files

In addition to document image files, you can import documents in office formats and convert them to PDF using a built-in conversion module or third-party software. To use third-party software for conversion to PDF, select one or both of the following:

• Allow the use of LibreOffice (supports LibreOffice 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, and 5)
• Allow the use of Microsoft Office (supports Microsoft Office 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019)

You can import document images and office files at the same time. For more information, see Supported input formats. Keep the following in mind when importing office files:

• If you import from e-mail, message bodies can be used as documents.
• If both office file pre-processing options are selected, ABBYY FlexiCapture selects the most suitable office application automatically. The selected application is shown in the task log.
• Conversion to PDF using a third-party application works only if that application is installed on the Processing Station used to import documents.
• If you use Microsoft Office to convert office files, your copy of Microsoft Office must be activated, and you must run ABBYY FlexiCapture as an administrator (click the Authentication button to open the authentication settings dialog box).