When you select Microsoft Word (.docx) as output format, its layout can be configured using the settings on the Layout tab and the Options tab.

These settings determine what your final documents will look like. Below you find a description of what each layout option does and examples of real documents. Also notice the thumbnail on the right side of the window in Readiris. It gives you a general idea of the document layout based on the layout option you select.

To configure the Microsoft Word .docx. as output format:

•  Click the down arrow beneath docx and select WordProcessor settings.

Layout tab

• The option Create body text generates a continuous, running line of text. The result is a document without any formatting. The formatting is to be done manually, by the user.

• The option Retain word and paragraph formatting keeps the general format structure of your scanned document.

The font type, size and type style are maintained across the recognition process.

The tabs and the alignment of each block are recreated. 

The text blocks and columns aren't recreated; the paragraphs just follow each other. 

Tables are recaptured correctly. 

Pictures are not captured.

• The option Recreate source document tries to stay as close to the original layout as possible.

The text blocks, tables and pictures are re-created in the same place as the original. 

The word and paragraph formatting are maintained. 

Hyperlinks are re-created too.

• The option Use columns instead of frames creates columns instead of text frames to position the information on the page.

Columnized texts are easier to edit than documents containing multiple frames: the text flows naturally from one column to the next. 

Note: should Readiris be unable to detect columns in the source document, then frames are still used as substitute solution. 

Tip: use this option when generating Word documents.

• The option Insert column breaks inserts a hard column break at the end of each column, which maintains the format of the text. Any text you edit, add or remove remains inside its column; no text flows automatically across a column break.

Tip: disable this option (Insert column breaks) when you have body text that contains columns. You'll ensure the natural flow of the text from one column to the next.

• The option Add image as page background places the scanned image as page background beneath the recognized text.

Note: this option increases the file size of the output files substantially.

To avoid the file increase discussed above, select the option Retain colors of background on the Options tab. This provides a similar but less drastic, more compact alternative.

Options tab

• The option Merge lines into paragraphs enables automatic paragraph detection.

Readiris wordwraps the recognized text until a new paragraph starts, and reglues hyphenated words at the end of a line.

• The option Include pictures does exactly what it says; it includes images in your output documents.

Clear this option in case you only need lay-outed text.

• The option Maintain colors of text keeps the original color of the text in your source documents.
• The option Maintain colors of background recreates the background color of each document.

Note: in a spreadsheet application, this option recreates the background color of each cell.