There are several people I have been speaking with who do not have a scanner or a printer for their computer. This amazes me - as well as makes problems for them. My scanner and printers are vital to me. They are very useful for getting things done quickly and great for helping deal with keeping paper information without needing as much file space or time to file and look for files.
The first person I heard this from is my mom. Mom has used a computer for decades including back when she worked. Mom is also an accountant. (Ok, fair notice - dad was also and one of my sisters also has a degree in it and works as a bookkeeper.) Mom is 87. Mom had a printer and a scanner - I know this because we bought it for her. She has had another printer since, but has been told that she can no longer get the ink for it and/or the heads would be bad by now. (The latter makes no sense as in an ink jet printer the heads are replaced each time the cartridge is replaced.) Mom goes out and prints or copies things at the library when she needs to.
Another person I just heard this from is a friend in a club I belong to. I just made up revised membership lists as we had a group of new members. I told her I would email everyone the new membership list. She told me to print some and bring to the meeting in case others, beside her, cannot print the list out.
I have heard this idea also from others and, as I said, I am amazed.
Printers - I have never been sure of the value of a computer without a printer. Yes, I know we all email everything to everyone, but we don’t (well, I don’t) really.
I find that I still need to write actual letters. Not all businesses respond to email - no, don’t laugh, it is true. In addition actual mail stands out when received differently than email. I am not sure if I have mentioned this, but I do not do anything financial online. Okay, you may think me old fashioned or laugh - but when my bank was hacked it was their online accounts which were hacked and mine was not. I started working with main frame computers in the early 1970's and there are two things I know about computing which are absolute - “It is not a question of if, but when, a hard drive will crash.” (hence my need to backup and keep data off the hard drive) and “There is no such thing as a secure website.”
I had to write a letter to the bank we have our RV loan from about a problem we were having. I had been trying to telephone the bank for some time with no luck. I actually went to their Facebook page and posted, anonymously, about needing a way to reach them - no luck. Letter to the CEO of the bank - received the information I wanted and needed. There is no way that the CEO would ever had have read my email, but a letter to him - even if he did not actually see it, his staff took care of the matter. Letters work.
Have you ever had to mail something or other to a company? A cover letter explaining what is enclosed and why - and what you want done about it - makes sure the recipient understand what is being sent and why.
I can also fill in forms which have to be done on paper (yes, they still exist) or are more convenient to do on paper and print them out. My handwriting is terrible, but even if yours is lovely, printed information tends to be easier to read and read correctly than hand written information.
A printed letter, like the typed letter that existed before it, is much more presentable than a hand written letter (other than personal letters to friends and family) and is more likely to be taken seriously. I have a client who hand writes her business letters as she does not use a computer - it looks terribly unbusinesslike. When I can I write them for her while there.
Oh, I almost forgot - envelopes! You can print envelopes when sending something by mail - and even add the computer coding for the address. Less chance of the envelope and its contents going to the wrong place if the address can be easily read and even more if the sorting computers can read the address coding on the envelope!
Scanners - One of the best things ever invented. In terms of organizing - one can scan in all manner of papers which take up room in the house, get lost, or get confused and get some space back.
I need to mention here as I have received several of these, taking a photo of a document is not the same as scanning it into a computer and is a major problem for the recipient to use, in addition to making a HUGE picture of the document which is hard to deal with it.
When I do tax returns - for myself or clients - I scan in the form after I do it. Yes, I use a computer to prepare the returns, but an error can result in accidently changing something on a page after the fact, if I only have the returns in the program they are prepared in, as well as there are always added schedules (pages) not prepared by the tax program. I scan in the return after it prepared and save that as a separate pdf file and I have an exact duplicate of the return as filed. I also scan in any of the notes, etc. I used to prepare the return. I also scan in copies (front and back) of the checks I sent to pay the taxes - estimates as well as the final payment - and of any documents which show amounts withheld for taxes (W2s, 1099s, etc.) I actually keep a hard copy of the return until after the following year’s return is filed, as it is easier not to have to go back and forth on the computer, but have the hard copy for reference while preparing the next year’s return.
If I fill in a form I scan it into the computer to have a copy - less room than keeping a paper copy and it will not get lost. If you prefer to keep a paper copy you can scan it in and print it out - or often just use the scanner as a copier. More on this idea later. For example, I take the membership forms received from members of our reenactment unit and scan them in, then (after backing up the data) shred them and throw them out - no need to keep another 30 pieces of paper a year in a file drawer.
I think I mentioned in a past post about a project to scan in the most instruction booklets from the assorted things in our house. If there is a large instruction book I am keeping it, but small instructions of say 15 or less pages I am scanning. Remember one does not need to scan in the instructions in other languages, only those in one’s own. I then (after backing up the data) put the booklets with the recycling. So far I have gotten rid of 3 file folders of instructions. Similarly I plan to scan in the paperwork from some car accidents we had in the past and the receipts from items returned to our cable company. (I can just imagine one day leaving them and being told that I never returned a cable box I was given in 2001 and the charge will be $500 for it not being returned, so I have kept the receipts for returned equipment.)
Now there are papers I do not do this with. I don’t scan in all our credit card receipts - too much work and they are stored away in a year. Anything you need an original for - you can scan a copy, but the original must be kept (marriage& birth records, titles to car and house and so on).
What papers could you scan into your computer instead of keeping them and having to store them?
Now combine the two - scanning plus printing. Even better. Scan in a form and use software to fill it in and then print it out. (See software below.) Again, my handwriting being terrible it is a great way to make sure that what you fill in on a form can easily be read.
One can buy an ink jet “all in one” unit for around $50. This will let you scan in items and print out pages. One can usually use the machine directly as a copying machine, but if not one can use it as same as one can scan in an item and then print it out. Today after starting to write this post yesterday we were in a major discount chain store. They had 4 all in ones which print and scan from $50 to $60. Sometimes the all in ones are also a fax machine - yes, one sometimes still needs to fax something. At least one of them said that it was ready to be used with tablets and cell phones, solving the problem of printing with them.
Yes, one can go to the library, Kinkos (Fed Ex these days), Staples, OfficeMax/Depot (if you still have one near you - all the ones in our county were closed, nearest one now an hour away), work, etc. and make a copy if you need one. Did you know that when you do so the copier/printer keeps your document in its memory and that when the machine is disposed of, often that information is still in the machine? Who knows what happens to the machines after they are disposed of - and who has access to them. Copy something with your Social Security number or bank account information and it will stay in the copy machine - much safer to make copies at home.
The scanner will generally come with software to do scanning. You will need software though. If you already have word processing software you can, of course use it with the printer. There are freeware programs to make the printer/scanner do even more. While I have nothing to do with the following programs and have no responsibility for them or how they work, I have found them to be very useful. (I must give credit, husband told me about them and to use them.) In addition I am running Windows computers and the software may not be made for other computers or for tablets.
Foxit PDF - this allows one to scan in documents and forms as pdf files and work with them. One can use the “Type” function to fill in blanks on forms. One can attach notes to the documents. There are assortment of other features which I have not even gotten to yet. There is a freeware version of the program and that is the one I use. One can print the pdf files made.
Cute PDF and Primo PDF are two of several programs which allow one to print what one has written directly to a pdf file. They are will show up (at least in Windows computers) as alternate printers when you go to print and you select them and print the pdf - without needing to print the document out and then scan it in. This lets you write a document and then email it to others who might not have the same word processing software to open a written document. For example, I like to use Wordperfect instead of the standard Word program. I either must save the file as an rtf file (rich texture format - can open with many, if not all or most word processing programs) or I print it with one of these programs and send it as a pdf. The only problem I have had doing this some of the tax forms generated when one files online in my state for some reason will not print this way (sales tax, employment taxes). For these forms I need to physically print them out and then scan them in to keep a pdf copy of them.
LibreOffice can be used instead of Microsoft Office. It is free. By the way, if you have an older version of Word and can’t afford to upgrade and people keep sending you docx files - this will open them. According to my husband this program will work on all “platforms” meaning it will also work with Mac computers, Ipads, tablets, Linux, etc.
Open Office is similar to LibreOffice, but husband says that LibreOffice is better. Open Office will work only on Windows computers.
Now there is one problem I don’t know about. (Yes, despite the fact that my friends think I am a “know it all” I don’t.) Generally printing with a computer is not a problem. However tablets and related use a different way to print as they do not attach or use wifi to work with printers. This involves “cloud printing”. I asked husband how this is done in anticipation of writing this article. After looking up how to cloud print I got dizzy reading as it seems to vary for each device being used and each company that one has their cloud account with. He looked it up and could not figure it out either. I know there is a way to do it. If you must print this way, check with your cloud server to find out how. Unfortunately it seems to sometimes require you to have a computer also.
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