Don’t wait in line to feed coins into the library’s photocopier!
Here are instructions for making a portable, paperless, digital copy machine.
Your materials should cost less than $20, maybe less than $10, and the labor time is only a few hours. I am assuming that you already have a digital camera and a computer for uploading pictures. Of course, your camera will do most of the work here, but you will provide it with a steady stand that has a press for getting those book pages flat.
The pictures show what the final device looks like, fully assembled …
and broken down for transport.
I suggest several, options for improving your copies – in some cases, low-cost software is involved. If you follow all of the options, you can convert your images into word-searchable documents. You can’t search for keywords in the pages you get off of a copy machine! And think of the trees you will save by going paperless!
(The book pictured here and in steps 6, 7, and 10 is volume 2 of The World Book Encyclopedia, 1989.)
Here are instructions for making a portable, paperless, digital copy machine.
Your materials should cost less than $20, maybe less than $10, and the labor time is only a few hours. I am assuming that you already have a digital camera and a computer for uploading pictures. Of course, your camera will do most of the work here, but you will provide it with a steady stand that has a press for getting those book pages flat.
The pictures show what the final device looks like, fully assembled …
and broken down for transport.
I suggest several, options for improving your copies – in some cases, low-cost software is involved. If you follow all of the options, you can convert your images into word-searchable documents. You can’t search for keywords in the pages you get off of a copy machine! And think of the trees you will save by going paperless!
(The book pictured here and in steps 6, 7, and 10 is volume 2 of The World Book Encyclopedia, 1989.)
Step 1: Parts needed
1x Plexiglass plate, about 12” x 10’’ x ¼”
2x threaded rods, 36” x ¼”
1x Tygon tubing, 6’ x ¼” inside diameter
16x ¼” nuts
5x ¼” wing nuts
4x ¼” stop nuts or acorn nuts
1x 1½” x ¼” bolt
1x wood scrap, about 4” x 2” x ½” (size depends on your camera)
2x 2” angle brackets (with ¼” holes)
4x wood screws, ½”
Tools needed:
drill and bits (including size 5/16”)
hack saw (for cutting the threaded rods)
vise (or pliers, for bending the rods)
two wrenches (adjustable or fixed-gap wrenches of 7/16” or 11 mm, or pliers)
metal file (for smoothing the cut rod ends)
2x threaded rods, 36” x ¼”
1x Tygon tubing, 6’ x ¼” inside diameter
16x ¼” nuts
5x ¼” wing nuts
4x ¼” stop nuts or acorn nuts
1x 1½” x ¼” bolt
1x wood scrap, about 4” x 2” x ½” (size depends on your camera)
2x 2” angle brackets (with ¼” holes)
4x wood screws, ½”
Tools needed:
drill and bits (including size 5/16”)
hack saw (for cutting the threaded rods)
vise (or pliers, for bending the rods)
two wrenches (adjustable or fixed-gap wrenches of 7/16” or 11 mm, or pliers)
metal file (for smoothing the cut rod ends)
Step 2: Assemble the camera mount
Position the angle brackets onto the wood scrap.
(Mine are 3” apart.)
Mark the holes.
Drill pilot holes for the wood screws.
Screw the angle brackets in place.
Position the camera, with its lens centered between the brackets.
(Leave clearance for the wingnuts – read ahead.)
Mark the position of the camera’s threaded, tripod hole.
Drill a 5/16” hole for the 1 ½” x ¼” bolt.
Test-mount the camera, using one wingnut on the bolt to snug-up the camera.
(Mine are 3” apart.)
Mark the holes.
Drill pilot holes for the wood screws.
Screw the angle brackets in place.
Position the camera, with its lens centered between the brackets.
(Leave clearance for the wingnuts – read ahead.)
Mark the position of the camera’s threaded, tripod hole.
Drill a 5/16” hole for the 1 ½” x ¼” bolt.
Test-mount the camera, using one wingnut on the bolt to snug-up the camera.
Step 3: Prepare the page-press
Drill 5/16” holes in each corner of the Plexiglass plate.
(Make the holes about ½” in from each edge.)
(Make the holes about ½” in from each edge.)
Step 4: Prepare the rods
Cut each 36” threaded rod in two; now you have four 18” rods.
Round off the cut ends with a file.
Check the threads of the cut ends with a nut.
(To clean the threads, you may have to apply the nut onto the opposite end,
then run it all the way up and off of the newly cut end.)
Mark each rod at 1” from each end.
Cut four 16” lengths of the Tygon tubing.
Slip the tubing over each rod.
Use a 1” scrap of tubing to protect the exposed threads in the bending process.
Bend one end of each rod at the mark to about 20° UP from straight.
(Slip the short tubing piece over the end before clamping it in the vise or pliers.)
(Keep the outer ¾” of the rod as straight as possible.)
Bend the unbent end of each rod, at the mark, to about 20° DOWN from straight.
(Bend it in the opposite direction from the first bend!)
(Keep the outer ¾” of the rod as straight as possible.)
Thread two bolts onto each end of the rods.
(Each pair of bolts will be locked into position; the exact positions
will be determined later.)
Round off the cut ends with a file.
Check the threads of the cut ends with a nut.
(To clean the threads, you may have to apply the nut onto the opposite end,
then run it all the way up and off of the newly cut end.)
Mark each rod at 1” from each end.
Cut four 16” lengths of the Tygon tubing.
Slip the tubing over each rod.
Use a 1” scrap of tubing to protect the exposed threads in the bending process.
Bend one end of each rod at the mark to about 20° UP from straight.
(Slip the short tubing piece over the end before clamping it in the vise or pliers.)
(Keep the outer ¾” of the rod as straight as possible.)
Bend the unbent end of each rod, at the mark, to about 20° DOWN from straight.
(Bend it in the opposite direction from the first bend!)
(Keep the outer ¾” of the rod as straight as possible.)
Thread two bolts onto each end of the rods.
(Each pair of bolts will be locked into position; the exact positions
will be determined later.)
Step 5: Final assembly
Remove the camera from the camera mount, if it is still mounted.
Insert the tops of the four rods into the bracket holes of the camera mount.
Secure the tops with the wing nuts.
(Determine the best position for the nuts below the wingnuts, and
lock them together.)
Insert the bottoms of the four rods into the Plexiglass plate.
Secure them with the stop nuts (hand-tighten).
(Determine the best position for the nuts above the plate, and
lock them together.)
Mount the camera and check the alignment.
(Adjust the top, locked nuts as needed.)
Insert the tops of the four rods into the bracket holes of the camera mount.
Secure the tops with the wing nuts.
(Determine the best position for the nuts below the wingnuts, and
lock them together.)
Insert the bottoms of the four rods into the Plexiglass plate.
Secure them with the stop nuts (hand-tighten).
(Determine the best position for the nuts above the plate, and
lock them together.)
Mount the camera and check the alignment.
(Adjust the top, locked nuts as needed.)
Step 6: Copy some documents
Turn off the flash.
(It’s not needed; it reflects off of the Plexiglass; and it’s annoying in the library!)
(Shift things around to avoid reflections from the room lights.)
(Long exposures are OK because everything is steady.)
You may need to set your camera to the Macro mode.
Press the Plexiglass tightly into the book so you can see all of the text.
Zoom in, as appropriate.
Snap a picture.
(It will be steadier if you use the delayed shutter release.)
Turn the page.
Repeat as needed.
(It’s not needed; it reflects off of the Plexiglass; and it’s annoying in the library!)
(Shift things around to avoid reflections from the room lights.)
(Long exposures are OK because everything is steady.)
You may need to set your camera to the Macro mode.
Press the Plexiglass tightly into the book so you can see all of the text.
Zoom in, as appropriate.
Snap a picture.
(It will be steadier if you use the delayed shutter release.)
Turn the page.
Repeat as needed.
Step 7: Optional: Clean up the images
Use some simple photo-editing software to …
Rotate the image, if it is out of alignment.
Crop the image.
Adjust the brightness and contrast.
(For B&W images, increase the contrast and fully desaturate the color.)
Fix photo aberrations (e.g. pincushioning).
See "before" and "after", below.
Rotate the image, if it is out of alignment.
Crop the image.
Adjust the brightness and contrast.
(For B&W images, increase the contrast and fully desaturate the color.)
Fix photo aberrations (e.g. pincushioning).
See "before" and "after", below.
Step 8: Optional: Paste the images into one document
Prepare a dummy document using MS Word
(or another word processing program).
Make a blank page for each image.
Give each blank page a few Returns then a Page Break.
Cut one image at a time and Paste it into the dummy document.
Save the document.
(or another word processing program).
Make a blank page for each image.
Give each blank page a few Returns then a Page Break.
Cut one image at a time and Paste it into the dummy document.
Save the document.
Step 9: Optional: Convert the Word document into a Pdf file
Why Pdf? See the next Option, below.
Several programs (e.g. Abbyy Transformer, Cute PDF Writer) convert Word files to Pdfs.
(Some conversion programs are freeware.)
Several programs (e.g. Abbyy Transformer, Cute PDF Writer) convert Word files to Pdfs.
(Some conversion programs are freeware.)
Step 10: Optional: Convert your Pdf files into word-searchable Pdf files
Several programs, e.g. Abbyy Transformer for Windows(~$49), do a good job with
optical character recognition (OCR), converting Pdfs into searchable Pdfs.
After the conversion process, you can search for keywords in your copied document!
You can’t do this with the pages you get off of a Xerox copy machine.
AND … You saved a few trees by going paperless! Thank you.
optical character recognition (OCR), converting Pdfs into searchable Pdfs.
After the conversion process, you can search for keywords in your copied document!
You can’t do this with the pages you get off of a Xerox copy machine.
AND … You saved a few trees by going paperless! Thank you.
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I think you would be better off in your project with a flat bed scanner. Of course, you may not have access to one if your reference books are in the library. With the scanner approach, the key is to get it set up correctly beforehand -- you'll want properly exposed, black-and-white copies, pdf format for the output, and multi-pages combined into one file. Then you can speed through lots of pages and keep the file sizes reasonably small.
With the photographic approach, you will spend lot of time, page-by-page doing steps 7-10. And then you'll want some utility like CutePDF for editing your pdfs, rotating pages, inserting skipped pages, etc. If you go the photographic route, be sure to see the New-and-Impoved version of the copy stand (http://www.instructables.com/id/New-Improved-Portable-Paperless-Digital-Copy-M/) if you haven't seen that yet.
maybe you could take a acrylic with antireflective coating to minimize the reflections of the stand and camera.
I'd been looking at the other designs. While brilliant and well-executed, this much simpler, less to break, portable even if you don' t take it apart first design works much better on a grad student budget in a grad student [read small] apartment. Thanks for taking the time to actually photograph and upload your design and methods.
Currently, I'm playing around with light sources and positions to minimize glare and reflectivity issues.
To avoid the reflections -- the main fault with this model -- I developed a similar copy stand with no plastic. See http://www.instructables.com/id/New-Improved-Portable-Paperless-Digital-Copy-M/ The downside to the new one is that the frame has to be reset for each size of book., Once setup, the new model is fast and reflection free (if the pages themselves aren't shiny). Furthermore, it is more compact when broken down.
But for a better & cheaper (if you can't find a scrap) design see:
http://www.instructables.com/id/New-Improved-Portable-Paperless-Digital-Copy-M/
You guys are really sharp and spotted the biggest weakness of this design - the reflections you get off of the acrylic "page-press". Many of you had great suggestions for how to avoid this e.g. by using non-reflective acylic. But stay tuned, I will soon post a simple revision that doesn't use plastic at all. Instead it uses a simple, adjustable, windowless frame.
I am sure your windowless frame will work. With my copy stand (http://www.instructables.com/id/Copy-Stand-Cheap-and-easy-to-build/) I abandoned sheets of plastic, glass and black out cloths to speed things up. I found that you didn't really need to keep the pages flat to get legible copies.
Yours is a good simple design, I will probably build one for portable use if I can think of lighter legs.
but wont the plexiglass make the picture worse, because of the reflect?
But if it's an issue you can try and find cheap polarizing filterand hold it in front of the lens to get rid of most reflections (or finda way to attach it to the front.)
Maybe you can use an adaptation of this http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-High-Speed-Book-Scanner-from-Trash-and-Cheap-C/?ALLSTEPS
The way they have their glass-lighting-camera setup, the angles prevent getting any reflections.
either that or paint the supports black
Good work!.
It's funny how obvious and simple it seems when it's put this way.However simple, yours is a far more practical version of something that has been over engineered.