# I want to digitize my recipe files



## Tyler78

Hi,
I have a list of my favorite recipe sorted in a small cabinet. It includes cuisines from all around the world. Most of them are hand written. Last day when I checked for an Asian recipe, I didn't find it. I may have lost it sometime before when I took it. So, now, I want to store it on a DVD or in my system so I can easily access them. I read that the benefits of document imaging. Resources Ash Conversion | PDF Conversion & Document Scanning - Ontario I don't have a scanner. I wish to know where I can get my files converted to digital storage? Will i get it done from a computer center? Has anyone done it? Need help.


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## Addie

One way you can do it is to rewrite the recipe in a file. 
I have a file that has the following folders:

Breads
Soups
Pastas
Cakes
Cookies
Main Dishes

You get the idea. Every so often I take the same disc and over ride it by backing up my recipes again. Specially when I know I have added a number of new recipes. 

That is just one way of doing it. Then you can put all your original copies in a very large envelope and open it only to add the new recipes that you have found, after you have added them to the computer.


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## Andy M.

Many current printers are multi-purpose with a scanning bed on top for scanning documents and copying them.  You could scan a recipe and save it into a file with the appropriate label.  Then collect your scanned recipe files into folders by recipe type as Addie suggested.  CDs are old technology and take longer to work with.

That's the easiest way.  Of course, you can't edit these images.  However, whenever you come across a recipe that needs a change, you could type it into a document and save it.


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## Aunt Bea

Another vote for scanning recipes.

If you are a sentimental old fool like me you will appreciate the scanned copies of old newspaper clippings or hand written family recipes with notes in the margins along with years and years worth of splatters on them.  IMO the memories are more important than the recipes!


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## tenspeed

I have an older version multi function printer similar to this

Canon imageCLASS MF216N Monochrome Multifunction laser printer, 24 ppm-Newegg.com

  It scans to jpegs and  pdfs, and also has OCR (Optical Character Recognition) which works fairly well, but it only works for printed matter, not handwritten.  I paid a little over $100 for mine a few years back.  A number of manufacturers offer comparable devices.

  If you have a lot of pages to scan (like a filing cabinet full), a Fujitsu ScanSnap is blazingly fast, and runs approx. $250.  They were very popular items where I worked, as most incoming paperwork was scanned to pdfs.

  I think you'll find that utilizing an outside service gets expensive very quickly.

  Don't use one backup device, use at least two and rotate the backups.  I have four in rotation, plus some archives on DVDs.


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## Tyler78

Thanks guys. I don't have a multi-functional printer. My friend has it in his office. I can use that. 
Once again, thanks for the suggestions.


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## Tyler78

Aunt Bea said:


> Another vote for scanning recipes.
> 
> If you are a sentimental old fool like me you will appreciate the scanned copies of old newspaper clippings or hand written family recipes with notes in the margins along with years and years worth of splatters on them.  IMO the memories are more important than the recipes!



Yes , yes, I can relate. I don't throw away any small scribbled piece of paper away. The memory is worth it. When years passed, these will be the clues to the wonderful life we had.


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## CWS4322

There are eight recipe boxes of recipes from my mom, grandma, great aunts, etc. I have been sorting them and culling the duplicates. I take pics using my phone and then transfer those to a memory stick. I can't get rid of the paper ones. Found one today written by my mom on of all things, an envelope containing Cosmos flower seeds. The recipe was for a peach pie. Family recipes are the most fun--I still have to figure out what Hairdresser's are--a recipe my grandma wrote down on a piece of paper. Just the ingredients, no instructions. I have collected church, regional cookbooks for years. They tell a story of the economic times, culture, etc. Love going to yard sales and picking up those well-loved cookbooks.


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## dragnlaw

tenspeed said:


> Don't use one backup device, use at least two and rotate the backups.  I have four in rotation, plus some archives on DVDs.



I also have mine on computer, with DVD as 2nd backup and Microsoft One Drive as the other. I also discovered I had even sent a few recipes to Google My Drive, LOL without rrealizing the difference between "drives".   My son is still shaking his head...

I still use the DVD as there have been times my computer has crashed taking everything with it. Yes, One Drive is still there but the time it did happen to me - both internet and laptop took a dive - I was devastated - Christmas Menu & Time Table were on it, less than a week away!


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## snowbeast

Look for scanner apps for your phone on your app store, basically take a pic and store it as a pdf as a shortcut. 
I am lucky at work we have a massive scanner. I scan all my recipes.
maybe start slowly typing them out?


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## Termy

I would type them out, and probably use Word format. 

Look at your HD space, unless you are really hurting just put it there. In text you can type for a year and barely make a megabyte. 

There is a way to insert a picture in a Word document, but I never figured it out. 

And under the main category the subdirectories, as suggested earlier, or as you see fit. 

And if you burn it to CD I can write the autorun so it starts upon insertion. Well I used to, it'll come back to me. 

Another thing, on the HD, make a directory outside Windows, don't put it in the library or if the OS crashes you might never get it back. Actually you might want to save it on a stick, especially while putting it together. I stick is a good backup, and they come up to at least 64GB now. 

T


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