InspiroScan

With InspiroScan you can enter Answer Keys in a password protected part of the system. You can also use Paper Answer Keys if desired.

All reports are created as Excel workbooks. Please see our Exam Reports page for a list of reports, descriptions, and examples.

InspiroScan does not mark incorrect answers on bubble forms. InspiroScan is used on computers running Windows (Mac or PC). It uses inexpensive, off-the-shelf scanners, and results are shown in the Excel reports that can be generated for each batch, or for multiple batches together.

Survey data can be collected online and on bubble forms.

To collect data online, sign up for our InspiroScan Survey Campaign Tool service. Then, simply create your survey in the InspiroScan Form Creator, enter your recipient email addresses, set up your campaign, then click Send. It's fast and easy. Everyone you selected for the campaign will be emailed a link to take your survey.

The InspiroScan Survey Campaign Tool starts at $299 per year for up to 12,000 online survey participants.

All reports are created as Excel workbooks. Please see our Survey Reports page for a list of reports, descriptions, and examples.

Yes!

Your InspiroScan Form Creator surveys can be a maximum of 2 sides (1 page front and back), and 2 side surveys must be printed duplex.

Custom InspiroScan survey forms can be up to 16 sides (8 pages front and back) and must be printed duplex.

No, you can create as many surveys as you'd like.

Yes.

If your scanner is TWAIN compliant and you have the TWAIN driver installed, InspiroScan can directly control your scanner.

Otherwise, InspiroScan can process scans created with your existing scanning software. Just use these settings:

1. Scan type: black and white (monochrome, not grayscale)
2. Scan resolution: 300dpi
3. File type: TIFF

Yes.

If your scanner is TWAIN compliant and you have the TWAIN driver installed, InspiroScan can directly control your scanner.

Otherwise, InspiroScan can process scans created with your existing scanning software. Just use these settings:

1. Scan type: black and white (monochrome, not grayscale)
2. Scan resolution: 300dpi
3. File type: TIFF

Many dedicated scanners and multifunction machines will work with InspiroScan. Compatible scanners will:

1. Be able to save in TIFF format
2. Be able to scan in monochrome / black and white (grayscale may also be compatible)
3. Be able to scan two-sided (duplex) for scanning double-sided forms
4. Have an automatic sheet feeder so that you don't have to manually load each page
5. Be TWAIN compliant. This is only necessary if you want InspiroScan to control the scanner directly. Read more below.

Check the technical specifications for your scanner to see if it meets these requirements.

InspiroScan can directly control a TWAIN complaint scanner. To see if your scanner is TWAIN complaint, check the manufacturer's website for a TWAIN driver. Whether a TWAIN driver is provided is usually specified in the technical specifications for a particular model. You can also check the driver downloads section for a particular model to see if the driver is available for download.

If your scanner doesn't have a TWAIN driver but meets the first four requirements listed above, you can still use it with InspiroScan. InspiroScan supports processing a scan file created by other software.

Not sure if your scanner is compatible? Contact us.

1. Print copies of the sample bubble form (provided as a PDF in C:\InspiroScan\Definitions\). Fill out the bubble forms with sample data. Be sure to print at Actual size (or with Page Scaling set to None).
2. Load the sheets in your scanner. Be sure the forms are placed in the sheet feeder correctly, so that the front side of each form will be scanned.
3. Click Scan Forms.
4. Leave the default Answer Key option selected.
5. In the Select Source window select the TWAIN driver for the scanner you wish to use. For Fujitsu scanners, the TWAIN driver starts with "FUJITSU". Click Select.
6. When the scan is complete you will receive a message giving you the ability to add more sheets to the sheet feeder, or to end the scan. Click No to indicate that you're finished scanning.
7. Your scan results will appear in the main results grid. You can double click on any row to view the details for that form.
8. Click Reports to generate reports in Excel.

If you double-click a row in the results grid, you'll be able to view the form and edit the data for the form.

If you double-click a row in the results grid, you'll be able to view the form. To zoom in and out on the form, click the image of the form, and then roll your mouse wheel, or right click and select Zoom.

If a form cannot be scanned, its row in the results grid will be red. You can delete a form from a batch by using the red X in the Delete column, or rescan the batch of forms. You manually enter the data by double-clicking the row and typing the response to each item. You can also check the paper form to see if there are problems with the registration marks ("T" shapes near the four corners of the form), or timing marks (black rectangles going down the sides of the form).

Updated license file(s) are emailed after payment is received for your InspiroScan renewal. License file(s) need to be saved in your main InspiroScan folder. If we haven't received your renewal payment, the license file hasn't been saved, or hasn't been correctly saved, you will receive a license expiration message.

Call us to renew today, or follow these troubleshooting steps if you have already renewed.

If you are receiving a license expiration message and have renewed your InspiroScan license, try the following:

1. Find the email with your updated InspiroScan license file. The email will have been sent shortly after we received your renewal payment and will have a subject of Updated InspiroScan License File(s) or Updated InspiroScan License File(s) and Payment Receipt. Either, or both, of these two license files will be attached to the email.
   1. SCnfg.dbf
   2. LCnfg.dbf
2. Do not try to open the license files. Your computer will likely not be able to.
3. Save the license file(s) in your main InspiroScan folder, replacing the existing license file(s). If you don't know where your InspiroScan folder is, follow these steps:
   1. If you have InspiroScan Multi-User, skip this step. Check to see if C:\InspiroScan\ exists. This is where InspiroScan is installed by default.
   2. If there is no C:\InspiroScan\ folder, or if you have InspiroScan Multi-User, locate the InspiroScan shortcut on your desktop.
   3. Right-click on the shortcut and select Properties.
   4. The location of your InspiroScan installation will be listed next to “Target”. You can also click the Open File Location button to go directly to this folder.
4. Try running InspiroScan again.
5. If you still receive the license expiration message, delete all license files that exist in your InspiroScan folder and in any folder(s) you save the license file(s) to prior to moving them to the InspiroScan folder, such as your Downloads folder. This includes deleting any license files that have version numbers, such as: SCnfg(1).dbf, SCnfg(2).dbf, LCnfg(1).dbf, LCnfg(2).dbf
6. Complete steps 1–4 above after deleting all existing license files.
7. If you still receive the license expiration message, double check that you are saving the license file(s) in the correct InspiroScan folder. Sometimes people will have more than one InspiroScan installation without realizing it. The best way to check where to save the license file is detailed in step 3 above.
8. If you are still receiving a license expiration message, contact us.

Are all of your batches processing well except one? We can help you figure out the issue. Please email us:

1. The scan file for the batch.
   1. Using Scan Forms
      1. InspiroScan saves the scan file for the most recently processed batch directly in the main InspiroScan folder (typically C:\InspiroScan\. It will be called CurrentScan.tif).
      2. If you are naming the scan file on the Batch Setup screen, the relevant scan file will be under the name you entered, in the Scans subfolder of the main InspiroScan folder (typically C:\InspiroScan\Scans\).
   2. Using Process Existing Scan
      1. This is the scan file you're selecting for InspiroScan to process.
2. The name of the Form Definition you're using.
3. If this is a form you created using the InspiroScan Form Creator, please email the Form Definition as well. Form Definitions are saved in the Definitions subfolder of the main InspiroScan folder (typically C:\InspiroScan\Definitions\).

If all of your batches are processing with the same issue, you likely have a scan quality problem. We can verify this, or see what else the issue may be.

Please email us:

1. The scan file for one of the batches:
   1. Using Scan Forms
      1. InspiroScan saves the scan file for the most recently processed batch directly in the main InspiroScan folder (typically C:\InspiroScan\. It will be called CurrentScan.tif).
      2. If you are naming the scan file on the Batch Setup screen, the relevant scan file will be under the name you entered, in the Scans subfolder of the main InspiroScan folder (typically C:\InspiroScan\Scans\).
   2. Using Process Existing Scan
      1. One of the scan file you're selecting for InspiroScan to process.

If your scanner isn't showing in the list of scanners first check to make sure the scanner is powered on and that the cable that runs between your scanner and computer is connected. If the scanner still does not show up in the list, exit InspiroScan, install the TWAIN driver for your scanner, and then try again after rebooting your computer.

Yellow indicates that a form may have missing marks. To check, double-click a row in the results grid. After you double click you'll be able to view the form and see if the data for the form is missing any values. Zones with missing values will be highlighted yellow. You can edit the data for the form if desired, and click Save Changes and Exit to save your changes. If data from bubbles that are completely filled in is being missed, please see Light marks are being missed. What do I do?

You can adjust the Black / White Threshold by clicking Manage System, then entering the password, admin. Once you're in the Manage System, click Scanner Settings. Then change the Black / White Threshold to a higher value. Typically, changing the value by 10 has a noticeable effect. For example, if the Black / White Threshold is 130, change it to 140. Click Exit and then Yes to save your changes.

If adjusting the Black / White Threshold doesn't resolve the issue, you can also try scanning in grayscale. In Scanner Settings, check the Scan Forms in Grayscale instead of Monochrome option. Once scanning in grayscale, you can adjust the darkness using the Grayscale Threshold.