Pulp Scanning Techniques
Here are some tips on how to copy pulps and scan them into a computer for optical character recognition (OCR). When you are done, you will have a text file that contains the pulp story you have selected. The text file can be edited, fonts changed, pictures added, etc.
Planning ahead in general terms, you should first make a photocopy of the pulp pages you are planning to scan. Then you will scan the photocopies using your scanner and your OCR software. Finally, you will take the text file produced by the OCR software and check it for spelling and punctuation errors.
Photocopying a Pulp
Your first consideration is to safeguard the original pulp. If at all possible, you want to keep the pulp from damage. In rare cases where the pulp is so brittle that opening the pulp breaks the page, you may have to cut open the pulp at the spine, and photocopy the loose pages. But let's assume the pulp is not in that bad condition.
Let's assume you can open the pulp without breaking a page. I've worked with over 100 pulps and have only encountered one pulp that was so brittle that I had to cut the spine. So we should be able to assume you have a pulp that can be opened safely.
Opening up a pulp wide enough to photocopy it puts great stress on the spine of the pulp. Your main concern will be to relieve this stress, so that the pages don't tear away from the staple and so the spine remains undamaged. The solution is binder clips.
These are binder clips. They come in several sizes. I find the 5/8 inch size work the best for me. They are pretty strong, and will hold the spine of the pulp securely.
They are so strong that they can bite into the pulp and leave a mark on the spine. For that reason, you should place a piece of cardboard between the binder clips and the pulp, to act as a buffer. These are the pieces you will need.
Put the cardboard buffer over the spine of the pulp, and place five binder clips on the spine, about 1/4 inch in from the edge of the spine. This will hold the spine tightly shut at aboug the staple.
When you photocopy the pulp, you can open the pulp without fear of tearing at the staple, or splitting the spine.
You can press down on the spine to get a nice flat photocopy, and the binder clips will hold the spine together.
Adjust the photocopy machine's settings to the lighter side. You will want to experiment until you get a nice black print on a white background. You should avoid a slightly grayish tinge to the background. This is harder for the OCR software to accurately scan.
You should also adjust the enlarge/reduce settings to fit an entire pulp page on a single sheet of paper. I've found 115% works well for the standard sized pulps, and 125% works well for the later "digest" sized pulps.
Your goal in photocopying is to get a copy with large clear letters. It is easier for the computer's OCR software to accurately recognize the letters if the contrast is crisp and the letters are as large as possible.
It's generally a good idea to photocopy the story you are interested, the index, and the cover of the pulp. There may be other special items you may want to include in your copying, such as "The Third Degree," the solve-it-yourself mini-mysteries in many of The Shadow Magazines.
When you are done, carefully remove the binder clips and the cardboard buffer. You will find the pulp remains in excellent shape, with perhaps a slight crease running down the spine 1/4 inch from the edge (depending on how hard you pressed down when photocopying).
The next step is to take the photocopy and scan it.
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