Back up important documents with your All-in-One

As you go through life, significant documents start to pile up. Birth certificates, social security cards, loan documents, real estate deeds, insurance policies, and more are just a few of the documents you need to keep and keep track of. However, most of these vital documents consist of one paper copy that is left with you for safe-keeping. But paper isn't the easiest thing to manage:

• It's vulnerable to natural disaster. Fire, flood, or any number of natural disasters can easily wipe away all vestiges of these important records, leaving you with a massive headache when it comes time to prove who you are or what you own.
• You need a good filing system to really keep it all straight. A pile of paper is just that -- a pile.
• It takes up valuable space in your home. Enough said.

In today's world, electronic versions of paper documents are an easy and dependable alternative to making paper copies of your important documents. Electronic files:

• Can be backed up to a portable drive for safe keeping in a safety deposit box or even a friend's home. Even if you lose the original paper records, you have an easy-to-access electronic repository to help you prove who you are and what you own.
• Are easy to organize and reorganize on a hard drive or other storage media without spreading them out on the nearest floor or big table.
• Take up a few bytes of storage space instead of a few inches (or even feet).
• Are environmentally friendly -- a few extra trees make the world a better place.

Digital storage space is inexpensive and easy to use, so a better question might be what shouldn't you back up? Any document that would be difficult to replace or that includes key information about you, your family, and your possessions is a strong candidate for digitizing:

• Birth, marriage, and death certificates
• Property records, wills, and loan documents
• Any binding agreement that you have signed
• College transcripts and other proof of education or certification

And this is really just a starting list. Look through your filing cabinet (or filing pile) and think about what would happen if every piece of paper just disappeared. If the thought of losing any of them makes you cringe, even a little, consider an electronic backup.
Beyond vital documents, other good candidates for electronic backup are precious mementos that can't ever be duplicated:

• Your child's first hand-made Christmas card
• A favorite letter from a friend or loved-one
• Pictures you didn't take digitally and that you don't have negatives for

Once again, this is just a starting point, but a good rule to follow is if you can't replace a piece of paper, protect it with a backup scan.

What kind of scanner should you get? You have two options:

• Your best option is an HP All-in-One that includes scanning, copying and printing functionality, and possibly even fax capabilities.
• A stand-alone scanner whose main function is scanning is a good alternative

If you are adding a new piece of equipment to your home, an all-in-one is a great alternative to a printerbecause it costs less than buying devices that perform all of its functions separately, and it takes up less space in your home.

If you plan to scan documents where color matters, such as that first Christmas card or cherished pictures, consider a scanner that scans in color. You want your scans to be close reproductions of your original paper documents.

When you get ready to scan your documents, keep these tips in mind for the best possible result:

• Scan at 300 DPI (dots per inch) or better for a high-quality digital image you can print out later if necessary.
• Consider how you will organize your scans before you start to scan. Set up a folder system that's similar to your paper filing system (or that represents your ideal filing system). Because it's all electronic, it's easy enough to modify and expand the system later, but be sure to start with a solid system. The last thing you want is for your pile of paper to turn into a pile of electronic files dropped one big folder on your desktop.
• Include as much detail as is possible and practical in the name of your scanned files so you can easily find documents and retrieve them. Your file names in combination with your folder system will work together to help you keep track of your electronic records.
• Create a quick text file in Notepad or even your favorite word processing tool to go with each scan that includes useful information about the document such as when you scanned it and why it's important. Save the file with the same name as your scanned document and store in the same folder for quick reference.

Not all documents are standard size or in pristine shape. Most all-in-one scanning software includes advanced scanning and preview options. You use these options to correct the most common problems.

• Document is too large or too small: Use the advanced scanning options to change the document to a manageable size. You can resize to a standard page (8 1/2" x 11") or as a percentage of the overall document size, like 80%. If the paper is simply too large to place on the flatbed of a scanner all at one time, scan sections of it and combine them using an image editor.
• Document is too dark or faded: Use brightness and contrast settings in the advanced scanning menu to lighten or darken the image of the document you are scanning. The brightness setting will lighten or darken the entire page being scanned and the contrast setting will make the text stand out sharper against the background page. Play with these setting until your document is clear and easy to read.
• Document is colored by time: Use the color control palette to reduce the amount of yellow in the document. Alternatively, scan the document in black and white and then use the brightness and contrast tools to find the right exposure.

You have several options when you consider how you will store your digitized documents.

• CD: The most ubiquitous type of storage media today is a CD. It's inexpensive, safe, and just about every computer comes with a CD writer. CDs are easy to transport and store in a safety deposit box or other off-site location.
• DVD: If your computer has a DVD writer, you can save your files to a DVD, instead. They're durable and reliable and hold about seven times as much data as a CD but are just as portable.
• Hard drive: Personal media drives from HP give you the flexibility of a hard drive combined with portability and a small size.

You may find that you use a combination of storage options to manage your electronic documents. You may keep one set on your PC's hard drive for easy access but keep a copy on CD, DVD, or a personal media drive to store away from your home to truly protect your files from unexpected events.

The danger posed by natural disasters can affect even a digital copy of your documents, if you don't store it safely. One strategy is to place the CD or DVD in a safe deposit box or send it to a vendor who charges a small fee to store your CDs and DVDs. You can also upload the scanned files to an internet vaulting service that accepts and stores files electronically. Make several copies of your documents and store them in separate geographical locations for the most complete protection.

• Browse HP's collection of All-in-Ones
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