Plustek OpticBook A300 Plus Quick start guide

 Installation
 Usage & Maintenance

Trademarks
© 2018 Plustek Inc. All rights are reserved. No portion of this document may be
reproduced without permission.
All trademarks and brand names mentioned in this publication are property of their
respective owners.
Liability
While all efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of all contents in this
manual, we assume no liability for errors or omissions or by statements of any kind
in this manual, whether such errors are omissions or statements resulting from
negligence, accidents, or any other cause. The contents of this manual are subject
to change without notice. We will not shoulder any legal liability, if users failed to
follow the operation instructions in this manual.
Copyright
The scanning of certain documents, for example checks, bank notes, I.D. cards,
government bonds, or public documents, may be prohibited by law and/or subject
to criminal prosecution. We recommend you to be responsible and respectful of the
copyrights laws when you are scanning books, magazines, journals and other
materials.
Environmental Information
Recycle or disposal at end-of-life information, please ask local distributors or
suppliers for recycle and disposal information. The product is designed and
produced to achieve sustainable environmental improvement. We strive to produce
products in compliance with global environmental standards. Please consult your
local authorities for proper disposal.
The product packaging is recyclable.
Attention for recycling (For EU country only)
Protect your environment! This product should not be thrown into the household
waste container. Please give it to the free collecting center in your community.
Screen Examples in This Manual
The screen shots in this guide were made with Windows 7. If you are using
Windows 8 / 10, your screen will look somewhat different but functions the same.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................1
How to Use This Guide...............................................................................................1
Conventions of This Guide .........................................................................................2
A Note about Icons...............................................................................................................2
Safety Precautions......................................................................................................2
Minimum System Requirements.................................................................................3
Box Contents..............................................................................................................4
Scanner Overview ......................................................................................................5
CHAPTER I. INSTALLING THE SCANNER....................................................................7
Software Installation Requirements............................................................................7
Hardware Requirements.............................................................................................7
Installing and Setting up the Scanner.........................................................................8
Step 1. Unlock Your Scanner...............................................................................................8
Step 2. Connecting the Scanner to Your Computer.............................................................9
Step 3. Installing the Software..............................................................................................9
Step 4. Testing the Scanner...............................................................................................11
Installing Additional Software....................................................................................11
CHAPTER II. SCANNING..................................................................................... 12
Placing the image(s).................................................................................................13
Scanning the image(s)..............................................................................................14
Scanning via TWAIN Interface ...........................................................................................14
Scanning from the scanner’s panel or via Book Pavilion Interface....................................15
CHAPTER III. CARE AND MAINTENANCE ............................................................... 17
Cleaning the Scanner...............................................................................................17
Cleaning Materials..............................................................................................................17
Cleaning the Flatbed ..........................................................................................................18
Aligning the Scanner.................................................................................................18
Standby Mode...........................................................................................................19
Calibrating the Scanner............................................................................................20
Scan Counter............................................................................................................21
Scanner Lock............................................................................................................21
CHAPTER IV. TROUBLESHOOTING........................................................................ 23
Scanner Connection.................................................................................................23
APPENDIX A: SPECIFICATIONS............................................................................ 24
APPENDIX B: CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WARRANTY................................................ 25
Service & Support Information (For EU country only)...............................................25
Statement of Limited Warranty .................................................................................26
FCC Radio Frequency Statement.............................................................................27

1
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for choosing us as your scanner supplier. Your new scanner will
improve the professionalism of your day-to-day computing tasks by allowing you to
input images and electronic text into your computer system.
Like all of our products, your new scanner is thoroughly tested and backed by our
reputation for unsurpassed dependability and customer satisfaction. We hope you will
continue to turn to us for additional quality products as your computing needs and
interests grow.
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
This User’s Guide provides instructions and illustrations on how to install and
operate your scanner. This guide assumes the user is familiar with Microsoft Windows.
If this is not the case, we suggest you learn more about Microsoft Windows by referring
to your Microsoft Windows manual before using your scanner.
The Introduction section of this manual describes the box contents and minimum
computer requirements to use this scanner. Before you start installing your scanner,
check the box contents to make sure all parts are included. If any items are damaged
or missing, please contact the vendor where you purchased your scanner or our
customer service directly.
Chapter I describes how to install the scanner’s software and connect the scanner
to your computer. Note: The scanner connects to your computer through the Universal
Serial Bus (USB). If your computer does not support USB technology, you will need to
purchase a USB interface card to add USB capabilities to your computer, or buy and
install USB connectors if your motherboard has USB capabilities. This guide assumes
that your computer is USB-ready and has a free USB port.
Chapter II describes how to use your scanner.
Chapter III describes how to maintain and clean your scanner.
Chapter IV contains technical support information that can help you solve simple
problems.
Appendix A contains the specifications of the scanner you purchased.
Appendix B contains our customer service, the limited warranty agreement and
FCC statement concerning the product.

2
CONVENTIONS OF THIS GUIDE
“XXX” — Represents commands or contents on your computer screen.
Bold — Represents buttons on your scanner OR important notes.
ALL CAPS — Important note or first use of an important term in a chapter.
A
A N No ot te e a ab bo ou ut t I Ic co on ns s
This guide uses the following icons to point out information that deserves special
attention.
Warning
A procedure that must be followed carefully to
prevent injury, or accidents.
Attention
Instructions that are important to remember and may
prevent mistakes.
Information Optional tips for your reference.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Warning
Before using this device, please read the following
important information to eliminate or reduce any
possibility of causing damage and personal injury.
1. Usage, the product is for indoor use in dry locations. Moisture condensation
may occur inside this device and cause malfunction at these conditions:
 when this device is moved directly from a cold to a warm location;
 after a cold room is heated;
 when this device is placed in a damp room.
To avoid the moisture condensation, you are recommended to follow the procedure:
i. Seal this device in a plastic bag for it to adapt to room conditions.
ii. Wait for 1-2 hours before removing this device from the bag.
2. Do use the AC adapter, power cable and USB cable provided with the scanner.
Use of other AC adapter and cables may lead to malfunction.

3
3. Keep the space around the AC adapter and power cable clear in case you need
to quickly unplug the AC adapter during emergencies.
4. Damaged wire could cause fire or electrical shock. Keep the power cord
straight and without being twisted, bended, or scraped.
5. Unplug this device if you don’t need to use it for a certain period of time, such
as, during night or long weekend, to avoid any risks of causing fire.
6. Do not attempt to disassemble the scanner. There is danger of an electrical
shock and opening your scanner will void your warranty.
7. Be sure not to bump or knock the scanner glass as it is fragile and could break.
8. Do not subject the scanner to excessive vibration. It may damage the internal
components.
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS1
 PC with Intel Core i5 processor or compatible
 4GB RAM (For maximum A3 size@1600 dpi scanning, allocated 20 GB Virtual
Memory at least.)
 Available USB 2.0 port
 DVD-ROM Drive
 800 MB Free Hard Disk Space
 Video card that supports 16-bit color or greater
 Operating System: Windows 7 / 8 / 10
1Higher requirements might be needed when scanning or editing a large quantity of image data.
The system requirements here are only a guideline, as in general the better the computer
(motherboard, processor, hard disk, RAM, video graphic card), the better the results.

4
BOX CONTENTS2
1. Scanner3
2. USB Cable
3. AC Adapter
4. Quick Guide
5. Setup/Application DVD-ROM
2Save the box and packing materials in case you need to transport this scanner in the future.
3The scanner illustration(s) in this manual may appear different than from the actual scanner
itself.

5
SCANNER OVERVIEW
1. DOCUMENT COVER — Helps keep the book or paper in place and protects
the scanner glass.
2. DOCUMENT PAD — Keeps the book or paper in place and improves accuracy
of image quality.
3. SCANNER GLASS — Where you put items for flatbed scanning.
4. REFERENCE MARK — Align your book or paper with this reference mark for
flatbed scanning.

6
5. SCANNER BUTTONS — You may press any button to perform a predefined
scanning task.
6. POWER LED — Indicates the scanner status.
Light Status
Green The scanner is turned on, ready to scan images.
Orange The scanner is in standby mode if it is idle for 10 minutes.
Off The scanner is off, either because the power is not turned on, or because the power cord is not properly plugged into an AC power
outlet.
7. SCANNER LOCK (located on the scanner’s underside) — Holds your scanner
head in place during transportation.
8. POWER SWITCH — Use this to turn the scanner ON or OFF.
9. POWER RECEPTOR — Connects the scanner to a standard AC power outlet
by the AC adapter included.
10. USB PORT — Connects the scanner to a USB port on your computer by the
USB cable included.

7
CHAPTER I. INSTALLING THE SCANNER
Before installing your scanner, please verify that you have all of the proper
components. A list of the package contents is provided in the “Box Contents” section of
this guide.
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS
Your scanner comes with the OCR software (ABBYY FineReader Sprint), the
scanner’s driver and the Book Pavilion software. All of these software applications use
approximately 800 megabytes of hard disk space after they are installed into your
computer. To ensure ample room for the installation, as well as for scanning and
saving images, a minimum of 1 GB of hard disk space is recommended.
The USB scanner can only operate under the Microsoft Windows 7, 8 or 10
operating system.
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
This scanner connects to your computer through the Universal Serial Bus (USB)
which supports HOT PLUG AND PLAY. To determine whether your computer is USB-
capable, you must check the rear of your PC to locate a USB jack that looks like the
picture below. If you are having trouble in locating the USB port on your computer,
please refer to the hardware manual that came with your computer.
Upon examination, you should find one or two rectangular USB ports, which usually
appear as shown below.
If you don’t find such USB ports on your computer, then you need to purchase a
certified USB interface card to add USB capabilities to your computer.
USB Connector(s)

8
INSTALLING AND SETTING UP THE SCANNER
Please follow the step-by-step procedures described below to install the Plustek
scanner.
Attention
Choose a Proper Site First!
 Always place your scanner on a level,
smooth and strong surface before
proceeding the scanner setup or any
scanning task. Tilted or uneven surface may
cause paper-feeding errors, scanner
damage or personal injury.
 Avoid using the scanner in a dusty
environment. Dust particles and other
foreign objects may damage the unit.
S
St te ep p 1 1. . U Un nl lo oc ck k Y Yo ou ur r S Sc ca an nn ne er r
This scanner is designed with a locking mechanism to hold the scanning head in
place during transportation. Before you connect your scanner with the computer,
ensure to unlock your scanner first.
To unlock the scanner, slide the locking switch on the scanner’s underside toward
the back panel of the scanner until it snaps into place. Refer to the “Scanner Lock”
section of this guide for more details.

9
S
St te ep p 2 2. . C Co on nn ne ec ct ti in ng g t th he e S Sc ca an nn ne er r t to o Y Yo ou ur r C Co om mp pu ut te er r
Attention
Please make sure the scanner is turned OFF
before you plug or unplug the scanner power
adapter.
1. Plug the AC adapter into the scanner’s power receptor.
2. Plug the other end of the power cable into a standard AC power outlet.
3. Plug the square end of the included USB cable to the USB port at the rear of
the scanner.
4. Plug the rectangular end of the USB cable to an available USB port on your
computer.
5. If you plan to connect your scanner to a USB hub4, make sure that the hub is
connected to the USB port in your computer. Next, connect the scanner to the
USB hub.
S
St te ep p 3 3. . I In ns st ta al ll li in ng g t th he e S So of ft tw wa ar re e
1. Switch on the scanner power from the side of the scanner.
2. If the USB components on your computer are functioning correctly, they will
automatically detect the scanner causing the “Add New Hardware Wizard” or
“Found New Hardware Wizard” to be launched.
Information
If your computer is off when the scanner is
connected, the “Add New Hardware Wizard”
message will not be displayed until the computer
is on and Windows starts.
4The USB hub is not included with the scanner.

10
3. For Windows 7:
When the Setup/Application DVD is for several scanner models
a. Insert the Setup/Application DVD-ROM, included with your scanner, into your
DVD-ROM drive. Click Run install.exe in the AutoPlay window.
b. Click on the Yes button if the User Account Control dialog pops up. Follow
the instructions in the pop-up installation message.
c. In the Device Manager window, right-click on this scanner under Other
devices and select Update Driver Software from the pop-up menu. Click
Browse my computer for driver software in the window that appears, and
click the Browse button.
d. In the Browse For Folder window, select the folder or the DVD-ROM drive
that contains this scanner’s driver and click the OK button to return to the
previous screen. Click the Next button and click Install this driver software
anyway if the Windows Security window appears. Afterwards, please skip
to procedure 5.
When the Setup/Application DVD is for one scanner model
a. Insert the Setup/Application DVD-ROM, included with your scanner, into your
DVD-ROM drive. Click Run install.exe in the AutoPlay window.
b. Click on the Yes button if the User Account Control dialog pops up.
Afterwards, please skip to procedure 5.
4. For Windows 8 & Windows 10:
a. Insert the Setup/Application DVD-ROM, included with your scanner, into your
DVD-ROM drive. Click on the pop-up notification, then click Run install.exe
in the pop-up window. If you miss the pop-up notification, please eject and re-
insert the Setup/Application DVD-ROM.
b. Click on the Yes button if the User Account Control dialog pops up.
Afterwards, please skip to procedure 5.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to install all software that your new scanner
requires. If the pop-up wizard window appears click Next,and click Install this
driver software anyway in the Windows Security window then click Finish in
the wizard window.
6. After the software is installed, close all open applications and click the Finish
button to restart your computer.
Information
Save the Setup/Application DVD in case you
need to reinstall the driver and software in the
future.

11
S
St te ep p 4 4. . T Te es st ti in ng g t th he e S Sc ca an nn ne er r
The following describes how you can check if the scanner is properly functioning
with your computer and the scanning software. Before testing your scanner, double
check to make sure that all connections are securely fastened.
To test the flatbed scanning:
1. Open the scanner’s document cover and place a book, head toward the
scanner button panel, on the scanner glass. Align the book with the mark
on the scanner.
2. Gently close the document cover.
3. Double-click the icon in the Windows system tray.
4. Within the “Book Pavilion” window, you may adjust the scan settings by clicking
Mode Setting. Also, you can configure the save settings of the scanned
images.
5. Press the Color, Gray or B/W button on the scanner panel.
6. The scanner starts to scan immediately and carry out the corresponding action
according to the settings you have set up in the Book Pavilion window.
INSTALLING ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE
Your scanner is TWAIN compliant and functions with virtually all available TWAIN
compatible software. If you purchase additional software to be used with your scanner,
please make sure that it conforms to the TWAIN standard.

12
CHAPTER II. SCANNING
Your scanner needs to be driven by certain type of software program. Since all
documents or images (whether text or pictures) that are acquired from the scanner are
treated by your computer as images, most scanning will probably be done from an
image-editing program where you can view, edit, save and output the scanned images.
What about scanning text documents and editing them in a word processor? This is
the role of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. OCR software converts the
image files that are created from scanning text documents into text files that can be
viewed, edited and saved by word processors. An OCR program has also been
bundled on the included Setup/Application DVD-ROM, and if you wish to use the
scanner in this way you should install the OCR software that is included.
Book Pavilion, a carefully designed tool, helps you make the book scanning
experience simple and efficient. With prior settings within the Book Pavilion turning
books into electronic files is as easy as making copies on a copy machine. All you
need to do is turn the book pages and then press one of the three scan buttons on the
scanner panel. Furthermore, you can scan consecutive pages on a book without
worrying about the page direction.... And you need to experience more!
Please refer to the online help of each program to guide you through any questions
you may have while scanning within that program.
This chapter describes two important steps of scanner operations. Read them
thoroughly and follow the instructions to ensure correct use and optimal scanner
performance.
Step 1. Placing the image(s)
Step 2. Scanning the image(s)

13
PLACING THE IMAGE(S)
1. Open the scanner’s document cover and place a book or document, head
toward the scanner button panel, on the scanner glass. Align the book or
document with the mark on the scanner.
2. Gently close the document cover.
Attention
 When you’re scanning a thick book, gently press
the book binding to guarantee the minimum space
between the to-be-scanned page and the scanner
glass.
 When the document cover is not closed, please
don’t look directly at the scanner lamp during
scanning.

14
SCANNING THE IMAGE(S)
There are three different ways to operate the scanner:
1. By acquiring images from the scanner through our TWAIN interface within
any TWAIN-compliant application programs.
2. By scanning images within Book Pavilion software.
3. By scanning from the scan buttons on the scanner.
The TWAIN interface and Book Pavilion software are automatically installed to your
system along with the scanner driver.
Attention
Before you start scanning, check the following:
 Your scanner has been unlocked and the power of
both your computer and scanner is turned on.
 The icon appears on the Windows system
tray.
 Book or paper is appropriately placed on the
scanner flatbed glass.
S
Sc ca an nn ni in ng g v vi ia a T TW WA AI IN N I In nt te er rf fa ac ce e
The TWAIN program is a very important piece of software that comes with your
scanner. This program acts as an interface between the scanner hardware and the
image-editing software you are using to view and edit images. The TWAIN program
allows you to adjust a number of settings to define the quality of the scanned image.
The following describes how you may use your TWAIN compatible program to scan
via the TWAIN interface. When you get familiar with the scanning, you may
alternatively use other TWAIN compatible scanning programs or image-editing
applications to do your scanning projects.
Scan within your TWAIN compatible program:
1. Launch your TWAIN compatible program.
Attention
If you have more than one scanner or other imaging
devices installed on your computer, you need to set
this scanner as the default scanning source before
you acquire the TWAIN program. Please refer to your
TWAIN compatible program manual for more
information about the settings.
2. Open the TWAIN window within your TWAIN compatible program. Please refer
to your TWAIN compatible program manual for detailed information.
3. In the TWAIN window that opens, select Flatbed Reflective as the Scan Type.

15
4. Adjust the scanning settings.
5. Click the Preview button. The scanned image should appear in the “Preview
Window”. To define the margins and crop out sections of the image you don’t
want scanned, use the mouse to click and drag the corners or sides of the scan
area borders. Adjust the scan settings again if you are not satisfied with the
result.
6. Click the Scan button.
7. When the scan finishes, click the Exit button to close the “TWAIN window”. The
scanned images are displayed in your TWAIN compatible program, and you
may perform the image editing tasks.
Click the Help button within the TWAIN window for more information about the
settings.
S
Sc ca an nn ni in ng g f fr ro om m t th he e s sc ca an nn ne er r’ ’s s p pa an ne el l o or r v vi ia a B Bo oo ok k P Pa av vi il
li io on n
I
In nt te er rf fa ac ce e
Your scanner is equipped with function buttons designed to make your scanning
experience more convenient and efficient. The buttons on scanner’s panel perform
Book Pavilion,Preview,Color Scan,Grayscale Scan and Text Scan functions. The
settings for each button on the scanner's panel are configured through Book Pavilion.
Book Pavilion offers you quick access to the most frequently-used scanning functions.
They are especially useful when you need to repeatedly scan with the same settings
and send images to the same destination.

16
Configure Button Settings
Before performing your first scan via scanner buttons, you are recommended to
configure the button settings to your needs and preferences first. There are three ways
to configure or view the button settings of Book Pavilion:
 Press Book Pavilion or Preview button from the scanner’s panel.
 Double-click the icon in the Windows system tray.
 Right-click the icon in the Windows system tray, and then choose
Setting… in the pop-up menu that opens.
Within the “Book Pavilion” window, you may adjust the scan settings by clicking
Mode Setting. Also, you can configure the save settings of the scanned images.
Scan from the Buttons
Scanning books or images from this scanner is very easy. Follow the two steps
described below:
1. Place the book or document onto the scanner.
2. Press the Color Scan, Grayscale Scan or Text Scan button on the scanner
panel.
The scanner starts to scan immediately and carry out the corresponding action
according to the settings you have set up in the “Book Pavilion window”.

17
CHAPTER III. CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Your scanner is designed to be maintenance-free. However, constant care and
maintenance can keep your scanner working smoothly.
CLEANING THE SCANNER
Paper powder, dust, ink and toner from paper being scanned may make the
scanner glass dirty, which leads to poor image quality or document-feeding errors. How
often to clean your scanner depends on the type of paper and number of pages being
scanned.
Perform the following procedures to clean the scanner surface and scanner glass.
Gently wipe locations described herein. Do not rub too hard.
Warning
 Before cleaning the scanner, turn off the scanner
and disconnect the scanner’s power cable and USB
cable, and then wait a few minutes for the glass to
cool to ambient temperature.
 Wash your hands with soap and water after
cleaning the scanner.
C
Cl le ea an ni in ng g M Ma at te er ri ia al ls s
Have the following cleaning materials ready to clean the scanner:
 soft, dry, lint-free cloth (or a cotton swab)
 non-abrasive cleaner—Isopropyl alcohol (95%). DO NOT use water.
Attention
Alternatively you can use glass cleaner or neutral
detergent for windows cleaning to clean the scanner
glass.
Use of other cleaning materials could damage your scanner.