When you scan text and run it through an OCR (optical
character recognition) program to make it into an editable text document,
there is a hidden problem; the OCR program is usually American in origin,
and the language setting is locked into US English. If you import this
document into Word 7, for example, you will find that your spellchecker
suddenly has exchanged its Akubra for a Stetson.
The way to solve this is simple: just recorded a macro
that:
1) selects all text,2) converts selected text to Normal style and
3) sets language for selected text to Australian English.
So when your OCR application has dumped the text into
Word 7, click on the homemade 'normalise' button and then (if needed) cut
the text and paste it into a target document.
To create this macro, make sure your scanned text is in place, then go Tools, Macro, invent a name and click the Record button. In the next dialogue box, click 'Assign to button bar'. You'll see the tiny macro control box appear, which means that your actions from this point will be recorded. Now go Edit, Select All, then click down the style list box and select Normal. You'll see a small dialogue box; select the option 'Reapply the formatting of the style to the selection' and click OK. Now go Tools, Language and select English (AUS), then click Ok.
You have now gone through all the steps of the macro,
so click the stop symbol on the macro control box. Now right-click
on the toolbar that you want to use and select Customize from the pop-up
menu. Click the Toolbars tab and select Macros in the list box.
Now select your freshly
created macro in the list box that appears on the right and drag it onto
the toolbar. Take your pick among the button graphics that pop-up and the
job is done. At least, when you have gone File, Save All
............it is.