Simulating a TWAIN Device

biggusjimmus picture biggusjimmus · Aug 20, 2009 · Viewed 26.6k times · Source

Our company is using some software that ONLY accepts input from an "Imaging Device" i.e. a TWAIN device (e.g. scanner).

The problem is that we are receiving our files digitally, so using an actual scanner would require us to print, scan, and shred documents that we already have on the computer, but not in the software.

I was curious if anybody has any idea of how we might be able to work around this problem in the meantime. My first thought was to find some way to trick the program into thinking we're using a scanner, via some new 'imaging device' that would just read in the file, and spit it out to the software, but I don't even know where to begin with that.

We put in a feature request, seeing as how this problem should obviously be addressed in the software itself, but the company is notorious for lagging pretty hard when it comes to updates.

Answer

Chris Chilvers picture Chris Chilvers · Aug 20, 2009

The system used by scanners is called TWAIN, so you'd be looking for some sort of virtual twain driver.

A quick google search will produce several hits, I don't have any experience with the software myself so can't advise any further.

Two such providers I found via experts exchange:
http://www.twaintools.de
http://www.scanpoint-usa.com