Simple problem- need advice

76 year old computer newbie needs serious help.

He bought a pc recently, because they stopped selling ribbons for his type writer. He used his typewriter to fill in forms for things like insurance, military inquiries, anything that needed a clearly legible type text. He has a scanner and printer, all in one deal. When he scans the documents and sends to them to the paint program, the document shrinks when it is printed which is not acceptable by these agencies. He tried sending document to wordpad and notepad- but these will not allow him type over the image.

As I said- he is a newbie, and needs some help- I have a photoshop program that is a little too complicated for him (especially with such a simple task) and theGimp seems too complicated as well.

Are there any programs that would make it easier for this simple task- or is there a process that I am missing here?

It seems that this would be a fairly common problem, because many people need to type on forms sent to them by the government agencies, insurance companies, IRS, colleges and universities and return them in the same format, on plain white paper- why hasn't someone written a program to do this very simple task?

He isn't allowed to email his responses- the agencies he is in correspondence with deal in paper.

Please help me, he is killing me- quote- "See, I told you the damn things are useless...$800 toy is all it is..." unquote... get the picture. If he wasn't my pa I'd tell him something I don't think you would like to read. But he does have a point, why hasn't a program been written for such a simple task? And if it has been, where can I find it?

Thanks in advance.

 

I've never heard of a program specifically to do this. Perhaps you could get in touch with these agencies and explain to them your problems. They may even have 'templates' they can send you- these will load up in MS Word allowing you to put text in specific areas of a page, then you put the original form into the printer and it knows where to print the text. Alternatively, try to get a refund on the computer and fill in the forms by hand, in block capitals..

Sorry i couldn't be of more help.

 

The scanner "copies" the item perfectly- its that he needs to add text to the object once scanned into the computer- and then print THAT document out, with his added text in the required fields. The document he scans has blank informational fields that need to be typed in- and I cannot find a document editor that will allow him to do this with ease.

 

Doesn't the printer have a sizing option? I hope that isn't a useless answer - but I miss my 76 year old Dad. (don't worry-mom is still around to drive us nuts) On my scanner/printer you can adjust the field size. Isn't that standard?

 

The agencies aren't likely to do this- he's also 76 years old- can barely hold his walking stick still, much less a pencil- hence the need for using a typewriter- but the typewriter is now "obsolete."

 

Sorry-I misunderstood and I'm a slow typist.

 

Yeah. It seems disgraceful that the agencies have no alternative procedures for the aged! If the forms are so important, you'd expect there to be other ways to fill them out..

I guess there is no harm in asking them?

Other than that, i'm sorry.

 

yes, the scanner has a sizing option- but it doesn't help with the program he is trying to use.

 

Did a little google searching.. found this.. another outlay, i know, but i think this may help.

http://www.colorpilot.com/typewriter.html?adwords

 

Thank you so much- this is EXACTLY what he needs!!! I just think that there should a be a free version of this, especially since it is likely to be used by elderly and people with disabilities. But THANKS so much- I am definitely looking into it!!!

 

I'm totally with you on the free version. The local government should supply you with it! Or a free typewriter!

Good luck.