Paper survey design, printing and data capture
Paper surveys, designed to scan.
We design the layout, print, distribute, receive and scan paper surveys, questionnaires and forms, then deliver a clean data file together with a PDF image of every returned form.
Melbourne-based. Your forms and your data stay in Australia.
- One supplier and one quote
- Operator-verified data
- More than 20 years' experience
Australian basedForms and data handled onshore
Designed to scanBuilt to Scantron specifications
Checked by peopleExceptions visually confirmed
Delivered togetherStructured data and PDF images
From questions to clean data
One supplier. One quote. Five steps.
Each step is available as part of one managed paper-survey workflow, with responsibility staying in one place from proof to delivery.
Form design
You bring the questions; we combine professional graphic design with specialist form layout, tailored to your branding, respondents and scanning requirements.
Explore form designPrint and personalisation
Printed in Australia to the scanning specifications, with IDs, barcodes, QR codes and address merge where needed.
Explore printingDistribution and returns
Individual mail-outs or bulk delivery via Australia Post and couriers. Completed forms can return directly to us or be sent back in bulk.
Explore distributionScanning and capture
Closed responses read by optical mark recognition, exceptions checked by an operator and open answers keyed.
Explore scanningData delivery and return reporting
Excel or CSV with agreed values, fieldwork return counts and linked PDF images for scanned forms.
Explore data deliverySee the work
Examples of our work.
Representative examples of the survey, questionnaire and assessment forms CDS designs for scanning and data capture.
Sample content is illustrative and does not contain client or respondent information.
Quality by design
Every form we scan is one we've built.
Good form design is about people as well as scanners. We bring together professional presentation, clear question-and-answer layouts and efficient use of page space. Where required, we can also prepare matching artwork for letters, instructions, postcards and envelopes.
Optical mark recognition reads an instrument that has been set to the scanner's specifications. That is why specialist form layout is the first step of every scanning job.
If you already have a questionnaire, we can rebuild it as a scannable version. The questions stay; the layout changes. For smaller projects, see the manual-entry option below.
A specialist service
Is your project the right fit?
Mostly closed-response questions
Tick boxes, rating scales, multiple choice and other structured responses are where scanning delivers the greatest speed and value.
Open answers and mixed-mode surveys
Open-ended answers are clipped and keyed by operators. Paper can run alongside your online survey using a QR code and short link, or a login unique to each respondent, on the form, letter or instructions, whether mailed individually or distributed through sites.
Manual entry when it costs less
If scanning set-up would cost more than it saves, we can key a small run using your existing form and quote the lower-cost method. PDF images are optional at extra cost for manually keyed runs.
Why paper still earns its place
- It reaches people online misses: older respondents, people offline or without a work email, and anyone who finds screens hard to use.
- Anonymous collection can be planned around the questionnaire, identifiers and return arrangements.
- Respondents can participate without completing an online form.
- Sent to people who haven't answered online, it can lift the overall response rate.
If everyone you need to hear from has a work email and a laptop, an online survey alone will probably do, and we'll say so.
Clear, usable outputs
What you receive.
The paper workflow ends with files your team can use immediately and originals you can trace when a response needs checking.
- Excel or CSV with agreed column names and values
- For scanned projects, one full-page PDF per returned form, linked from its data row
- Open-ended responses keyed alongside closed data
- Daily or weekly return counts during fieldwork, on the agreed basis
- Secure shredding or return of paper after three months, or another agreed period
Experienced across sectors
Trusted by organisations across Australia.
More than 260 organisations and 600 projects since 2007, across research, government, universities, health, member organisations, employers and assessment providers. Nearly three-quarters of our projects are for organisations that have worked with us before.
Research consultancies
Paper-mode fieldwork logistics under one quote, with exception rules agreed in writing.
Learn moreUniversities and research institutes
Cohort and participant studies, individual or bulk distribution and returns, and Australian-based data handling.
Learn moreGovernment and councils
Community, resident and service-user surveys at scale through one accountable Australian supplier.
Learn moreEducation and assessment providers
Tests, exams and evaluations, with operator checks and results supplied per candidate.
Learn moreSurveys, forms, tests and examinations
- Community and resident surveys
- Longitudinal and panel studies
- Program and service evaluations
- Patient and client experience surveys
- Staff and stakeholder surveys
- School, student and parent surveys
- Membership and alumni surveys
- Tests, exams and assessments
- 20 plus
- years working with paper surveys
- 260 plus
- organisations in our project history
- 600 plus
- survey projects
- 75,000
- forms in our largest single mail-out
Helpful answers
Questions we're asked first.
Not sure whether your form or project is suitable? These are the most useful points to check before requesting a quote.
Can you scan a form we already have?
Not as it stands. We rebuild it to Scantron specifications before printing, keeping your questions. For a small run, manual entry may cost less, with PDF images optional at extra cost.
How do you handle open-ended questions?
Each open answer is clipped as an image and keyed by an operator, normally with spelling correction unless you request verbatim entry.
What happens to the paper afterwards?
Forms are held for three months, or another agreed period, then securely shredded or returned to you.
Start with a few project details
Tell us about your survey.
Tell us the quantity, approximate pages per form, how forms will be distributed and returned, and when you need the data.
Let us know about any supporting artwork or specific branding and accessibility requirements.