Best OCR Software

Optical character recognition or optical character reader (OCR) is the mechanical or electronic conversion process of images into machine-encoded text. Images can include printed, typed, or handwritten text. In simple terms, OCR enables a simple procedure that digitize printed texts. The results can be used as a data entry, electronically stored, searched, edited, shared on-line, etc.

OCR is a sophisticated technology that merges three main areas: pattern recognition, computer vision, and artificial intelligence. How does OCR software works? It goes through several steps: first, the software analyzes the structure of document image after photo-scanning by dividing it into elements (tables, blocks of texts, images, etc.), and then it separates lines in words and then in characters codes, such as ASCII. When characters are processed, they are compared with a set of pattern images to analyze different variants and results. Finally, the software presents you recognized text. Advanced OCR systems boost hardware as main circuit boards and computer chips designed to speed up the recognition process.

How to choose the right OCR software for your needs? Most OCR systems boost a combination of hardware with an optical scanner and software that recognizes text. Inexpensive ones work only through software, and they’re not flawless, but they work well with text on paper and could be perfect for consumer, freelance, students and small business. If you run a large enterprise, it’s better to choose an advanced OCR solution that can read a text in a large variety of fonts and languages, but handwritten documents are still not always easy to process.

Some OCR applications can improve the quality and correct defect as distortion at the edges and dimmed light in images captured by a digital camera to correctly recognize the text.

The most the OCR software is powerful, the easiest is processing documents saving a lot of time and effort.