How to Convert images to text

Flat works best

Trying to convert text from an image where the text is not straight can produce some unusual results. Here’s an example of what you might get from a document that’s askew.

Select an image

Click the “Open image” button at the right-hand end of the toolbar, and choose the file to process. It could be a photo of a newspaper or a scan of a document. Legibility is critical.

Fine-tune an image

If you don’t have an app that can rotate images arbitrarily, try ToyViewer (Free, bit.ly/mltoyviewer). Choose Operation > Rotate, enter an angle, click OK, then save as a new file.

Convert the text

Click the Recognize button and the app will do the optical character recognition work for you. Note that the conversion process can take time for harder-to-read images. Be patient.

Three panels

Now open OCRTOOLS. When you first do so, you’ll be presented with three totally empty panels. This may seem unusual, but once you start using the app it’ll soon begin to make sense.

Use the text

You can now manipulate the text in the middle pane of OCRTOOLS. Select some and then copy and paste it into your preferred editing app using the same methods you’d normally use.