Optical character reader, or OCR for short is a type of converter that can transcribe text from images and physical documents into encoded text. This means that it can transfer texts just by scanning a particular document. On some occasions, this feature is included in other applications and software like PDF readers and mind map app. However, it is currently hard to come across since its application is still limited. With that being said, we reviewed some OCR software to give you an idea about their capabilities.
OCR Software
GitMind
First tool that we have is GitMind. This is a mind mapping software that provides OCR features via its mobile app. It is capable of scanning documents and then convert the text into mind maps. This is useful for making review and study materials for students and professionals. Aside from that, it supports online collaboration where you can edit a single mind map with your colleagues at the same time. GitMind is also useful for making flowcharts that you can label using the OCR feature. Overall, we give this convenient and free online OCR a two thumbs-up.
Evernote Scannable
Another great application with OCR technology is Evernote Scannable. As the name suggest, it is part of the Evernote set of applications. It can scan multiple cards, and other paper documents and extract texts from them. It also supports character extraction from images in JPG and PNG format. Another great thing about this app is that it automatically adjusts scanned images for a better viewing experience. The best thing about it, is that it’s a free OCR software which is available from the App Store of your iOS device.
Text Fairy
Text Fairy a web-based application that is also optimized for mobile browsers. This means that you can open this app from your Android and iOS devices via their respective browsers. Aside from that, there is also a mobile application with added features that you can install on your mobile device. Text Fairy is a simple and efficient way to extract texts from images. You can then paste the text to a clipboard, and use them anyway you want. This is a proven method that lets you transcribe texts within seconds. With these features, there is no doubt that it is one of the best OCR software that you can install on your smartphone.
Text Scanner [OCR]
Another Android application with OCR feature is Text Scanner [OCR]. This free OCR tool is one of those with the highest accuracy rate. The speed of the tool is also commendable since its faster compared to your usual scanner. There are also a wide-range of languages supported by this application like Korean, Italian and Chinese to name a few. It also integrates well with other applications like Google Drive and Google Keep. Overall, we can say that this tool is a great OCR software for Android devices due to these features.
Office Lens
Office Lens is a scanner from Microsoft Office. It is capable of scanning physical documents, and digital images within seconds due to its fast and responsive scanner. Office Lens is a portable way to extract texts from either paper and digital documents. However, the tool is not entirely free as there are in-app purchases which you can purchase for added features. However, we personally think that it’s not necessary to purchase these as the basic version is good enough. That is why we give this free online OCR our seal of approval.
Pen to Print
Another tool that you can use to scan documents is Pen to Print. As the name suggest, it can transform handwritten notes into print text. These are also available for editing which makes it a great tool to have. This tool is specifically built for scanning handwritten documents which is proof of its high-accuracy rate. The only thing that we noticed while reviewing this tool is that the quality of the output depends if your handwriting is legible. However, if this is not the case for you then you can use this free OCR software.
Smart Lens
Last tool on the list is Smart Lens. One of the most powerful OCR tool that can recognize more than 50 languages, Smart Lens proves to be a good contender in the race for the best mobile scanner. Aside from that, there is also a translate feature where you only need to scan a document or image to get their direct translation. However, the tool does not recognize handwritten notes, which means that only printed documents are eligible for scanning. If you are okay with this then there is nothing to worry about. That is why in our list of the best OCR software, we give it a thumbs-up.
Conclusion
OCR is indeed a convenient piece of technology that allowed the fast-tracking of copying texts from images. Instead of typing manually, you can now simply scan them and the text will be copied. However, since this is a machine, it can’t fully grasp all characters. That is why we cannot compare it with the human eye. On the other hand, there are considerable amount of good tools with decent accuracy percentage that you can use. The set of OCR software above are a good example of these tools as they all provide high accuracy and extra features.
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