Optical Character Recognition ( OCR ) is the use of technology to distinguish printed or handwritten text characters within digital images of physical documents. It’s a process that automatically identifies symbols or characters in an image so they can then be manipulated using text editing software. We explain all its features below.
Composition of OCR
OCR systems consist of a combination of hardware and software used to convert physical documents into machine-readable text. The hardware , such as an optical scanner or a specialized circuit board, is used when text needs to be copied or read, while the software handles the advanced processing.
In addition, the software can use artificial intelligence to perform advanced character recognition (ICR) methods, such as identifying languages or handwriting styles.
The OCR process is most commonly used to convert legal or historical documents into PDF files. Once the digital copy is made, users can edit, format, and search the document as if it had been created with a word processor.
How does OCR work?
First, OCR technology uses a scanner to process a physical document . Once all the pages are copied, the OCR software transforms the document into a black and white or two-color version.
The scanned image or bitmap is analyzed for light and dark regions. Dark areas are identified as recognizable characters, while light areas are identified as background. The dark areas are then processed to find alphabetic letters or numeric digits.
Techniques in OCR
OCR systems can vary in their techniques, but they typically involve targeting one character, word, or block of text at a time. The characters are then identified using one of the following two algorithms :
- Pattern recognition. OCR programs receive text samples in various fonts and formats , which are then used to compare and recognize characters in the digitized document.
- Feature detection. OCR systems apply rules regarding the characteristics of a specific letter or number in order to recognize characters in the scanned record. These characteristics might include the number of angled lines, cross lines, or curves in a character for comparison.
When a character is identified, it is converted into an ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) code that computer systems can use for subsequent manipulations. Users need to correct basic errors, examine and confirm that complex designs have been handled correctly before saving the document.
Using the OCR system
- Scanning printed documents into versions that can be edited with word processors, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
- Indexing of printed material for search engines.
- Decipher documents into text that can be read aloud.
- Archiving historical information, such as newspapers, magazines, or telephone directories, in searchable formats.
- Text recognition using a camera or software.
- Translate words within an image into a specific language.
Finally, we should mention that the main advantages of OCR technology are time savings, fewer errors, reduced effort, and the ability to perform actions impossible with physical copies , such as embedding a website or attaching files to an email. The ability to automate character entry without using a keyboard leads to increased productivity in the workplace.
