Image to text conversion is something that can be required by different types of individuals, from students to teachers and from professional writers to businessmen.
By using a tool to take out any text from a given image, we can save a lot of time, and spend it somewhere where it’s needed.
Because, let’s face it, the only way you can copy text from image files other than using a tool is to write out all the content by hand or by using an electronic device.
And, while there can be some instances where doing that is the only option, normally going for this unnecessarily hard route is not smart, advisable, or even practicable for long.
What is OCR Technology?
OCR stands for “Optical Character Recognition”.
An OCR image to text tool uses this technology to detect any types of alphabets, characters, numbers, symbols, etc. in an image or a scanned document.
The detected content is then given out as plain text, or in a specific format (if supported by the software).
While OCR is, in most cases, a good way to take out the text from any given image, there are some limitations to it.
For example, an app using OCR will not be able to read text that is poorly handwritten or if the lines are squished close together.
The technology works accurately for things like official typed documents, app screenshots, or other forms of digitally generated text.
On the other hand, for handwritten notes, there is a near-certainty that there will be some degree of inaccuracy in the results…except if the text is written very neatly.
The reason why we are mentioning these limitations is that if you ever want to use a tool that works on this technology, you should know what sort of use you can put it to.
OCR.best: A Quick and Simple Tool for Picture to Text Conversion
Now that we’ve seen what OCR is, let’s take a look at a tool that you can use for extracting text from an image.
OCR.best is a free online tool that provides different types of conversions, which include PDF to Text, PDF to Word, and Picture to Text.
Unlike a lot of other online tools and applications, OCR.best does not require its users to be registered or signed up.
Similarly, the software does not require any payments to be made or bank card details to be added. You can just go to the site, get your job done, and come back.
OCR.best: The Pros, and Why We Love It
There are a lot of things that we enjoyed when using this app.
1. Low-Resolution Images Supported
If the image you are trying to convert is in a low resolution, you can still get it converted with OCR.best. The software is not restricted to ultra-clear and detailed pictures.
Image resolution can drop when it gets shared around a lot.
For example, if someone sends a picture via email, and the recipient further forwards it to someone else, the resultant file will be of a significantly lesser quality than the original.
2. Ease of Use
When we loaded up OCR.best, the home screen opened to the picture-conversion window straightaway. No navigation was required.
After that, the actual process itself was also a total breeze. Uploading an image file is as simple as a drag and drop gesture. You can make it even quicker by using a link instead.
Once the image was uploaded, a captcha appeared…which took a moment to complete.
With the captcha done, we only had to wait for a couple of seconds before getting the results.
3. Free
For people who only need to convert images to text on an occasional basis, paying a fee for some software doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Sure, it can be a good investment for professionals and users who have to regularly use an OCR app to copy text from image files.
OCR.best is an excellent choice for people in the former category. It’s free to start and it doesn’t need any payments after a specific number of uses.
There aren’t even any paid plans that you can opt for even if you wish to. All the functionalities and utilities are already available to everyone.
4. Multiple Formats
Some OCR apps only work with JPEG or PNG formats. Other tools may extend it a little bit more and include other popular ones like BMP and GIF.
But with OCR.best, the options are numerous. And when we say numerous, we mean it. Here are the formats supported by the app:
There are still many features that we can talk about. But, if we decide to just stick to mention the pros and perks of this app, this article’s going to become an encomium.
OCR.best: The Cons, and Things We Didn’t Like a Lot
The cons we are mentioning in this list are some things that are found and featured in other apps, but not in OCR.best.
Some of these points may technically not be cons, and they may not even affect the working of the conversion process.
But they have to be mentioned since the purpose of this review is to give the readers an unbiased opinion to help them decide whether or not to use this app.
Captcha
First up, we did not like the captcha a lot. The rest of the process is quick and snappy, but the captcha can get a little annoying to deal with.
True, running the verification is not a very cumbersome thing to do, but it can become so when you’re required to do it repeatedly.
And funnily enough, you don’t even see the captcha until you are done uploading the image to the tool. Only when you click the ‘Convert’ button, will you be greeted by it.
No Cloud Support
As we mentioned earlier, some of the points listed as cons here may not be cons.
Take this one, for example. Not having cloud integration is not something that should be listed as a downside for a tool that converts images into text.
But since this feature is offered by competing apps and tools, its absence becomes a disadvantage.
Cloud support, in this context, refers to the ability of a tool to fetch files from cloud storage like Google Drive and Dropbox.
How to use OCR.best to Extract Text from Images?
To use OCR.best for extracting text from images, you have to follow three simple steps.
1. Upload Your Image
There are two ways in which you can upload your image to OCR.best. You can either browse your local storage for the file or use a link instead.
Here are the formats supported by OCR.best:
- .tiff
- .jpe
- .jpge
- .png
- .jifi
- .jif
- .jpg
- .jfi
- .bmp
3. Solve The Captcha
After you are done uploading your file, click on the “Convert” button.
You will then be given the captcha. Click on the box to complete it.
3. Download the Results
After the process is complete, you will be given a preview of the converted text. You can choose to copy it to your clipboard or download it as a .txt or .docx file.
OCR.best: Is It Accurate?
An app can have all types of impressive features and advantages, but it won’t be of any use if it cannot give accurate outputs.
We tested OCR.best multiple times with different images. The results were precise and on point. The capitalizations, punctuations, and spacings were all accurately shown.
Another factor that helps in determining the accuracy of the conversion is the preview displays.
When you upload an image, you will be shown a preview so that you can confirm that you are converting the right file.
And after the process is complete, you will be shown a preview of the converted text so that you can check and see whether or not the content was accurately extracted.
OCR.best: Who Is It Good For?
OCR.best is a good app for students.
Students usually can’t spend money on things like software and apps. Free stuff works best for them. And since OCR.best doesn’t require any payments, it is an ideal choice.
Secondly, students won’t have a recurring and constant need to convert images into text. In other words, for students, picture to text conversion can be an occasional activity.
Although professionals and experts can also use OCR.best for their image conversion needs, they will be a little reluctant to deal with the captcha verification.
But it won’t be a problem for students and amateurs.
Conclusion
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is the technology that is used by image to text tools to extract written content from pictures or scanned document files.
OCR.best is a free and web-based tool that you can use to convert various types of images into a .txt or a .docx file.
The app supports a lot of different formats some of which include .jpg, .bmp, .jfi, etc.
My name is Sujoy Mukherji. I am an Internet Marketer, Entrepreneur & Professional Blogger. Founder of the Affiliate Hub Blog.