Picture this: you’re working on a major research project and come across some fantastic documents. The files are all print and pretty old, so you can’t find a digital version of them.
However, you can scan the files to your computer and use an online OCR converter. The converter will turn the files into documents that you can easily markup and edit to your liking.
Keep reading to learn more about OCR and why you should use it.
How OCR Works
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) can do a lot of things. The most common reason for using OCR online is to pull text from scans and other images. However, you can use it for a variety of things.
It can identify words and letters from the images you have, turning that text into text data. You can then use the text data to create a document, add it to a website, or simply keep it as a digital file.
Uses for Online OCR
Online OCR is useful for working with texts and printed documents. It’s useful if you work with historic documents that may not have a digital version. But if you lose an old computer but have a print file, you can convert that and make it usable again.
OCR is also a great tool for making things more accessible and easy to use. Whether you want to share an old document or make changes to it, OCR is for you. Consider a couple of the most popular uses for it.
Make Text Editable
After you scan a document to your computer, you can open it with OCR. Then, you can convert the file from an image or PDF to a document.
Whether you use Word, Pages, or Google Docs, you can then open the doc in your editor of choice. That way, you can edit the text as if it always existed in a digital document file. You can also share it with collaborators who may also need access.
Find Text in Images
Perhaps you have an image with some text that you want to copy. Maybe it’s an old advertisement or photo of a billboard. Or it could be something else.
Whatever it is, you can use OCR to find and extract the text from the image. It will then put the text in a new document file so that you can edit or add to it. Using OCR for this can be great if you want to recreate an old ad campaign.
Index Documents for Search Engines
Another great way to use OCR is if you want to put a document on your website. You may have noticed some search results on Google lead to documents. However, it can be hard for search engines to recognize the text and categorize the file.
If you use OCR, you can make those documents easier for search engines to scan and index. That way, when someone searches for something related to your file, it can have a better chance of appearing in the search results.
Benefits of Online OCR
Online OCR is useful for you and anyone else who may access the file. Whether you want to share a file with a coworker or post it online, OCR can simplify your process and make things easier to use.
Consider how using an OCR converter can help you and anyone else who comes across the document in question.
Save Time
If you have a print document that you want to digitize, you would need to type it manually. But with OCR, you can scan it and convert the file type. And unless you’ve never done those things, using OCR shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
Compare that to spending more time retyping something, and using OCR is a no-brainer. If you have a lot of documents to convert, you can save a lot of time for yourself. And you can keep from having to outsource the work.
Improve Accessibility
Despite being such a popular format, PDFs aren’t always accessible to blind and low vision users. Adobe has been making strides to make the format more accessible, but some older screen readers may not read PDFs.
By using OCR online to convert to a document, you can make the file compatible with screen readers. If you know someone blind will use the file, using a free online OCR tool should be no question.
How to Use OCR Online
If you want to use OCR online to convert a file, you need to choose an OCR PDF converter. You can upload any PDF you have to the converter and let it do its magic.
Most converters use your browser, so you don’t have to worry about downloading anything to your computer. You can also use it on any device with a browser, so you can convert files on the go or at your desktop.
Is an Online OCR Converter Free?
While there may be some free OCR online converters that cost money, not all do. You can search for a good free converter so that you can use it as much or as little as you need.
A free option is great if you need it occasionally or if you plan to use one every day. Either way, you can save money on an essential tool. Just make sure the one you choose can convert any type of files you may need it to.
How Can You Use the File?
Once you use a free online OCR converter, you can use the file however you like. You can use it like any other document you wrote in Word or Google Docs.
If you have a team, you can share it with your collaborators. You can upload it to a cloud storage system or website, and you can share it. Or you can keep it to yourself to have for later.
How Will You Use Online OCR Tools?
Online OCR is an essential tool thanks to its versatility. You can use it to convert PDFs and images into text documents, making them easy to edit and share.
But you can also use it to make files more accessible to blind and other disabled people. Whether you want to share the file with a team or elsewhere, online OCR is right for you.
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