How to Extract Text From an Image
A practical guide to extracting accurate, editable text from photos, screenshots and scanned images with OCR.
6 min read · PublishedOptical character recognition (OCR) turns pixels that look like letters into text you can search, edit and reuse. The process is quick, but image quality and a short review still make a large difference.
Choose the best source image
Start with the original file whenever possible. A sharp scan or camera photo contains more letter detail than an image compressed by a chat app. Keep the page upright, fill the frame and avoid glare or deep shadows.
- Use even lighting and tap to focus
- Crop empty borders and unrelated objects
- Keep small text at a readable resolution
Run OCR in the correct language
Open the Image to Text tool, upload the image and select the language that appears in the source. The recognition engine runs in your browser, so the core OCR step does not require sending the image to our server.
If the page uses two unrelated scripts, process sections separately when possible. A focused crop gives the engine fewer competing layouts to interpret.
Review the editable result
OCR is an efficient transcription assistant, not a guarantee. Compare names, dates, totals, punctuation and uncommon terminology against the source. Columns, decorative type and handwriting usually need the most attention.
After review, copy the result or download a TXT file. If you need a simple document, use Image to Word; if the source is a scanned PDF, use PDF OCR.
Troubleshoot weak recognition
When the output is poor, do not repeatedly run the same low-quality image. Improve the input first: rotate it, crop closer, increase contrast or photograph it again. Processing one column or paragraph at a time can also restore the intended reading order.