Image to Text (OCR)
Extract text from images, scans, and screenshots using Tesseract OCR.
About this tool
Ever needed to copy text from a screenshot, a scanned document, or a photo of a sign? Typing it out manually is tedious and error-prone. Tooler's OCR tool extracts the text for you in seconds using Tesseract, the world's most widely used open-source OCR engine.
What is Image to Text (OCR)?
The Image to Text (OCR) tool extracts machine-printed text from images using Tesseract OCR. Upload a photo or scan of a document, and the tool returns the recognized text. It works best with clear, high-contrast images of printed text in standard fonts at 300+ DPI.
How to use this tool
- Upload your image — JPG, PNG, TIFF, and BMP formats up to 100 MB are supported.
- For best results, ensure the image has high contrast (dark text on light background), is at least 300 DPI, and is not rotated.
- Click 'Extract Text' and wait for processing. The extracted text will appear in the result area.
- Copy the extracted text and proofread carefully — even 98% accuracy means ~2 errors per 100 words.
Common use cases
Extracting text from a screenshot of a PDF that cannot be copied
Digitizing printed contracts, receipts, and invoices
Converting photographed book pages into editable text
Extracting error messages from screenshots for debugging
Capturing text from presentation slides for note-taking
Examples
- A clear 300 DPI scan of a printed letter with ~500 words extracts in about 10 seconds with 97% accuracy — just a handful of corrections needed.
- A high-contrast screenshot of a terminal error message extracts perfectly, saving you from manually retyping obscure error codes.
Tips & best practices
- Pre-process your image for best results: convert to grayscale, increase contrast, and crop tightly to the text area.
- Always proofread OCR output. Names, numbers, dates, and punctuation are the most common error points.
- Use PNG or TIFF for document scans, not JPG — JPG compression artifacts around text edges confuse the OCR engine.
- For multi-language documents, Tesseract supports 100+ languages. The default is English.
Common mistakes to avoid
❌ Uploading a rotated or skewed image without straightening it first — even a 5-degree tilt significantly reduces accuracy.
❌ Expecting good results from handwriting — Tesseract is designed for printed text. Handwriting recognition requires specialized ICR software.
❌ Uploading a low-resolution image with small text — text below 10pt at 150 DPI produces unreliable results.
Frequently Asked Questions
What languages does OCR support?
Tesseract supports English and over 100 other languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Spanish, and more.
How accurate is the text extraction?
Accuracy depends on image quality. Clear, high-contrast 300 DPI scans typically achieve 95-99% accuracy. Blurry, low-resolution, or low-contrast images produce lower accuracy.
Is my document stored after processing?
No. All uploaded files and extracted text are automatically deleted within 1 hour of processing.
Can OCR read handwriting?
Tesseract is designed for printed text, not handwriting. While it can handle clear, separated block capitals, accuracy drops significantly with cursive or connected writing. For handwriting, specialized ICR software is needed.
What resolution is best for OCR?
300 DPI is the minimum for standard printed text (10-12pt). For small fonts or documents with fine detail, use 400-600 DPI. Higher resolution generally produces better accuracy.
Should I use JPG or PNG for document scans?
Always use PNG or TIFF for OCR. JPG compression creates artifacts around text edges that confuse the OCR engine and reduce accuracy.
Why does my OCR output have so many errors?
Common causes: low resolution (< 300 DPI), poor contrast, rotated/skewed image, JPG compression artifacts, decorative fonts, or background noise. Pre-process your image by increasing contrast, straightening, and cropping tightly to the text.
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Privacy and limits
Files are processed on the server and automatically removed after one hour. Do not upload sensitive personal, legal, medical, or confidential business documents unless you accept standard cloud-processing risk. Maximum upload size is 100 MB per file.