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OCR software translates images of text into actual text that a computer can read. It works best on typed text and has improved in recent years, but still struggles with handwriting. The cost and features of OCR software vary widely, and there is no perfect program.
Optical character recognition (OCR) software is software designed to translate images of text into actual text that a computer can read. Typically, it is used after an image has been captured into a computer, although other forms of input can also be used. OCR software works best on text that has already been typed, either in cases where an original printout has been lost or when scanning typed paper on a typewriter. However, good software may also be able to translate handwritten text, although the error rate on this type of conversion tends to be much higher.
The actual term OCR software is a bit misleading, as most modern versions do not use optical character recognition, but use digital character recognition. This is because a few years ago the camps actually merged and both camps adopted the more attractive term optical character recognition. OCR software has come a long way in recent years, with modern programs substantially better than their predecessors at identifying text.
In fact, early OCR software required the program to be trained on a specific font before it could be entered accurately. Similarly, when handwriting is entered, the program would need to be trained, a process that could be time consuming. However, methods have improved and smarter systems are now the norm. The methods used are now relatively static, with only a little research devoted to developing completely new methods and most of the research refining existing procedures to make them increasingly accurate. Early versions of the software were used in a wide variety of applications, with major corporations using them to read credit card fingerprints in the 1950s, and the United States Postal Service using them to sort mail since the mid-1950s. from the 1960s.
A decade ago, choosing an OCR software was difficult, as many programs were pretty bad at some tasks and reasonably good at others. These days, however, the field has largely been leveled. Accuracy rates in any good software for translating Latin writings that have been typed are over 99%. When it comes to entering handwriting, however, or more complex typefaces, OCR software still has a relatively high range.
The cost of OCR software also varies widely, often in relation to the accuracy rates it boasts. You can find a fair amount of free software suitable for entering printed material, and some that are relatively good at detecting handwriting, especially with a little training. More expensive software suites, such as the OmniPage Suite, which costs around $100 US Dollars (USD) for the home version and around $450 USD for the professional version, boast an impressive set of features and generally higher success rates.
Unfortunately, there isn’t yet perfect OCR software, so choosing a program to buy can still be largely a frustrating process. Even the best programs will likely struggle with handwriting, and errors will inevitably creep in, even at low levels. Mostly, choosing a program to buy comes down to extra features: multi-language support, one-touch scan and convert integration, automatic PDF conversion, and whole-word recognition in specialized disciplines like the legal and medical fields.
