Top 5 Text Recognition Applications in 2022 

The increasing digitalization of the reality we live in creates the need for digitalization in different areas of our lives. The digitalization of writing is an example of this. Printed texts, which we can call hard copies, are now being replaced by digital copies.

That being the case, how do we digitize printed texts so that we can do our work quickly? What is optical character recognition, also called text recognition, or OCR for short? What does OCR do and how can we benefit from it?

All these questions and more are answered in this article. Enjoy your reading!

What is Text Recognition?

Digitalization is everywhere in our lives. This situation creates the need to move many of our jobs to digital environments. For example, you may even want to digitize your lecture notes for easy archiving. Or to edit and modify legal documents, it may be necessary to move printed documents to digital-first, then edit and reprint them. There are many more examples of these needs.

Optical character recognition or text recognition is the digitization of printed text with the help of software and hardware. In other words, it is the digital decoding and encoding of written texts. This process uses software and hardware to digitize the written text. The hardware here could be a scanner or a camera that can view the written text and transfer it to the machine. The texts that we can make machine-readable are quite diverse. These texts can be printed or handwritten.

Today, text recognition has become AI-supported and has enabled this technology to take a big step forward. If we look at the history of text recognition, or optical character recognition, it is possible to say that similar technologies first emerged in the 1910s. 

The telegraph and publications printed with the Brille alphabet are the ancestors of this technology. Even though the technology is very advanced today and is used for many different purposes, its historical existence goes back a great distance.

What Technology Lies Behind Text Recognition

Let's take a look at how this technology works today and what technology is behind it. Like any AI-powered machine technology, there are algorithms behind this technology.

If we proceed chronologically in the process, we need to start with the scanning phase. The scanning stage can be carried out with the help of a scanner or a camera and is the process that allows the image of the printed document to be transferred. After the image is transferred to the computer, the computer converts this image into white and black to make sense of it. Here, the white parts are separated as background and the black parts as "characters". Thus, the process of identifying characters begins.

The different text recognition software may work with different techniques. But the process is similar, except that they digitize text by focusing on a single sentence, blog, or section at a time.

Basically, we talked about how different platforms can work in different ways. We also said that there are certain algorithms behind this technology. Let's take a look at some of the algorithms used for text recognition.

Pattern Recognition

This is a technique where algorithms are fed with various patterns beforehand. In short, the algorithms are fed with visual data of different fonts and shapes. This allows them to distinguish and recognize incoming visual data. At this point, it is necessary to feed the application with many different fonts for an error-free or low-error application.

This is pixel-by-pixel matching. This method is also called Matrix Matching. This technique may not work with many different fonts, but it usually works better with basic fonts.

Feature Detection

This implies a different working principle. For this, algorithms first need to adopt some rules. These rules are related to the shapes of the letters. For example, it is a rule that a vertical line and two horizontal lines at the top and middle will always form the letter "F". With these simple rules of thumb, the algorithm learns how the letters should be shaped and makes matches accordingly.

Modern optical character recognition, or text recognition applications, focus on text blogs, not the shapes of individual letters. Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that simple mistakes can still occur and therefore short proofreading can be done after processing. 

Where To Use Text Recognition

Text recognition, also known as optical character recognition, can be used for many different purposes in many different fields. In this part of our article, let's take a brief look at where OCR can be used.

·        Quickly translating from a printed text

·        Sorting mail for shipping and letter delivery

·        Adding signed legal documents to databases

·        Digitizing wrote documents for visually impaired users, making them readable and providing Access

·        Archiving historical information and documents. For example newspapers

·        Electronic collection of checks at banks

·        Automated data entry and processing

·        Scanning and uploading of important legal documents for digital bureaucratic processes

All these and more are among the uses of this technology. The areas where technology is used can change and expand according to the need.

Visually Impaired and Blind Users

In the 1970s, work began on the invention of machines that recognize writing and then convert it into sound so that visually impaired users could use books and written documents and listen to them aloud. 

The company that created the technology was quite successful and then sold it to another company. Technology has come to this day with the development of artificial intelligence and now visually impaired users have the opportunity to read the documents and books they need without any extra hardware. While the development of technology provides a great advantage for visually impaired users, it is also extremely important in terms of eliminating inequalities.

Text Recognition and AI: Benefits for Businesses

What is the contribution of AI-based text recognition technologies to your workplace? This is an important topic to talk about. This technology can have many benefits for your business. We can mention a few of these benefits.

·        Allows you to edit printed documents

·        Create a digital document archive that you can access whenever you need it

·        Eliminates the need for physical storage

·        Allows you to search within the text. You can also mark important parts more easily.

·        You can create new documents without blurring or degrading the quality of the images.

·        Simplifies data entry and saves time

Well, let's say you decide to use this technology. Which programs or platforms can you use for this? We have prepared a list of suggestions to answer this question. 

1.  Cameralyze

Cameralyze is a no-code AI solutions platform. On the platform, you can benefit from almost all artificial intelligence and computer vision-based technologies at very affordable prices. The platform also offers text recognition services.

There is an important feature that distinguishes the platform from many other competitors, you do not need any software or technical background to use it. You can simply use it from your web browser. Upload your scanned image to the platform, and in seconds your text is ready!

Cameralyze gives you the flexibility you need and allows you to use your data as needed. In short, it allows you to benefit from your digital data.

2.  OmniPage Ultimate

 Omnipage is an application that allows you to perform text recognition by uploading documents and creating your digital archive. You can use Omnipage by installing the software on your computer. There are also some proofreading features installed in the application. 

3.  Adobe Acrobat DC Pro

Not everyone knows Adobe Acrobat. A pdf reading and editing application, Acrobat is one of Adobe's most widely used applications. The name of the application stands for DC Document Cloud. It is also integrated with other Adobe applications.

The application allows you to scan, digitize and edit your images. It also allows you to archive your documents in Adobe Cloud. Adobe Acrobat and other Acrobat apps are available for purchase.

4.  Abby Fine Reader

Abby is a very old practice in this regard. It has been used by big companies for years. The application allows you to scan printed documents and convert them into digital texts. You can also do proofreading and editing.

Another important feature of the application is that it works in more than 100 languages, so it is possible to understand and classify different documents in more than 100 languages. However, the app is a bit more on the technical side and a bit more complicated to use than other options. 

5.  Readiris

Readiris is a high-speed application. It digitizes and files texts. The interface is also very well designed. Readiris, like Abbey, is a more technical application. At this point, it falls behind the easier-to-use and more flexible apps, but it manages to be on the list with its speed. 

Bottom Line 

OCR or text recognition is not a very new technology. On the other hand, its development with artificial intelligence support is quite new. It is a very important technology that will speed up your work and help you improve your business in this period when we move from printed documents to digital ones.

Cameralyze meets your every need with the artificial intelligence solutions it brings together on a single platform. If you are a small business, a growing company, or an individual who has started your own business, you are likely to have common needs. You need to do a lot with little time and resources. At this point, Cameralyze supports you with its economical and fast solutions.

With Cameralyze, you can benefit from artificial intelligence solutions, improve your business and increase the value of your data without the need for technical staff, intermediate staff, or background knowledge. Sign up now to start your Cameralyze adventure!

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