How to Extract Text from Image? Try These 8 Proven Ways

We have all, on various occasions, clicked a photo of a recipe or saved a screenshot of class notes, only to stare at the screen and wonder, If only I could copy this text…

Drumroll, please, now you can. For today, it’s possible to extract text from image files in seconds, no typing required. It might seem like magic, but it is really your phone, laptop, or browser working hard behind the scenes.

How? You ask. Read on as we list all the smart ways to extract text from picture files, scanned PDFs, or screenshots. From free OCR text recognition tools and browser extensions to powerful apps and even email bots, we have covered it all. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s turn them pixels into prose right away!

Why Extract Letters From An Image At All?

Before we delve into the intricacies of the subject matter at hand, it is important that we know that text extraction from images is all about working smarter, not harder. Here’s exactly why millions, including you and us both, thus, rely on tools to scan text from image files every day…

• To Skip Retyping: Quickly get text from images and paste it into your documents or chats.
• To Edit & Reuse: Turn scanned or printed materials into editable text you can update.
• To Fast: Copy text from an image online and drop it into the translator.
• To Search Easily: Make your handwritten notes or business cards searchable by extracting letters from image files.
• To Share Instantly: Grab quotes or facts from images to share on social media.
• To Digitize Memories: Preserve old letters or printed materials in text form forever.
• To Boost Accessibility: Help screen readers read text extracted from scanned books or signs.

Whether you a student or a working professional, text extraction from images is not only going to save you time, but also the frustration of having to write something all over again.

How to Extract Text From an Image?

Whether you want to do it quickly online or need a pro-level solution for complex docs, here are all the effective methods that will help you accomplish the same, one pixel at a time…

1. Online OCR Tools: Fast & Free Text from Image Extractor Online

Online OCR websites are perfect when you want to copy text from image online as quickly as possible, without installing apps or software. Some of the popular tools that can help you attain the same are OCR.space, OnlineOCR.net, NewOCR.com, i2OCR, etc.

These work well with clear images and simple fonts. They are great to extract letters from an image quickly with zero setup, basically converting a JPEG to text directly.

How to Use:

• Open your preferred OCR tool in the browser.
• Upload your JPEG, PNG, or scanned PDF file.
• Select the language to improve accuracy.
• Click Convert or Recognize.
• Copy the extracted text or download it.

ABBYY FineReader Engine

4.7

Starting Price

₹ 14925.00 excl. GST

Learn More

2. Mobile Apps to Capture Text from an Image

Your smartphone is a powerful image-text extractor in your pocket. With apps like Google Lens (Android & iOS), Microsoft Lens, Adobe Scan, Cam Scanner, Text Fairy (Android), it lets you scan and capture text from images, signs, or notes almost instantaneously.

And the best part is that these apps can handle printed text well. Some of them even support handwriting.

How to Use:

• Open your favourite app.
• Take a photo or select one from your gallery.
• The app automatically scans for text.
• Tap/select the text area.
• Copy, share, translate, or export the text.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC for teams

4.6

Starting Price

₹ 23864.40 excl. GST

Learn More

3. Google Drive OCR: Built-In & Free

If you use Google Drive, you already have free OCR built in. It helps you extract text from images or scanned PDFs inside your drive. This method is perfect when you want to scan text from image directly into editable documents with decent formatting preserved.

How to Use:

• Upload a JPEG or scanned PDF to Google Drive.
• Right-click the file > Open with > Google Docs.
• Google Docs will create a new document with the image on top and the extracted text below.
• Edit or copy the text as needed.

Soda PDF

4.1

Starting Price

₹ 1034.48 excl. GST

Learn More

4. Desktop OCR Software for Complex Scans

When images have columns, tables, handwriting, or faded ink, desktop OCR software shines. Some of the popular options in this regard are ABBYY FineReader, Adobe Acrobat Pro (for scanned PDFs), Readiris, Soda PDF, etc.

These programs offer advanced text recognition with editing and export features, making text extraction from images with tricky layouts or poor quality easy.

How to Use:

• Install your preferred software.
• Open or drag your image file into it.
• Run OCR or Recognize text command.
• Wait for processing.
• Review and proofread the extracted text.
• Export to Word, txt, or searchable PDF.

ABBYY FineReader Engine

4.7

Starting Price

₹ 14925.00 excl. GST

Learn More

5. Browser Extensions for Text Inside Web Images

Want to grab text directly from memes or images on web pages? Try browser extensions that let you highlight text inside images. And the most enjoyable aspect is that you needn’t save the image first. These tools make it easy to copy text from image without extra hassle.

Some of the popular extensions for this are Copyfish (Chrome, Firefox), Project Naptha (Chrome) so on and so forth.

How to Use:

• Install the extension from your browser’s store.
• Reload the page with images containing text.
• Click the extension icon.
• Highlight and copy text inside the image like regular text.

Soda PDF

4.1

Starting Price

₹ 1034.48 excl. GST

Learn More

6. Email Bots (OCR by Email)

Can’t install apps or access fancy tools? Some services let you email an image and get the text back by email. This slow but reliable option helps when storage or internet is limited.

How to Use:

• Attach your picture to an email.
• Send it to a service like me@ocr.space.
• Wait to receive the extracted text in your inbox.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC for teams

4.6

Starting Price

₹ 23864.40 excl. GST

Learn More

7. Built-in Phone Tools (iOS & Android)

Modern phones have hidden OCR text recognition built in, no extra apps needed. This functionality is great for text extraction from receipts, signs, menus, and notes on the fly.

How to Use on iOS (Live Text):

• Open the photo.
• Tap the text scan icon.
• Select and copy text.

How to Use on Android (Google Photos):

• Open the picture in Google Photos.
• Tap the Lens icon.
• Highlight and copy text.

8. Command Line OCR (Pro & Developer Tool)

Power users and developers can use free, open-source tools like Tesseract OCR to batch process and automate text extraction. The tool is ideal for creating automated workflows or building your own image text extractor programs

How to Use:

• Install Tesseract on your machine.
• Run command: tesseract image.jpg output -l eng
• Check output.txt for extracted text.

Best Practices to Accurately Extract Words from Images

To get clean, reliable text output, keep the following tips in mind…

• Use bright, even light while capturing images.
• Keep the camera steady and avoid blur or skew.
• Use clean, simple fonts in images when possible.
• Always proofread extracted text for OCR errors.
• Try multiple methods if one doesn’t work well, for each tool has its own strengths.
• Use apps/tools with multi-language support if needed.
• Don’t expose your confidential images on free JPEG to text conversion tools.

Conclusion

And that’s how you extract text from picture like a total pro! With so many handy text from image extractor online tools and apps out there, you don’t need to be a tech genius to pull words out of pictures. Whether it’s a screenshot, a scanned note, or a meme with a message, just upload, click, and boom, text unlocked!

Now, go ahead and let no image keep its secrets from you. And while at it, let Techjockey give you all the technical aid it can.