How to read text from images on Windows

Extracting Text from Images on Windows: A Guide to OCR

Need to extract text from images? Whether it's restaurant bills, screenshots, or scanned documents, Windows offers several built-in tools to perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This guide outlines the easiest methods.

Using the Snipping Tool

The Snipping Tool provides the simplest approach. Open it (search for it in the Start menu), click the three dots (top right), select "Open file," and choose your image.

Click the "Text actions" button (a framed series of lines) on the toolbar. The tool will highlight the text. You can then:

• Select and Copy: Drag your cursor over specific text, press Ctrl C to copy, and Ctrl V to paste elsewhere.
• Copy All Text: Click the "Copy all text" button to copy all detected text to the clipboard.
• Exclude Data: Use the arrow next to "Quick redact" to exclude email addresses and phone numbers.

Click "Text actions" again to remove highlighting. This functionality also works with screenshots taken using the Snipping Tool.

Alternative Windows Options

While the Snipping Tool is excellent, other options exist:

OneNote: Download OneNote (a free note-taking app). Insert your image (Insert > Pictures or paste). Right-click the image and select "Copy Text from Picture." All detected text is copied to the clipboard. Note: You can't select specific text within the image itself, only after pasting.

PowerToys Text Extractor: Download the free PowerToys utility suite. Launch PowerToys, select "Text Extractor," and note the keyboard shortcut (default: Win Shift T). With an image open, press the shortcut, drag a selection window around the desired text, and it will be copied to your clipboard.

Choose the method that best suits your needs and start extracting text from your images effortlessly!

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