Image to Text Converter
Turn a photo, a screenshot or a scanned page into text you can copy, search and edit. The converter reads printed or handwritten words with OCR (optical character recognition) and gives them back as plain text, a Word file, a searchable PDF or Markdown.
Image to Text
or drop PDF, JPG, JPEG … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
For pages that mix two languages, e.g. Hindi with English words. Leave on none otherwise; an extra language slightly lowers accuracy.
Preserve keeps columns, paragraphs and tables where they were. Plain outputs one continuous block of text, easier to paste into forms.
PDF and multi-page TIFF input: read every page, only the first, or a range.
Pages to read, e.g. 1-3, 5, 8-10.
How to use this tool
- 1
Upload the picture or scan
Add JPG, PNG, HEIC, WebP, TIFF, BMP, GIF or PDF files, up to 20 at a time and 95 MB each. Phone photos of paper work as well as flatbed scans.
- 2
Set language and output
Choose the Document language, then pick Output: Plain text, Word, Searchable PDF or Markdown. Switch Text type to Handwriting for notes written by hand.
- 3
Convert and copy
Press Recognize text; the button also names the output you picked. Copy the recognized text or download the file.
How do I convert an image to text?
Upload the photo or screenshot, choose the Document language and press convert. OCR reads every line in the picture and returns it as editable text. Printed text in a clear photo usually needs only a quick proofread.
How an image to text converter reads a picture
To a computer, a photo of a page is a grid of colored dots; there are no letters in it. OCR software finds the areas that look like lines of text, splits them into words and characters, and compares their shapes with what letters look like in the chosen language. Modern engines use neural networks trained on whole lines, which is why they cope with unusual fonts and can be trained for handwriting too.
Before reading, the picture is cleaned up. Straighten pages corrects photos taken at a slight angle, Auto rotate turns sideways or upside-down pages upright, and Enhance contrast brightens dim or faded shots. Each fix removes a common reason for misread words, which is why the first two are on by default.
Phones can already pick out a line or two: Apple added Live Text to iOS 15 in 2021, and Google Lens does the same on Android. They are handy for a phone number on a poster. An online image to text converter earns its place when you have whole pages, many files, a scan in PDF form, or need the result as a document rather than a clipboard snippet. Converting JPG to text on a computer also means the result lands where you will edit it.
The same engine powers several pages on this site. JPG to Word produces an editable document, OCR PDF adds a text layer to scanned PDFs, and screenshot to text is tuned for crisp screen captures. When the picture is a table rather than paragraphs, image to Excel rebuilds rows and columns instead.
Clean the image
Straighten, rotate upright and, if switched on, raise contrast so letters stand out from the background.
Recognize the words
Read each line in the document language, and in a second language if Also recognise is set.
Write the output
Save plain text, a Word file, a searchable PDF or Markdown, keeping layout and pictures if you asked for them.
Extract text from an image: outputs and when to use each
- Plain text (.txt)
- The recognized words only, in reading order. Use it for copying a quote, filling a form, or pasting into chat or a translator.
- Word (.docx)
- Editable paragraphs and tables and, with Keep pictures on, the images from the page. Use it to edit letters, handouts and printed reports without retyping.
- Searchable PDF
- The original image with invisible, selectable text behind it. Use it for archiving scans, contracts and receipts you need to search later.
- Markdown
- Text with # headings, lists and tables written as plain characters. Use it for notes apps, wikis, documentation and Git repositories.
Photo to text accuracy: what helps and what hurts
- Scan resolution most OCR guidance recommends for printed text
- 300 DPI
- Languages under Document language
- 34
- Languages read on one page with Also recognise
- 2
- Images or PDFs per batch
- 20
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Photograph the page flat, from straight above, in even daylight. | Zoom in digitally; it enlarges blur instead of adding detail. |
| Fill the frame with the text so letters are large in the picture. | Leave a second language set on single-language pages; it slightly lowers accuracy. |
| Pick the Document language yourself for non-Latin scripts. | Expect stylized logos or text over busy photos to be read reliably. |
| Set Also recognise for pages that mix two languages, such as Hindi with English terms. | Use Handwriting mode for printed pages; Printed is more accurate there. |
| Use Pages with a range to read only the pages you need from a long PDF. | Send heavily compressed screenshots from chat apps if the original is available. |
Layout, pictures and page options
Text layout
Keep it on Preserve layout so a page with two columns is read one column after the other instead of mixing lines. Switch to Plain text flow only when you want one continuous block to paste into a form.
Keep pictures
Turn it on when logos and photos should appear in the Word file. It is available for Word and Searchable PDF output; plain text and Markdown carry words only.
Pages
Found under Advanced settings. All pages is the default; First page and Page range limit the work on purpose, so check this setting if only the first page of a PDF was read.
Document language
Accented letters that come out as other characters mean the wrong language was selected. Set it to Spanish, French, Polish or whichever language the text is in, then convert again.
Image to text converter questions
How do I extract text from an image for free?
Upload the image, keep Output on Plain text and press Recognize text. The recognized words appear as a .txt file you can open or copy anywhere. There is no account, no watermark and no page counter.
Can this photo to text converter read handwriting?
Yes, set Text type to Handwriting. Neat block letters and clear cursive are read well; rushed notes, overlapping lines and faint pencil are where errors appear. Expect to proofread handwritten results more than printed ones, and see handwriting to text for tips.
Does image to text work with Arabic, Hindi or Chinese?
Yes. Document language covers 34 languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Urdu written right to left, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and other Indian scripts, Japanese, Korean and both Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Picking the language yourself matters most for non-Latin scripts.
Can it translate the text in an image?
No. The converter recognizes the words in the language they are written in and does not translate them. Copy the extracted text into a translation tool afterwards; working from clean text gives a far better translation than pointing a camera at the page.
What is a searchable PDF?
It is the original scan with an invisible layer of recognized text placed behind it. The page still looks exactly like the scan, but you can search it, select words and copy them. It is the right output for archives and contracts; OCR PDF is set up for multi-page scans.
Why are some words wrong in the extracted text?
Accuracy depends on the picture more than anything else: blur, low resolution, shadows, curved pages, decorative fonts and text over photos all cause misreads. Retake the photo flat and in good light, or turn on Enhance contrast for dim pictures.
Can I turn an image to text in Word format directly?
Yes, choose Word under Output and you get an editable .docx with paragraphs and, while Text layout is on Preserve, columns and tables where they were on the page. JPG to Word is the same tool with Word preselected.
| Image to Excel | PDF Converter | Image to PDF |
| Document Converter | Audio to Text | Convert to PDF |
All Image to Text (OCR) tools
Pick the exact target you were asked for. Every page below is the same tool with different defaults.
- Handwriting to Text ConverterConvert photos and scans of handwritten notes, forms and letters to text you can copy or edit. What print, block capitals and cursive each give you.
- Hindi OCR: Image to Hindi TextHindi OCR for photos, scans and PDFs: recognize Devanagari text, matras and conjuncts included, as Unicode you can copy, edit and search. Hindi + English pages.
- Image to DOCX ConverterConvert images to DOCX, including a stack of page photos or a multi-page scan into one Word file. Headings, lists and tables rebuilt for editing. Free.
- Image to Word ConverterConvert screenshots, scans and photos to an editable Word document. Reads 34 languages, mixed-language pages and neat handwriting. Free, no sign-up.
- JPG to DOCX ConverterConvert JPG to DOCX with OCR: text from JPEG scans and camera photos becomes an editable .docx. Pixel sizes per paper format, and how JPEG compression hurts.
- JPG to Word ConverterTurn a JPG photo of a printed page into an editable Word document. OCR in 34 languages keeps paragraphs and tables; up to 20 images at once, free.
- OCR PDFAdd a searchable, selectable text layer to scanned PDFs, or pull the text out to Word or TXT. 34 languages, page ranges, 20 files at once, free.
- Online OCRFree online OCR for photos, screenshots and scanned PDFs. Copy the text, or save Word, searchable PDF or Markdown. What OCR reads well and what it cannot.
- Photo to Word ConverterTurn a phone photo of a letter, handout or book page into an editable Word file. Fixes tilt and dim light before OCR. HEIC and JPG, 20 photos at once.
- Picture to Word ConverterA picture to Word converter that rebuilds the page instead of pasting an image: editable paragraphs, columns, simple tables and the photos from the page.
- PNG to Text ConverterConvert PNG to text: read the words in a PNG image, UI mockup or infographic and save them as a .txt file to paste anywhere. 34 languages, 20 images at once.
- PNG to Word ConverterConvert PNG screenshots and scans to an editable Word document. Text is recognized with OCR, layout and pictures kept, 34 languages, no sign-up.
- Scanned PDF to Text ConverterExtract text from a scanned PDF that will not let you select or search anything. OCR reads each page image and returns plain text, page range optional.
- Screenshot to TextTurn screenshots into copyable text: error messages to search, dashboard tables to paste, chat logs to quote. Up to 20 screenshots at once, 34 languages.