How To Convert An Image With Handwriting To Text Using OCR

Converting handwritten notes to digital text is very important for easy editing, searching, and sharing. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology makes this possible by recognizing and digitizing handwriting. Adobe offers powerful OCR tools like Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Scan to streamline this process. 

A. Adobe Acrobat for OCR Conversion

Adobe Acrobat is a versatile tool that excels in converting JPG to PDF using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology.

How to Convert Handwritten Image to Text?

1. Opening Adobe Acrobat and Importing the Image:

• Start by launching Adobe Acrobat on your computer. If you don’t already have it, you can download and install it from the Adobe website.
• Once Acrobat is open, go to the “File” menu and select “Open.” Navigate to the location of your handwritten image file and open it in Acrobat.

2. Selecting the “Enhance Scans” tool and choosing “Recognize Text”:

• With your image open in Acrobat, go to the “Tools” pane on the right side of the screen and select “Enhance Scans.” This tool improves the quality of your scanned image, making it more suitable for OCR.
• Click on the “Recognize Text” option in the toolbar. A dropdown menu will appear; select “In This File” to begin the OCR process on your current document.

3. Adjusting Settings for Handwriting Recognition:

• In the “Recognize Text” dialogue box, you can adjust the settings to optimise for handwriting recognition. Choose the correct document language and set the resolution to match the quality of your scanned image.
• For handwritten notes, ensure that the OCR settings are adjusted to enhance accuracy, as handwriting can be more challenging to recognise than printed text.

4. Extracting and Editing the Recognized Text:

• After configuring the settings, click “OK” to start the OCR process. Acrobat will scan the image and convert the handwriting into editable text.
• Once the OCR process is complete, you can extract the text by selecting it and copying it into a new document. You can also edit the text directly within Acrobat to correct any recognition errors and format it as needed.

B. Adobe Scan for Mobile OCR Conversion

Adobe Scan is a powerful mobile app that turns your smartphone into a portable scanner with OCR capabilities. Download Adobe Scan from your app store (available for both iOS and Android) to get started. Once downloaded, open the app and follow the prompts to set up your account or sign in with your Adobe ID.

Capturing the Handwritten Image Using Your Mobile Device

With Adobe Scan ready to go, you can start capturing handwriting images to text. Place your handwritten document on a flat, well-lit surface. Open the Adobe Scan app and position your mobile device’s camera over the document. The app will automatically detect the edges of the paper and highlight them in blue. Adobe Scan will automatically capture the image when the document is properly aligned. You can adjust the borders manually to ensure the entire note is captured.

Converting the Image to Text

Adobe Scan’s OCR feature makes converting the captured image to text straightforward. Here’s how you can do it too:

1. Using the App’s OCR Feature to Recognize Handwriting:

• After capturing the image, Adobe Scan processes the scan and displays the preview. Tap on the image to open it.
• Click the “Recognize Text” icon at the bottom of the screen. Adobe Scan will analyze the handwritten content and convert it into digital text.

1. Saving and Sharing the Recognized Text:

• Once the OCR process is complete, you can save the recognize text in PDF. Tap “Save PDF” to store the document in Adobe Document Cloud.
• To share the document, click the “Share” icon. You can choose to share via email, link, or directly to other apps on your device.

C. Tips for Ensuring Quality

1. Write Clearly and Legibly: Writing as clearly and legibly as possible is crucial to achieving the best OCR accuracy. Use neat, consistent lettering to make it easier for the OCR software to recognize each character correctly. Avoid overly decorative or stylized handwriting, as these can confuse the software.
2. Avoide Cursive and Using Printed Letters: While cursive writing can be beautiful, it often poses challenges for OCR technology. The letters that are connected in cursive can be difficult for the software to interpret accurately. Instead, opt for printed (block) letters. This separation between characters enhances the OCR’s ability to recognize and convert each letter correctly.
3. Ensure High Resolution and Clear Contrast: A high-resolution image is essential for accurate OCR. When scanning or photographing your handwritten document, ensure the resolution is set to at least 300 dpi (dots per inch). This clarity allows the OCR software to distinguish between similar-looking characters more effectively. Additionally, make sure there is a strong contrast between the ink and the paper. Dark ink on a light background works best.
4. Avoid Shadows and Glare in the Image: Shadows and glare can significantly reduce the accuracy of OCR by obscuring parts of the text. To minimize shadows, ensure the document is placed on a flat surface and is well-lit from multiple angles. Natural light is ideal, but if you’re indoors, use bright, diffuse lighting to avoid harsh shadows. Position your light source and camera to prevent glare, which can occur with glossy paper or certain ink types.

Converting Handwritten Images to Text: Why and How!

Well, by converting your handwritten images to formatted digital text, you can make sure you never lose your notes and other important information that you just noted down. In the process, OCR can help you in a number of ways, many of which we mentioned in this blog. Hopefully, this blog was helpful.