Turn text in a picture into text you can edit. Upload a photo, a screenshot or a scan, choose the language and copy the result. Free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
All Free ToolsImage CompressorWord CounterParaphrasing Tool
Drop an image here, paste one with Ctrl + V, or choose a file.
Choose an image to begin.
Your image is read in your browser and is not uploaded to our server. The language data for the text reader is downloaded from a public content network the first time you use a language.
What Is an Image to Text Converter?
An image to text converter reads the letters in a picture and gives them back as normal text. The technology is called OCR, short for optical character recognition. You can use it to copy a paragraph from a screenshot, pull the numbers off a photo of a receipt, or turn a page from a scanned book into text you can search and edit.
How to Convert an Image to Text
- Add your image. Drop it on the box, paste it with Ctrl + V, or choose a file.
- Pick the language of the text in the picture. This matters, because the reader uses a different model for each language.
- Press Extract text and wait a few seconds.
- Read the result, fix any mistakes in the box, then copy it or download it as a text file.
How to Get a More Accurate Result
- Use a sharp image. Blurry photos are the main cause of mistakes. Hold the camera steady and focus on the text.
- Keep the text straight. Crop away the background and rotate the picture so the lines run level.
- Choose high contrast. Dark text on a light background works best. Very small or very decorative fonts are harder to read.
- Pick the right language. Choosing English for an Arabic page, for example, gives nonsense.
- Check the output. OCR is good but not perfect. Numbers, names and handwriting need a careful read. Handwriting is often not recognized at all.
What This Tool Can and Cannot Do
It reads printed text in nine languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish and Russian. It works with PNG, JPG, WebP and BMP images up to 10 MB. It does not read handwriting reliably, it does not rebuild tables or page layout, and it does not read PDF files directly. To read a PDF, save a page as an image first. If the image is large, you can shrink it with the Image Compressor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the image to text converter free?
Yes. It is free to use, needs no account and adds no watermark.
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. The text is read inside your browser, so the image stays on your device. The first time you use a language, your browser downloads that language data from a public content network.
Does it read Arabic?
Yes. Choose Arabic in the language list. Clear printed Arabic works well. Handwriting and very ornate fonts do not.
Can it read handwriting?
Not reliably. It is built for printed text.
Why is the result not perfect?
Image quality, fonts and the language all change the accuracy. The tool shows an estimated accuracy so you can judge the result, and you can edit the text in the box.
Can I convert a PDF?
Not directly. Save a page of the PDF as an image, then upload that image.
More Free Tools
Count what you extracted with the Word Counter or rewrite it with the Paraphrasing Tool. See all the free tools.