OCR Scanner

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An OCR scanner, sometimes called an OCR reader, is a device that is used to capture text or images from a document. The acronym OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. Imagine that you wanted to take old tax forms and convert them to editable files on your computer, or if you are a teacher and had 8 different classes with exams to mark. It would be much easier to get this task done with an OCR scanner since it is able to read the text and convert it to electronic documents.

Before we really look at some of its uses it is important to understand its operation and how to use it. There are hand held versions and flatbed scanner versions, which both need specific software. Before the system is able to read certain bits of text, it needs to be calibrated. In fact in the first models it took the machines and software a great deal of time trying to figure out which font was being used. They would have preset fonts in their system and try to match up a specific image of text with the text that was scanned. This worked but it was slow and sometimes not able to understand slight differences in the same style of font. In most recent times, the OCR scanner software is now able to quickly and automatically determine which font is being used and scan it properly. Some of the sheet-fed scanners can scan a document as fast as you put the piece of paper in to it. But not only will the latest software determine which font is being used and reproduce it, it can also recreate the whole layout of the original text including images and paragraph settings.

There is another term that you need to be familiar with when buying an OCR scanner and that is ICR. This stands for intelligent character recognition. This falls in line with what we now already know about the latest software, but also keep in mind that ICR is more like an artificial intelligence that tries doesn’t compare fonts but actually tries to read the way the letters are formed based on their lines and curves. But don’t worry this isn’t something that you are going to have to be too familiar with since it is all automatically taken care of.

The OCR and ICR technology has evolved and used in other applications such as the touch screens and computer tablets that you write on. The Pocket PC lines of organizers all take advantage of this as it will take the text you write on the device and convert it in to computer text.

As I mentioned before there are several types of OCR scanners. Let’s look at 2 of the most common types:

C-Pen Mobile Handheld OCR Scanner ? This looks very similar to a pen and connects to your computer by way of USB cable. You basically wave the pen over the text you want to scan. This particular model can handle over 200 languages. It will cost under $150 and I think best used for small books or for smaller scanning projects.

NeatDesk and Plustek Opticbook OCR scanners ? These are desktop scanners that are mostly used like a filing system allowing you to easier create electronic copies of important documents. They look very similar to a regular desktop scanner except the price. For the lower end models you are look at least $250.

Now you know what an OCR scanner is, what you use it for, and even the different types. Most of these scanners will already come with software so you can use it right out of the box. However for more robust software you might want to look in to “Readiris Pro” or similar software to take care of your needs.