[Free] 7 recommended image/PDF transcription (OCR) apps

It's a lot of work to transcribe the text from images and PDFs one by one...

Anyone who has ever had to convert images, PDFs, books, or printed materials into text can attest to this.

The push for a paperless world has been going on for a long time now, and since most work is done on a computer, paper documents that have not been digitized (written down) are difficult to manage and use .

This is where the need arises to transcribe the text in image files and PDFs into text data .

However, when there is a lot of text or many images, it is simply impossible to do the work manually!

I wonder if there is an app that can automatically read the text in an image and convert it into text data...

Of course, there is an app that can do just that.

This time, we will introduce a carefully selected list of recommended image and PDF transcription apps equipped with automatic character recognition (OCR) functions , categorized by type!

This article will explain the specific steps to convert images, PDFs, books, and printed materials into text (documentation) using OCR , as well as techniques to make even greater use of image transcription (text recognition) apps . By reading this article , you will not only avoid wasting time on unnecessary tasks, but you will also be able to work more efficiently .

With the latest AI transcription service, you can easily transcribe content that was difficult to convert into text using previous OCR apps, such as handwritten text, books and printed materials in foreign languages such as English.

Please be sure to watch until the end.

[Recommended] 7 apps for transcribing images, PDFs, books, and printed materials (OCR)

So, let's get started by introducing some apps (OCR apps) that can transcribe images, PDFs, books, and printed materials!

1. Mr. Transcription

Here is an AI web app that automatically OCR transcribes (recognizes text) files just by uploading them !

Since it is an online service, a major advantage is that it can be used anywhere, regardless of device (PC/smartphone) or OS .

It's very easy to use, just upload your image file from this page .

This is all it takes to recognize characters in an image and turn it into text!

If you want to transcribe a book or printed material, just take a photo with your smartphone and upload it!

If you need a transcript immediately or want to do OCR right away, we recommend trying Mr. Transcription first.

Mr. Transcription is free to use!

Mr. Transcription is basically a paid subscription app, but you can use the OCR function (text recognition function) for free for up to 10 images per day!

Try it for free here first!

Supports images, PDFs, audio, and video

Transcription-san is a multi-purpose web transcription app that not only supports OCR (optical character recognition) of images and PDFs, but also audio and video.

Moreover, you can use two types of the latest AI .

• Multilingual support for 100 languages including Japanese and English
• Speaker separation function (transcription for each speaker in a meeting, etc.)

You can also use advanced features that are unique to AI , such as:

Moreover, by taking advantage of the high performance of the latest AI, it can also read handwritten characters, making it possible to convert notes and notebooks into written form.

You can transcribe up to 1 minute of audio or video for free , so why not give it a try?

2. Google Docs

Here's an easy OCR method for people who regularly use Google services .

To use it, simply open the file you want to transcribe in the app.

It has a function that automatically reads the content , so you can quickly convert the contents of the image into text.

Once the sentence has been converted, the AI will convert the sentence into text and display it alongside the original image.

As you'd expect from Google, it supports over 200 languages, including Japanese and English.

The accuracy is also quite high for a free tool .

It can also read handwritten characters.

However, there is a limit of 2MB for the file size that can be uploaded.

If you need to transcribe larger files using text recognition, you'll want to use another web app like Mr. Transcription.

Google Docs

3. Evernote

Evernote, a well-known note-taking app, also has a transcription feature.

In fact, images and PDF data uploaded to Evernote are automatically OCR processed internally , making it possible to recognize characters within images and perform text searches.

You can also use the reading function to take a photo of books or printed materials and upload them.

However, it is not possible to extract only text data (※), so it is recommended that you use it as a database of scanned documents .

*Strictly speaking, it is not impossible to extract OCRed text with a little effort.

Evernote

4.LINE Text Recognition: OCR

If you want to easily transcribe text for free on your smartphone, the OCR (optical character recognition) function built into LINE, which you may use regularly, is very convenient.

In addition to being able to read text from photos taken with the built-in camera and convert it into text, it also has a function that can transcribe images attached to chats (also available on the PC version).

There is also a translation function, so why not try reading English menus and signs when traveling abroad?

LINE

5. Microsoft Lens

If you use Word or Excel on your smartphone or tablet, it will be convenient to install this app .

In fact, the OCR scanning function using the camera is more advanced than LINE's.

You can choose modes such as photos, documents, whiteboards, and business cards , making it easy to digitize books and printed materials.

Even distorted images can be automatically corrected and read.

It can also be used in conjunction with Office apps to transfer scanned text data directly to Word or Excel , making it a convenient alternative to a scanner.

Microsoft Lens

6. Adobe Acrobat DC

Adobe Acrobat DC , a highly functional PDF editing software, also comes with an AI character recognition (OCR) tool.

As it is a professional software used by professionals, it has high accuracy and can also be set up to work in conjunction with a scanner to automatically convert scanned images into text .

It's a fairly expensive piece of software, so it's not very realistic to buy it just to transcribe images, books, printed materials, etc., but if you're someone who normally uses Acrobat for work, it's convenient because it means you don't have to use a separate tool.

Adobe Acrobat DC

7. Reading Revolution

This is specialized software for OCR (optical character recognition) of books and printed materials .

Unlike general image and PDF editing software, its functionality is limited to reading documents using OCR, which makes it cheaper. Another advantage is that it is a one-time purchase, making it easy to calculate the cost.

The transcription accuracy for Japanese is average, but the English recognition accuracy using ABBYY's OCR engine is quite high.

Since it is an installed software, it cannot be used on multiple PCs and cannot be easily used from a smartphone or browser, which may be a disadvantage, but the fact that it can be used offline is a big advantage depending on the usage situation.

It is also a recommended choice for reading English books and printed materials.

Reading Revolution Ver.16

Specific steps to transcribe images and PDFs using text recognition (3 steps)

From here, we will use "Mr. Transcription" as an example to explain the steps to actually transcribe (recognize characters and convert them into text or documents) images, PDFs, books, and printed materials .

How to transcribe images, PDFs, books, and printed materials with Mr. Transcription

It's super easy to use Mr. Transcription to transcribe images, PDFs, documents, and printed materials.

1. Visit Mr. Transcription
2. Upload an image (or take one on the spot)
3. Click the Transcription button

See, it's easy, right?

This is all you need to read the text.

I'll explain each method in detail.

[Step 1] Access Mr. Transcription

Official website: Mr. Transcription

First, go to Transcription’s website.

You can access the site from anywhere using a browser on any device with an internet connection, such as a smartphone, computer, or tablet.

[Step 2] Upload an image to Transcription-san (or take a picture on the spot)

Upload the image (screenshot, PDF, etc.) you want to transcribe.

*If you want to transcribe a book or printed material (digitalize it), first take a photo of it with your smartphone or digitize it with a scanner. Scanning it will result in a more reliable transcription.

The key is to use images that are as clear as possible when transcribing.

Be aware that if the text is blurry, the image file is degraded, or the handwritten characters are too unusual or difficult to read, it will be difficult to transcribe correctly using OCR (optical character recognition).

On a PC

When uploading images from your computer, there are two ways to do this.

1. Drag and drop the image into the frame
2. Click "Select audio and image" and upload the image.

Video explanation: How to upload images and PDFs from your computer

For smartphones and tablets

For smartphone screens, you can choose where to upload from .

If you want to take a photo on the spot, select "Camera ." Take a photo and press the OK button to upload it.

To upload a file, select "Choose File" (iPhone) or "File" (Android) and select an image or PDF file .

If you want to upload multiple images,

1. Press and hold an image in the folder
2. Check to enable multiple selection
3. Select and upload multiple images you need

Please follow the steps above.

*You cannot take pictures on the spot and upload multiple pictures. Please make sure the pictures you have taken are already in the folder before uploading.

[Step 3] Click the transcription button

Once you've selected your image, click the Transcribe button.

Image analysis begins, and within a few seconds to a few minutes, character recognition is performed and the image is transcribed into text.

The transcribed text will be displayed in the text box.

You can edit on the spot and save it as a text file or subtitle file.

Once transcribed data is available, you can review and edit it at any time from the history (free membership registration required).

This completes the process of reading data such as images, PDFs, books, and printed materials and converting them into text.

It's very useful, so why not give Mr. Transcription a try?

Video explanation: The process from analysis to completion of transcription

Situations where image/PDF transcription apps are useful (how to use them)

I'd like to try a paid image transcription app, but I wonder if I would be able to use it effectively...

For those of you who have such concerns, we have compiled some specific examples of situations in which transcribing using OCR (optical character recognition) functions on images, PDFs, books, and printed materials can be useful .

• Digitize paper documents
• Automatic registration of information such as business cards and address books
• Save your notes and memos to your computer or smartphone
• Converting scanned books into text
• OCR and translate English (foreign language) books

To summarize, it is as follows.

In any situation, being able to read printed or handwritten documents will make things more convenient.

I'll explain each one in detail.

1. Digitize paper documents

This is probably the most common use of OCR (optical character recognition).

If you have paper documents that you have created in the past piling up in a warehouse or on a bookshelf, have them OCR'd and converted into digital data as soon as possible .

Paper documents are difficult to organize and it is also very hard to find what you are looking for.

Not only is there the worry of deterioration, but there is also the possibility of it being lost in a disaster or accident.

Digital data is easier to manage.

Digital documents (text) make them easier to search, and security can be increased depending on the importance of the document.

It's convenient and you can back it up, so why not try digitizing your paper books and printed materials by transcribing them using OCR (optical character recognition)?

2. Automatically register information from business cards, address books, etc. using OCR

Are you frustrated by disorganized business cards piling up on your desk or in drawers, never making use of them?

There's no point in just exchanging a large number of business cards. Make sure to digitize them using OCR and create a database so that you can use them properly in the right situations.

There are also smartphone apps that can perform character recognition on business card data scanned by a camera, automatically reading the name, company name, job title, etc., and inputting the information into a management app, so it might be worth trying.

3. Transcribe your notes and notes with OCR and save them on your computer or smartphone

When it comes to taking notes quickly or organizing your thoughts, it's definitely easier to use paper notes or a notebook.

There are probably still many people who think this way.

OCR transcription is also recommended for such people.

Handwritten notes and notebook contents can be digitized (converted into text) using a transcription service, and then backed up and saved on your computer or smartphone.

You can simply take a photo and save it as an image, but it's even more convenient if you transcribe the contents of your notes with OCR so that you can easily search the text .

The latest AI can also transcribe handwritten text (text)

The latest AI can even recognize handwritten characters, so you can rest assured even if you have written your notes in a hurry.

However, there are many different types of AI transcription services, so it is important to choose a service that has strengths in converting handwritten text into text .

That's why I recommend "Mr. Transcription."

"Transcription-san" is a high-performance AI transcription service that handles everything from audio transcription to advanced OCR of handwritten text and English .

Even if you scribble a little, you can convert it into a digital document without any mistakes.

If you're not sure which transcription service to use to turn handwritten text into text, why not try Mr. Transcription?

4. Convert scanned books into text

Although the number of e-books has increased in recent years, there are still many books that are only available in paper form.

The process of scanning such paper books and creating e-books yourself is called "jisui ." Rental shops and other places offer "jisui sets" that combine a paper cutter and a scanner.

If you feel it's a waste to cut up your books, there are also camera-type document scanners that can use OCR (optical character recognition) to read printed materials while the book is open , so why not give it a try?

*Please be careful to use scanned data for personal use only and not to pass it on to third parties or make it public.

5. OCR and translate English (foreign language) books

I want to read books in foreign languages such as English, but they are too difficult for me to read.

In such cases, we recommend using an AI transcription service to convert the text into text using OCR.

If you scan and transcribe books or printed materials written in English, they can be easily translated using AI translation services such as DeepL .

Of course, in addition to English, you can easily read books and printed materials written in languages from all over the world, including Chinese, Korean, French, and Spanish.

If you want to OCR books or printed materials in English (foreign language), we recommend choosing an AI transcription service that is strong at transcribing English (foreign language).

For example, Mr. Transcription supports transcription in 100 languages, including English.

If you want to read English books easily, why not try using "Mr. Transcription"?

Summary of AI transcription for images, PDFs, books, and printed materials

This time, we explained apps that can transcribe images and PDFs with OCR and how to use them specifically.

In today's increasingly digital world, the need to OCR and transcribe images and PDFs is increasing day by day.

One or two sheets is manageable, but when it comes to 10 or 20 sheets, manually entering the data becomes a huge hassle. As someone who is busy with various tasks every day, you don't want to do any unnecessary work if possible.

If you don't have time to transcribe it yourself, you can always use a crowdsourcing site or hire a professional transcription company, but both of these methods cost a fair amount.

Related article: What is the average price for outsourcing audio transcription? [Tips for outsourcing at a low cost] | Mr. Transcription

If you are concerned about the balance between cost and effort, a smart approach would be to actively make use of AI transcription apps like the ones introduced here, and use them according to your purpose!

Related article: Comparison of transcription services (AI apps, individuals, businesses) [3 types, 7 choices] | Mr. Transcription

Transcription is now something that can be left to AI.

Leave these simple tasks to the convenient character recognition tool and increase your free time!

■ AI transcription service "Mr. Transscription"

"Mr. Transcription" is an online transcription tool that can be used from zero initial cost and 1,000 yen per month (* free version available).

• Supports more than 20 file formats such as audio, video, and images
• Can be used from both PC and smartphone
• Supports technical terms such as medical care, IT, and long-term care
• Supports creation of subtitle files and speaker separation
• Supports transcription in approximately 100 languages ​​including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Italian, etc.

To use it, just upload the audio file from the site. Transcription text is available in seconds to tens of minutes.
You can use it for free if you transcribe it for up to 10 minutes, so please try it once.

It is "Mr. Transcription" who can easily transcribe from audio, video, and images. Transcription allows you to transcribe for up to 10 minutes for free. You can copy, download, search, delete, etc. the transcribed text. You can also create subtitle files, which is ideal for transcription of interview videos.

HP: mojiokoshi3.com
Email: mojiokoshi3.com@gmail.com