Previously, before Image to text converters were available, people had to manually transcribe text that was inside an image. That took a lot of time and effort…and was quite inefficient.
However, with Image to text converters, those days are behind us, as we can extract text from any image within a few seconds. OCR basically allows these tools to understand that certain configurations of pixels are actually characters. Once a character is recognized it is extracted into a digitally editable format.
In the early iterations of Image to text converters, users could only upload images from their devices, but nowadays, they can even use online images as well.
Steps to Extract Text from Online Image
These are a few simple, generic steps that you can take to extract text from image online.
1. Search for an Online Image to text Converter
The first step is to search for an online tool that can extract text from image. This is very simple to do. Then type the following phrase into the search bar:
“image to text converter”
This will show you a bunch of search results that may look like this:
Now, don’t be confused. All the top results are usually free tools for converting an image to text and they all have very similar methods of operation. So, you can take your pick after looking out for a few features that are listed below:
- Is the tool free?
- Does it have an option for using online images as input?
- Does it have any limitations that may trouble you?
2. Input Your Image into the Tool
Most Image to text converters have the standard option of browsing your device and choosing an image stored on it. But some tools have more options as well.
Since our requirement is that we want to extract text from image that is present online, we need to use the relevant option.
In most Image to text converters this option is labeled as “Enter URL”.
Now open the image that you want to grab text from in a new tab. Then right-click (if on PC) or press and hold your finger on it (if on a touch device) until a menu opens. Choose “Copy image link” and go back to the tool.
Or open the image only inside a new tab, then you can copy the URL from the address bar instead. You can use whichever method feels easier.
Then paste this link into the “URL” field in the tool. This will prompt the tool to retrieve the image automatically.
3. Extract and Download the Text
After you have inputted your online image, then you simply need to click the button that says something like “Confirm,” “Extract Text,” or “Submit.”
You will see your extracted text, and you may have the option to either copy or download it.
Image to text converters are most useful for turning physical documents into a digital format, as that saves a lot of time and effort compared to transcribing everything by hand.
Conclusion
These were three easy steps to extract text from an online image. These steps are not limited to one tool, as they are generic. Meaning that they will work with most tools.
In 2022, the art of intuitive UI design has been improved a lot. Most online tools that you find today are very simple and straightforward to use.
All you need is an internet connection and a device such as a PC or a smartphone to use these Image to text converters. By following the given steps, you can copy text from images easily.
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