How2Day: Format Recognition Tools

Format recognition tools are widely used to save time and effort in reproducing documents into editable computer files. Also known as "optical character recognition" software, these tools are mainly used to speed up the process of reproducing printed or even handwritten documents into editable files. Some of these software types offer the most basic features of copying text from a picture, while some can produce an exact replica of the original document, together with images and graphs.

Two of the most popular programs that have built-in recognition support are Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft OneNote. For Adobe Acrobat, the Standard and the Pro editions have a simple optical recognition functionality that can be located on a sub-menu.

Microsoft OneNote has a simple command button that you can use for minor OCR works. Drag a picture inside OneNote, right-click on it, and then select the "Copy Text from Picture" option. The copied text is stored in the clipboard and all you have to do is paste it in Microsoft Word or Notepad.

SimpleOCR is a format-recognition software that can transform scanned or handwritten documents into editable files. The "Machine Print Recognition" feature comes with free software that you can download, but the "Handwritten Recognition Feature" only comes with a 14-day trial. You can set up the software to connect with your scanner, or you can use it to open files from your computer. Since it focuses mainly on text recognition, SimpleOCR lags in performance when it comes to transforming complicated documents. It has a built-in spell checker that you can use to edit the scanned text, and the converted file can be transferred to Microsoft Word or saved as a text file.

OmniPage is a product that specializes in character recognition. It is universally compatible to all scanning devices, and it offers a one-click conversion to Microsoft Office. Aside from text files, it also automatically scans images and formats them into an image file. It has close to 99 percent accuracy when transforming scanned documents. OmniPage is also capable of replicating the exact formatting that's copied from the scanned document. For example, a scanned document with tables and graphs will be transformed into an edited electronic file that contains the same tables and graphs. It's also offered in more than 120 languages, and there are special dictionaries that you can upload for better accuracy. It also comes bundled with a PDF conversation utility and a document manager. The latest version of OmniPage costs about $500 as of 2010.

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