The short answer
Why use Image to Text?
Retyping text from a clear scan is slow and error-prone. Local OCR gives you a draft you can copy while keeping the source image on the device.
Image to Text focuses on reading English text from a scan, screenshot, or photographed note. The English OCR model runs in a browser worker. It reads visible characters, not document meaning, so proofreading is still part of the job.
The selected file stays in this browser tab and is released when you leave the page. Straight, sharp, high-contrast text gives the best result. Handwriting, curved labels, and decorative fonts are harder to read.
What Image to Text does
Open a scan or screenshot
Drop, choose, or paste a supported file into Image to Text. Reading English text from a scan, screenshot, or photographed note. The source stays on your device; we work on a copy.
Read the visible text
Image to Text is for reading English text from a scan, screenshot, or photographed note. The preview is the place to decide if the setting went too far. The original file is not overwritten.
Useful controls
Main controls: File selection; OCR progress and recognized text appear in the workbench. Working limit: 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image; large scans take longer on phones. Watch the preview at full size before you save. A current desktop browser usually has more memory than a phone.
Copy the draft
Export is selectable plain text. The download is a new file. Keep the original until you have opened the copy once.
Where Image to Text fits
These are ordinary jobs where the focused controls save time. They also show where a full editor or a manual review may still be the better choice.
Scanned pages
Recover editable text from a printed document or receipt.
Screenshots
Copy an error message or label that cannot be selected normally.
Photo notes
Turn a well-lit photograph of typed text into a working draft.
Start to finish
How to use Image to Text
- 01Choose, drop, or paste a supported file.
- 02Adjust the image to text controls and check the preview at full size.
- 03Download the finished copy and open it once before using it elsewhere.
What to expect from Image to Text
This table covers the parts that matter before you begin: what goes in, which controls do the work, what comes out, and where the browser draws a hard line.
| Check | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Supported input | JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and browser-supported AVIF images |
| Main controls | File selection; OCR progress and recognized text appear in the workbench |
| Output | Selectable plain text |
| Working limit | 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image; large scans take longer on phones |
| Privacy | Files and entered values stay in this tab. Filenames, pixels, metadata, OCR text, QR contents, locations, and passwords are not sent to analytics. |
Before you export
- Crop away unrelated artwork before OCR.
- Rotate the text so lines are horizontal.
- Increase contrast on faint scans first.
- Proofread names, numbers, and punctuation against the source.
Frequently asked questions
If you cannot find what you are looking for, write us a message and we will get back to you.
What should I check before saving with Image to Text?
Does my file get uploaded?
Can I use Image to Text on a phone?
Will Image to Text overwrite my original file?
Why might the Image to Text result look different in another app?
Is Image to Text free to use?
How does Image to Text work?
What can I put into Image to Text?
How do I save the result from Image to Text?
Why did Image to Text fail or look wrong?
Will Image to Text keep a copy of my work?
Related tools
More in Converters.
Continue the workflow
These tools handle common next steps after image to text.