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Difficult scans

Most legal paper arrives in poor shape. These posts explain why recognition fails on faxes, photos, skewed pages, handwriting and stamped text, and what to do about each. Start with why OCR output is full of errors, which covers how to check any conversion against its original.

  1. OCR Faded Text: Thermal Paper, Weak Toner and Pencil

    Can OCR read faded text? Why pale print drops out of black and white scans, how to capture thermal paper, weak toner and pencil, and when darkening helps.

    faded printthermal paperscan settings

  2. OCR Newspaper Clippings, Legal Notices and Old Articles

    How to OCR newspaper clippings and published legal notices: keeping narrow columns in order, joining hyphenated lines, and recording the paper, date and page.

    newspaperslegal noticesreading order

  3. OCR Blurry Scan Pages: Focus, Motion and What to Redo

    Can OCR read a blurry scan? How to tell blur from low resolution, what blurs a flatbed or feeder scan, what sharpening can do, and which pages to rescan.

    blurscan qualityrescanning

  4. OCR Redacted Documents: What the Black Boxes Do to Text

    When you OCR redacted documents, the boxes leave gaps, stray characters and joined sentences in the text. Learn how to mark, count and log each redaction.

    redactiondocument productionsreview

  5. How to OCR a Photo of a Document Taken on a Phone

    How to OCR a photo of a document: shoot flat, square and evenly lit, upload the JPEG, PNG or PDF, export the text, then check it against the image.

    phone photoscapturefile formats

  6. Can OCR Read Stamps Over Text? What to Expect

    Whether OCR can read stamps over text depends on ink colour, scan mode and where the stamp lands. See which stamps fail and what to do about them.

    stampsscan qualityocr limits

  7. OCR Foreign Language Documents: Scripts and Accents

    Can OCR read foreign language documents? Often, if the tool supports the language. See what to check: accents, scripts, mixed pages, dates and translation.

    languagesaccentstranslation

  8. OCR Old Documents: Long S, Ligatures and Worn Type

    OCR can read old documents printed before the typewriter, with predictable errors. See what the long s, ligatures, blackletter and worn type do to the text.

    old documentslong shistorical print

  9. How to OCR a Faxed Document and Trust the Result

    How to OCR a faxed document: start from the fax server's own file, convert it to text or Word, then proofread the characters fax resolution damages.

    faxlow resolutionproofreading

  10. Can OCR Read Highlighted Text on a Scanned Page?

    OCR can read highlighted text when the scan keeps the highlighter lighter than the print. See which colors cause trouble and how to keep track of the marks.

    highlighterscan settingsannotations

  11. OCR Exhibits With Tables: Keeping Rows and Columns

    How to OCR exhibits with tables: why rows and columns scramble, which layouts are hardest, and how to reconcile the extracted table with the exhibit.

    tablesexhibitsspreadsheets

  12. Convert Handwriting to Text: A Method for Legal Files

    Convert handwriting to text in five steps: sort the pages by style, capture them well, correct the draft against the image, then export and file it.

    handwritingconversionworkflow

  13. OCR Handwritten Notes: What Machines Can Read

    OCR can read handwritten notes when the writing is neat and separate. See which legal documents convert, what fails, and how to test your own pages.

    handwritingocr limitsmargin notes

  14. OCR Scanned Forms: Fields, Checkboxes and Fill-Ins

    How to OCR scanned forms so each answer stays with its field: pair labels with values, read checkboxes by eye, pick an export and proofread field by field.

    formscheckboxesdata entry

  15. Can OCR Handle Two Column Documents Correctly?

    OCR can handle two column documents when it finds the gap between columns. Learn why lines get spliced across the page and how to check the order.

    columnsreading orderpage layout

  16. OCR Dot Matrix Print: Reading Old Computer Printouts

    Can OCR read dot matrix print? What draft mode, worn ribbons, green-bar paper and slashed zeros do to old computer printouts, and what to check in the text.

    dot matrixprintoutsold records

  17. Why Can't I Copy Text From a PDF? Image-Only Scans

    You can't copy text from a PDF when its pages are pictures with no text behind them. Here is how to tell, and how to get text you can select.

    searchable pdfscanned pdfocr basics

  18. Can OCR Read Strikethrough Text in a Scanned Redline?

    Can OCR read strikethrough text? It reads the struck words with errors and may drop the line, so deletions look live. See what to check in a scanned redline.

    strikethroughredlinesocr limits

  19. Transcribe Handwriting to Text: Rules for a Transcript

    How to transcribe handwriting to text others can rely on: bracket rules for unreadable words, strike-outs and insertions, and a second-reader check.

    handwritingtranscriptiontranscript rules

  20. OCR Microfilm Prints: Film, Fiche and Photostat Copies

    OCR can read microfilm prints, but grain, scratches, black borders and white-on-black pages cost accuracy. See how to prepare a page and what copy to request.

    microfilmold recordsnegative images

  21. OCR Carbon Copies and Carbonless Multi-Part Forms

    OCR can read carbon copies and carbonless form plies when the scan keeps their pale marks. Learn how to scan pink and yellow copies and which ply to ask for.

    carbonless formsmulti-part formsscan settings

  22. OCR Watermarked PDF Pages: Draft, Copy and Void Marks

    What happens when you OCR a watermarked PDF: why DRAFT, COPY or VOID lands in the text, how to tell the kinds of mark apart, and how to clean a working copy.

    watermarkssecurity paperscan quality

  23. Best Handwriting to Text Converter: How to Test One

    The best handwriting to text converter is the one that reads your writers. Build a test set, score the errors that matter and question the vendor.

    handwritingchoosing a tooltesting

  24. How to Scan Legal Size Documents Without Cut-Off Text

    How to scan legal size documents so the bottom three inches are not cut off or shrunk: the settings to change, mixed stacks, oversized pages and what to check.

    legal sizescanner settingscut-off text

  25. OCR Scanned Checks: Amounts, Payees and the MICR Line

    OCR can read the printed parts of scanned checks. See what happens to the MICR line, patterned stock, handwritten amounts and bank stamps, and what to verify.

    checksmicrfinancial records

  26. How to OCR a Crooked Scan Without Rescanning

    How to OCR a crooked scan: run it as it is, check for merged lines and scrambled order, and straighten the page only if the text comes back damaged.

    skewscan qualitypage orientation

  27. OCR Typewritten Documents: Reading Old Typed Pages

    OCR can read most typewritten documents. Learn what old typed pages do to the text: uneven ink, strikeovers, carbon copies and a lowercase L used as a one.

    typewriterold recordscarbon copies

  28. OCR Low Quality PDF Scans: A Triage Checklist

    How to OCR a low quality PDF scan: sort pages by defect, decide when to rescan, handle stains and bad photocopies, and record what could not be read.

    scan qualitytriagechecklist

  29. Why Is OCR Output Full of Errors? Causes and Fixes

    OCR output is full of errors when the page image is poor or the layout was misread. Learn to diagnose the cause, proofread the text and fix it fast.

    ocr errorsproofreadingscan quality

  30. Why Does OCR Get Numbers Wrong? Digits, Dates, Decimals

    Why does OCR get numbers wrong? A digit has no context to confirm it. See which digits swap, how dates and decimals fail, and the checks that catch them.

    numbersdatesproofreading

  31. Scan Handwriting Into Text: Capture Settings That Help

    How to scan handwriting into text: the scan mode, ink, paper and photo choices that keep faint pen strokes in the image so software has something to read.

    handwritingscanningscan settings

  32. How to Convert Scanned Book to Text Without Losing Pages

    How to convert a scanned book to text you can search and cite: scan one page per image, split spreads, keep printed page numbers and check the page count.

    bound volumesbook scanningpage numbers

  33. OCR Coffee Stained Document Pages: Stains and Damage

    Can OCR read a coffee stained document? Why stains, highlighter, tape, folds and tears hide text from software, and how a color rescan gets it back.

    stainsdamaged pagesrescanning

  34. Can OCR Read an Embossed Seal on a Certified Copy?

    Can OCR read an embossed seal? Not from a flat scan, because a raised seal has no ink. See how to capture it and how to note the seal in converted text.

    sealscertified copiesocr limits

  35. OCR Low Resolution Scan Files: When Pixels Run Out

    How to OCR a low resolution scan: measure the real pixels per inch of the file you were sent, find where detail was lost, and decide what is worth converting.

    resolutionscan qualityfax