Supported formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, JFIF (JPEG), HEIC. Max 3 files at a time.
*Your privacy is protected! No data is transmitted or stored.
Image to Text Converter
Convert any image to editable text in seconds. The free image to text converter automatically reads text from images, screenshots, or scanned documents and provides you with clean text that you can copy and paste anywhere.
There is no need to retype anything by hand. Upload your file, have it read by the tool, and get your text back as soon as possible. It is useful for writing notes, managing documents in the office, and anyone that wants to extract text from an image fast.
How to Convert an Image to Text
Pulling the text out of an image takes three steps.
First, add your file. Drag and drop it into the box, paste it, click Browse to select from a file on your device, or paste an image link. JPG, PNG, GIF, JFIF (JPEG), HEIC, and also PDF are supported formats.
Second, choose a mode and extract. Select either simple OCR (for plain text) or formatted text (to preserve the layout). This tool then reads the image and displays your text onscreen.
Third, copy or download the result. Copy the text to your clipboard with one click, or save it as a file. If you uploaded several images, you can download all the results at once.
Two Ways to Extract Text: Simple OCR and Formatted Text
This one gives you two, so you can pick whichever suits the job.
Simple OCR
Simple OCR will extract the words in your image and provide you with plain text. There is no formatting, no layout, and no structure. Text only, just like it is written.
When the image is simple and you are interested only in the words, this is the best option. This is the better option when the image is simple and the words are all you want, such as a paragraph, a quote, a caption, or a short handwritten note. You are getting a clean output, which you can easily copy and paste to any type of record, message, note, and so on.
Formatted Text
Formatted text is the advanced mode. It runs on a more capable model that reads the layout of your image as well as the words on it.
The model picks up fonts, bold text, tables, lists, and headings and then rebuilds them in the output. A table comes back as a table, a heading as a heading, and a bold line is still bold. That makes it the right pick for anything with real structure, such as a form, an invoice, a resume, or a page from a book. When accuracy matters and the formatting needs to survive, this is the mode to use.
Three Output Formats in Formatted Text Mode
Formatted Text mode returns your content in three versions, so you can copy whichever fits.
Formatted Text gives you clean, readable text with the layout kept and no markup in the way. This is the version most people want for everyday documents.
HTML gives you the same content as HTML code. Useful when the text is going into a web page or an editor that reads HTML.
Markdown gives you the content in Markdown. Ideal for note apps, documentation, and README files.
Each format copies with one click.
What Is an Image to Text Converter?
An online tool that extracts the text from an image and converts it into text that can be edited and selected. It can also be known as a photo-to-text or picture-to-text converter; they're all performing the same task. You don't copy words from a screen or scan; the tool copies them for you.
This technology is called optical character recognition, or OCR for short, and is similar to an online OCR service running in your browser. It reads the image, identifies characters, and rewrites them into usable text. Here's how to do it for images like screenshots, printed pages, handwritten notes, or scanned documents. The tool can be used as a text extractor: it converts the image into text that you can search, edit, translate, or copy from the other text files.
Copy and Download Your Text
When you're finished with your text, there are several ways to save your work.
Every result has a one-click copy button, so the text is on your clipboard and ready to paste anywhere. This works for all three output formats in Formatted Text mode.
For a single image you can download the text in two formats. A TXT file opens anywhere, and a DOCX file drops straight into Word if you want to edit or format it further. The DOCX option works well as an image to word converter, since a photo of a page becomes a document you can start working on right away.
If you're uploading multiple images, you can use a Download All button to download the text from all images to a single zip file. No need to download them sequentially.
If you have more than one image that you convert, an expand and collapse control also displays beside each result. A long list of results is easily managed as you can collapse those that you've done and expand the one you're working on.
Key Features of Our Image to Text Converter
Two extraction modes
Simple OCR returns clean plain text, while formatted text keeps the structure of the original. You pick the one that suits the job.
Layout and format detection
In Formatted Text mode, the tool identifies fonts, bold text, tables, lists, and headings and retains them in the output. Your text comes back looking close to the original rather than as one flat block.
Multiple output formats
Formatted Text mode returns your content as rich text, HTML, and Markdown. Copy whichever version fits where the text is going next.
Handwriting and many other languages.
The Formatted Text model reads handwritten notes and copes with a range of languages, letter styles, and scripts. It handles messy handwriting and non-English documents that basic tools tend to struggle with.
Batch image to text
Upload multiple photos at once and convert them all at once. The Download All option can then download every one of the results in a single zip file, helping you when you have multiple pages to download.
Wide format support
Commonly supported image formats are JPG, PNG, GIF, JFIF (JPEG), HEIC, and also PDF. It is not necessary to first convert your file into a particular format.
Free and private
No sign-up is required, and the tool is free to use. Your files are processed securely and are not stored once the conversion is complete.
Why Use an Image to Text Converter
Save time on retyping
Typing words out from a photo is slow, and it is easy to make mistakes doing it. The tool gives you an accurate copy in seconds, ready to edit.
Make image text editable
Text trapped inside an image cannot be changed or searched. After converting the image to text, you're able to fix it, reformat it, translate it, or even insert it into another document.
Keep the original layout
When using Formatted Text mode, the original's structure is not lost. Tables stay as tables and headings stay as headings.
Works with any source
A phone Tables and headings kept by the image to text converter, from phone photos, screenshots, scanned pages or handwriting
What You Can Use It For
An image to text converter fits into plenty of everyday tasks. Here are the most common ones.
Digitising notes and documents
Convert print text, handwritten notes, and old paper documents to easily archived, readable, searchable digital text. This will help in organizing your material.
Copying text from screenshots
When text sits inside a picture and cannot be selected, the tool pulls it out for you. It handles anything on screen you want to reuse, whether that is a message, a caption, or a chart.
Extracting data and tables
Use formatted text mode when the content has a structure worth keeping. Text from invoices, receipts, forms, and tables comes back with its rows and columns intact.
Saving study material
Students can photograph lecture notes, book pages and handouts, then turn them into text. Handwritten notes become typed text you can edit, reorder and revise from.
Editing and accessibility
Once an image becomes text, screen readers can read it aloud and ordinary editing tools work on it. That makes printed and handwritten material far easier to use.
Who Can Use Our Image to Text Converter
The tool is designed to be used by anyone who has to extract text from a picture for any purpose.
It's used by the students to convert handwritten notes, printed pages, or study material to editable text. It is used by office workers and professionals to scan any form, receipt, contract, or invoice into electronic files to reduce data entry tasks. It is used by writers and content creators to extract the text from screenshots and images for further use in their content. It allows researchers, as well as those who use printed or scanned documents, to locate, reference, and quote from the old sources.
Simple OCR vs Formatted Text: Which Should You Choose
There are two modes for different jobs, and we have a quick guide for this.
Opt for simple OCR for simple images where you just want the words. This will be quick and provide a nice, plain block of text. A caption, a paragraph, or a short note would be suitable.
If you want to preserve the structure of the image or need a greater level of accuracy, then choose Formatted Text. All the tables, headings, fonts, and bold text are intact, and you will have the result in three different layouts to copy. Here you put your documents, forms, resumes, and book pages.
Formatted text is a better choice if you ever find yourself in doubt; it will show readable text while retaining all the information. The Simple OCR is something you should use when you just want the words without anything else.
Tips for the Best Results
- A few small things help you get cleaner text from any image.
- Use the sharpest version of the image you have. Well-lit photos read far more accurately than blurry or dark ones, and if the text is faint, a brighter shot makes a real difference.
- Hold the camera straight on. A photo taken flat against the page reads better than one shot at an angle, where the lines of text curve or lean.
- Pick the right mode before you extract. Choose Formatted Text when the layout matters and simple OCR when it does not. Getting this right first time saves you tidying up afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I copy text from an image?
Upload your file, choose Simple OCR or Formatted Text, and let the tool read it. When the text appears, copy it with one click and paste it wherever you need it, or download it as a file.
How do I convert a JPG to text?
Drag and drop, browse, or use an image link to add your JPG; then run the conversion. The tool is designed to read an image and provide text that can be edited. PNG can also be converted to text, and there are other formats, not just PNG, as the tool also supports GIF, JFIF (JPEG), HEIC, and also PDF.
What is the difference between simple OCR and formatted text?
Simple OCR returns plain text with no formatting, which suits simple images. Formatted text runs on a more capable model that recognises tables, fonts, bold text, and headings and then keeps them in the output. It also gives you three versions to copy: Formatted text, HTML, and Markdown.
Can it read handwriting?
Yes. The Formatted Text model is capable of reading text that is handwritten and printed. It also supports many languages, fonts, and scripts, enabling the conversion of handwriting and typed information.
Which languages does it support?
The Formatted Text model reads a wide range of languages and scripts, not only English. It works out what is on the image and returns the text as it was written.
Can I download the extracted text?
Yes. The text for one image is available for download as a TXT file or a DOCX Word document. When converting multiple pictures, the Download All button will download each result into one ZIP file.
Is the image to text converter free?
Yes, you can use the tool for free, and you do not need to sign up to use it. There is no need to pay or register for use to convert images to text.
Is my data safe?
Yes. Your files are processed securely and are not kept after the conversion finishes. They are not shared with anyone else.
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