[Nfb-web] software solutions

[Blaine Clark]

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software can recognize some text or 
font-like images that are contained in some graphic files and put them 
together in varying degrees of success in either a text file or sent to 
a printer or a screen reader or a Braille converter. Accuracy depends of 
the quality of the graphic file and the OCR package as well as the 
contrast in size and color between pure graphic elements and what may or 
may not be actual text. Example: an umbrella that is roughly the same 
size as what may be other text could be rendered as a T. A cane, 
likewise sized could be rendered as the number 1. Some handwriting is so 
sloppy that it can't be converted to readable text as some of the 
ridiculously fancyfied fonts can't be recognized. Some OCR converters 
work better with certain types of graphic files such as TIF files, so 
you may have to work on converting your image files into other file 
types as well.

Even then, the only real way to find out is to run the images through a 
few OCR routines and have someone sighted compare the results with the 
original. Keep in mind that good results may only have 40% accuracy or 
worse. You could be lucky and have much better results. There's only one 
way to find out.

Here is a microsoft.com forum thread that kind of tells what you are 
trying to do; 
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2007-office_install/ocr-scan-of-screenshot-need-process-help/75dd3dff-6199-4675-9dcb-0c7ababb92f3. 
If you can get onto the forums you might ask there and get a good 
response. I'm assuming that you're using Microsoft ... Let them know 
what version of Windows and other programs you are using as well as the 
file types you are working on and what version of what program created 
them, if you know. Tell them as much as you know about what output you 
want too. I included the thread above about taking a screenshot because 
it may be better and/or easier to convert a screenshot than the original 
file to a suitable file type. Just to give you an idea that there are 
several ways to go about this and you may be able to stumble onto one 
that just works.

Good luck.