The Modern world has departed from the traditional modes of data entry. The requirement is high, but furthermore, it needs to maintain the pace of the surroundings. Previously, the main and perhaps the only mean of data entry was to keep a physical file.
It was done by creating a file that contained all the data relating to the client.
However, the old approach was time-consuming. It took the companies to hire several employees to protect the records; furthermore, data storage rooms were either rented or bought to save the documents.
The Old method required development since it had several flaws with extra time consumption and the delay in providing the data needed leading the charts.
A more advanced mechanism was developed in the form of Optical character recognition. It leads to enormous progression within the field, which provided the users with countless benefits.
1. What is Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Optical character recognition (OCR) is one of the most extensively used data entry mode. Mainly the last decade has seen the method being used for personal and commercial purposes.
The operation of OCR isn’t complicated, especially for personal use. It involves the digital scanning and recognition of a paper or a document, which is converted into an editable digital file.
The benefit of having a record is that it offers easy navigation across it, and you can search for any particular data from it and directly scroll towards it.
It was an impossible task in a manual data storage method with the person having to go through the entire paper and sometimes files to retrieve the required facts.
OCR tools work in three steps. The first includes the user making an input query. It is performed in the form of user photo-scanning printed text.
The second step is when the software analyses the book and patterns written on the paper. The final stages are the conversion into character codes. The version’s hard copy is converted into an online file that can be easily edited and searched electronically.
The Machine encoded text is also a lot easier to store as it is possible to create various copies. The Introduction of OCR technology has dramatically enhanced data entry procedures.
A key advantage of it is that you can quickly convert scanned files to electronic text which can be searched and modified when required.
It has also made viewing the files a lot more convenient, and sharing the data has also been simplified because of the vast sharing choices available today.
2. Benefits of OCR
OCR technology has numerous benefits, and it has assisted people in commercial and business affairs. Businesses have benefitted explicitly from the introduction of OCR technology.
It has directly impacted their efficiency, reliability, and effectiveness. The data storage process has been restructured.
When it comes to the office environment, the technology has a lot of influence, since there is the scanning frequency is high and the higher inflow of the documents.
The following are other key advantages of OCR technology:-
a. Productivity
Optical character recognition has had a massive influence on the productivity of businesses. It has made the data retrieval process a lot faster, which has enhanced productivity. Employees can now access and provide any required data a lot more conveniently.
b. Cost-Effective
Since the data can be stored electronically and records can be maintained in digital encoded mode, organizations can cut down on employees. The data is now a lot more secure, and this has eliminated the chances of compensations being paid to incase information or records are lost.
c. Accuracy
Among the vast list of the essential benefits that OCR provides, higher accuracy has central importance. Automated modes of data entry result in a lot more efficient data entry and higher reliability, thus significantly reducing human error chances. Even if mistakes are made, it is a lot easier to correct them.
d. Easier and Secure Storage
If you are using OCR for personal purposes like preserving text that might have family heritage value, the technology is hugely beneficial in this aspect. Since you can create various copies of an electronic file, it is a lot easier to retrieve it if one copy is lost.
3. Best OCR Tools
The two best OCR tools available online are:-
a. Prepostseo.com
Prepostseo OCR tools are compatible with every device, similar to most of the 95+ means that the website offers. The Online tool is Free, but it isn’t short of features.
It is capable of efficiently extracting text from any source accurately. The software is developed with all the latest features.
Converting images to text is effortless when performed through the PrePostSEO online software. The first step is to upload the photo in the tool, which can be carried out in various formats like TIFF, JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG, and JPG. It makes the device useable with any form of the image that you might have.
You can also paste the URL in case the picture is available online. It requires the user clicking on “Submit” and the left to be rest upon the tool.
There are some very benefitting aspects of the online tool. It supports images that are in low resolution since everybody might not have the best Camera or the best print available.
Another feature is that the tool is capable of identifying and processing mathematical equations regardless of their complexity. Thus teachers can share notes which might contain mathematical expressions a lot more efficiently. The tool also gives the choice of downloading the final document.
b. OCRgeek.com
The tool offered by OCRgeek is a bulk Optical character recognition software capable of extracting data from various files at once. The device is beneficial for people looking to convert images in a large amount.
Inserting the data into the software is effortless. The tool allows you to select the desired images from the drive, and the device can process a file in DjVu, JPEG, TIFF, and PNG format. Furthermore, it also allows you to choose the output form, whether you want to have the final document in txt or Docx format.
The precision in the final result of the extraction of information by the OCRgeek is incredible. One of the best features is that it has a support team to assist in any matter. The tool is widely used by people, especially for personal uses. Whether you have records or pages of a book, the device can do it all for you.
