How to Extract Text from an Image: 5 Best Methods in 2024

What Does "Extract Text from Image" Mean?

Extracting text from an image means using software — specifically Optical Character Recognition (OCR) — to identify and copy the text that appears visually in an image file. The image could be a photo, a scanned document, a screenshot, or a PDF page.

Until recently, this required expensive desktop software. Today, AI-powered OCR tools like the one on this site can do it instantly, for free, in your browser.

Why You Might Need to Extract Text from an Image

There are dozens of real-world reasons to pull text out of an image:

• Screenshots with non-selectable text — copying code, quotes, or error messages from screenshots
• Scanned documents — old contracts, invoices, or forms that were never digitized
• Photos of printed material — book pages, menus, signs, receipts
• Handwritten notes — converting physical notes to digital text
• Foreign language images — extracting text to then translate

Method 1: Free Online OCR Tool (Fastest)

The quickest way is to use a free online OCR tool like ExtractTextFromImage.com. Here's how:

1. Go to extractingtextfromimage.com

2. Drag and drop your image, or click to browse for the file

3. Alternatively, paste an image directly from your clipboard with Ctrl+V

4. Click "Extract Text"

5. Copy the result or download it as a .txt file

This works on any device — desktop, tablet, or mobile — with no installation or account needed. The AI processes your image in under 5 seconds.

Best for: Quick, one-off conversions. Works with JPG, PNG, WEBP, PDF, HEIC, and more.

Method 2: Google Lens (Mobile)

Google Lens is built into the Google app on Android and is available as an option in Google Photos on iOS.

1. Open Google Lens (or Google Photos and tap the Lens icon)

2. Point at text or select a photo

3. Tap "Copy text"

Best for: Mobile use, real-time capture of physical text (menus, signs, etc.)

Limitation: Works one image at a time and requires the Google app.

Method 3: Microsoft OneNote (Windows)

If you use Windows and Microsoft Office:

1. Open OneNote

2. Insert your image (Insert > Pictures)

3. Right-click the image

4. Select "Copy Text from Picture"

Best for: Windows users already in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Limitation: Requires Microsoft Office. Not available on Mac or mobile easily.

Method 4: Adobe Acrobat (PDF-specific)

For scanned PDFs, Adobe Acrobat has a built-in OCR feature:

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat

2. Go to Tools > Scan & OCR > Recognize Text

3. Acrobat converts the scanned PDF into a text-searchable PDF

4. You can then select and copy text normally

Best for: Heavy PDF workflows in professional settings.

Limitation: Requires an Adobe Acrobat subscription (expensive for casual use).

Method 5: Tesseract OCR (Developer/Command Line)

For developers who need to automate OCR:

# Install Tesseract
brew install tesseract   # macOS
sudo apt install tesseract-ocr  # Ubuntu

# Run OCR on an image
tesseract image.jpg output.txt

Tesseract is open-source and supports 100+ languages. It's the backbone of many web-based OCR tools.

Best for: Developers building automated pipelines.

Limitation: Requires command-line knowledge. Not user-friendly for non-technical users.

Tips for Better OCR Accuracy

Regardless of which tool you use, image quality is the biggest factor in accuracy:

• Resolution: Use at least 300 DPI for documents. Phone cameras at full resolution are usually fine.
• Lighting: Ensure even lighting with no shadows across the text.
• Contrast: Dark text on a white background gives the best results.
• Angle: Keep the camera directly above the document — avoid tilted shots.
• Noise: Avoid heavily patterned or textured backgrounds.

Which Method Should You Choose?

For most people, a free online tool is the best combination of speed, accuracy, and convenience. Try ExtractTextFromImage.com now — no sign-up, no cost, instant results.