How to Convert Handwriting to Text

| Updated on March 21, 2024

Have you ever pondered on if it would be possible to digitalize the documents that you have created by hand to enable you to access them whenever you desire without the worry of losing them? 

The great news is that the technological revolution has introduced applications that you can use to change text that you’ve created by hand to digital writing. 

Some applications that can help in handwriting conversion to text include OCR, Nanonets, Microsoft One Note, and Office lenses. Let’s check out how these tools work.

OCR Technology

OCR tech enables you to change handwriting to text in various ways. Non-editable PDFs and documents can be changed to editable files via OCR technology. 

It looks for any letters and symbols within a text and recreates them to machine-readable format. 

Texts created by hand can also be changed to pdf format utilizing the same method. After the change, you can proceed to modify the PDF as you perceive fit.

If you don’t want to hire an expert from a typing service, then OCR is one of the simplest methods you will get to scan handmade files and change them into digital files. 

An OCR scanner is required to complete this task, but in its absence, a mobile device with OCR features can be used instead. 

The first step to convert handwriting to text is opening the notepad. Go ahead and click the camera icon. There are several options that will be displayed after clicking the camera icon. Select the scan option. 

Aim your camera at the handwritten text and give it time to read and interpret the text. 

After successfully analyzing the text, the grey button will change color to blue. The final step after the color change is pressing the insert button.

Nanonets 

Nanonets 

Another handwriting-to-text conversion application is Nanonets. This OCR-powered program can read handwritten text in more than 40 languages. 

It can process images up to 30 MB per second and supports formats like PNG, JPEG, and PDF. Handmade documents are supported by the application, and you can download the final document as either a PDF or text file.

One key benefit of this application is that team members can share the converted notes among themselves. One drawback that should also be considered is the app’s inability to read the written text well. 

For the application to effectively read your text and convert it to the format you want accurately, you should use tidy handwriting that is legible.

Office Lens

Office Lens is a handwriting text converter created by Microsoft and is only compatible with Android gadgets. 

Because the app is integrated with Office Lens Suite, the photos taken by an Android device’s camera can be changed to text. 

The app’s major strength is that the conversion is seamless and smooth, and this application is also significantly easy to use. However, a notable drawback is the limited editing options for users.

Sider

Sider is an image-to-text converter available to all users regardless of the device. It extracts text from images and sends it to chat GPT, describes the message, and offers more features. 

The tool utilizes OCR technology to identify images and text effectively before extracting them. Sider allows a user to upload an image in different formats, including PNG and JPEG. 

After uploading the image, Sider analyzes the image automatically, and any text found in the image is extracted. 

You can then proceed to copy the extracted text. A challenge associated with using Sider in handwriting convert to text is that only text that is handwritten in English can be recognized.

ChatGPT

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is a hailed application for its natural language processing abilities. It has an image-to-text conversion tool that can only be accessed by plus subscribers. 

The image-to-text conversion combines computer vision technology and natural language processing to identify text in an image accurately and extract the text. 

ChatGPT is reliable and versatile, making it an excellent choice for users who desire an excellent AI tool in both text and image processing. 

Free users cannot access the image-to-text processing, but upgrading to the plus version enables you to enjoy all the features.

Tips to Consider When Converting Handwriting to Text

Though many apps for handwriting-to-text do a commendable job, the results are better if the handwritten document is fairly neat. 

First, use lined paper to ensure your handwritten lines are straight for more effective conversion. 

When the handwritten lines are straight, it is easier to identify the different letters and symbols. Secondly, write slowly to keep your handwriting uniform. 

Besides, do not crumble or smudge the paper while writing to keep it neat. 

The closer your handwriting resembles a digital font, the higher the chances of your handwriting being recognized. 

But it does not mean that you will not be able to convert untidy text. You can still convert messy and untidy text, but it is more reasonable to keep it neat to ensure better efficiency.

Quality in Conversion

Quality in Conversion

During handwriting conversion to text, some words might be left out because they cannot be identified, which can compromise the final quality of the document. 

To ensure that quality is maintained, ensure that you keep your handwriting neat and uniform rather than scrambling your writing.

Closing Remarks

If you want to convert handwritten to text, plenty of applications can assist you in doing so. Such applications include OCR technology, Nanonets, Office Lens, Snider, and ChatGPT

These applications have different strengths and weaknesses but are all efficient at converting handwriting to text. 

Making sure your handwriting is consistent and the text is neat is an aspect you should think about. 

Like humans, the applications can struggle to identify scrambled work, reducing the quality of the final product.

 However, neat and uniform writing can be identified and converted more easily. 

When making a decision on which application to use, consider the varying strengths and weaknesses of each and choose one that best meets your needs.





Akansha Singhal

EdTech Writer


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