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OCR Software Guide from ScanStore

There are several OCR applications available to convert scanned images to text, Word, HTML or searchable PDF.  The differences between them can often be obscure, leaving many to wonder why some applications  cost about $100 while others cost $500. The main features that differentiate OCR applications are: Character recognition accuracy Page layout reconstruction accuracy Multi-engine voting technology Support for languages Support for searchable PDF output Speed User interface We have tested the latest versions of FineReader, OmniPage, ReadIRIS, TextBridge and SimpleOCR and have determined that ABBYY FineReader 10 is the best overall value for business users, while ReadIRIS is the best solution for under $150.  The key deciding factors were: User interface design Page layout reconstruction capabilities Extensive language support Stability of the engine when processing large documents Helpful (and free!) technical support staff Though other testing labs have ranked OmniPage's overall accuracy slightly higher, we find the difference is pretty negligible.  All modern OCR applications have very good accuracy, so we recommend going with the one that has particular special features like IRIS's Arabic and Hebrew and Asian Language versions. Because of the infinite combinations of document types, OCR engines and settings, it may be possible that one engine may perform better with your particular documents than another.  For this reason, ScanStore provides demo downloads for all its OCR Software with your ScanStore User Account.  Because of this variability and the subjectivity of user interface preferences, we recommend using the demos to see which performs best with your documents. OCR Software FAQ Topics: All FAQ Topics What is the best solution for scanning to searchable PDF files? How do I know what software works with my scanner or what scanner works with my software? What is the most accurate OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software? What scanner will let you scan directly to PDF? How do I convert a scanned image to an MS Word document or PDF file so I can edit it? Can you use OCR to read data from documents if it is not in the same place on every page? What scanning settings will give the best OCR (Optical Character Recognition) accuracy? How do I download the SimpleOCR freeware application without placing an order? What software is included with the purchase of a scanner? Do OCR software applications like OmniPage, FineReader, ReadIRIS, etc. transcribe print or cursive handwriting? Can I scan a completed form into my computer and change the information, written text or layout of the scanned document? Can I scan a page with tables or form fields and have the output saved to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet? What are the OCR software choices for MAC users? We have many scanned files that are not currently searchable. Is there software to convert these into searchable PDF Image+Text files? I would like to use the SimpleOCR Freeware in other languages besides English and French. Is this possible.

OCR Software

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ABBYY FineReader 10 Professional - FineReader Professional is a highly accurate and easy to use OCR application that includes host of features including digital camera OCR, intelligent document layouts, image enhancement, barcode recognition and command line integration.  FineReader 10 is our pick for desktop OCR because its document layout retention will save you much time in reformatting documents you convert for editing. ABBYY FineReader 10 Corporate - FineReader Corporate Edition offers unique concurrent licensing that makes it possible for many users who need occasional use of OCR to share a small pool of active licenses.  With accuracy comparable to OmniPage, superior technical support services and a user interface that many users find preferable, we think FineReader Corporate is the best choice of OCR software for business. IRIS ReadIRIS Pro 12 - Affordable OCR solution for business and home users.  ReadIRIS Pro provides a extremely accurate OCR recognition rate at a low cost, but still has some of the advanced features that higher priced professional OCR software includes. IRIS ReadIRIS Corporate 12 - Adds support for files over 50 pages, business card recognition, as well as automatic processing of hot folders. Nuance OmniPage Pro 17 - OmniPage is widely considered the fastest, most accurate and fully featured OCR application.  OmniPage 17 Professional has a unique new feature that lets you convert any type of document to searchable PDF or Word. OmniPage does not have a downloadable demo. Nuance also does not provide free technical support after the first call.  For these reasons we recommend the ABBYY and IRIS products instead.

Apple Macintosh OCR Software

ABBYY FineReader Express for MAC - an easy to use OCR application for creating editable and searchable files from scanned documents, PDFs and digital camera images. The one-click conversion feature instantly turns paper documents into various electronic formats, including MS Word, Excel, Outlook attachments and searchable PDF Nuance OmniPage X for MAC - OmniPage OCR for Macintosh users.  This version does not use the latest OmniPage engine, but provides good accuracy nonetheless.  Once again, Nuance does not make a demo download available. IRIS ReadIRIS Pro 11 for MAC - Affordable OCR solution for Macintosh users using the latest version of the IRIS OCR engine. IRIS ReadIRIS Corporate 11 for MAC - Adds support for files over 50 pages, business card recognition, as well as automatic processing of hot folders.

Server Based OCR Software

ABBYY Recognition Server - Innovative server-based solution for performing centralized enterprise-wide OCR processing.  Processor license allows anyone on the network to submit files for OCR.  Complex XML job specifications can be submitted to control output.  Support available for Arabic and Asian languages. IRISDocument Server - IRISDocument Server is a lower cost solution compared to recognition server, but lacks some of the more advanced features and has slightly lower accuracy. Several versions are available with varying monthly page processing limitations, letting you scale your solution to meet your budget requirements. Asian, Arabic and Hebrew language packs are also available.

Foreign Language OCR Software Solutions

Chinese, Japanese, Korean & Thai OCR Software ABBYY FineReader 10 Professional - FineReader Professional 10 now includes Chinese, Japanese and Thai languages in their base package. No special version or add-on is required. ABBYY FineReader 10 Corporate - FineReader Corporate 10 also includes Chinese, Japanese and Thai character recognition. IRIS ReadIRIS Pro 11 Asian OCR software with support for Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Korean characters. IRIS ReadIRIS Corporate 11 Asian Adds the ability to recognize files over 50 pages, business cards and monitor a hot folder to automatically process images in the background. IRISDocument Server Asian Language Pack Enables Chinese, Japanese and Korean character recognition in a server-based solution. ABBYY Recognition Server Add 30% to the cost of the Recognition Server license to add Chinese, Japanese & Korean (CJK) language support.  Thai character recognition language pack is also available, but is sold separately from CJK. Arabic, Farsi & Hebrew OCR Software IRIS ReadIRIS Pro 11 Middle East OCR software with support for Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew character recognition. IRIS ReadIRIS Corporate 11 Middle East Adds the ability to recognize files over 50 pages, business cards and monitor a hot folder to automatically process images in the background. IRISDocument Server Arabic Language Pack Enables Arabic and Farsi character recognition in a server-based OCR software. ABBYY FineReader 10 Professional - FineReader Professional 10 supports Hebrew OCR, but does not include Arabic or Farsi support. ABBYY FineReader 10 Corporate - FineReader Corporate 10 also includes Hebrew character recognition. ABBYY Recognition Server Add 30% to the cost of the Recognition Server license to add Hebrew language character recognition support.

Inexpensive & Free OCR Software

ABBYY FineReader Express - Gives you the accurate FineReader engine in a low-cost, easy to use package.  The one-click conversion feature instantly turns paper documents into various electronic formats, including MS Word, Excel, Outlook attachments and searchable PDF--without ever leaving the applications.  Does not support custom zone layouts, batch processing and other advanced features you get with Professional or Corporate versions. Nuance TextBridge - The classic TextBridge engine is still available as an affordable alternative to high priced engines.  It gives you an ultra-low cost, yet still accurate [KEYWORD] with out all the extra features.  Allows you to output to web pages, Word documents and more while retaining the layout of the page, but does not include PDF output. **NOT Compatible with Windows Vista** SimpleOCR - Our own freeware OCR application provides acceptable accuracy for those who just need to convert a few pages and can't justify the cost of commercial OCR software.  Developers can use the command-line and SDK versions to integrate SimpleOCR with their custom applications.