What is OCR scanning?

OCR scanning is the process of converting the words on an image into machine-readable, editable text.

An OCR (optical character recognition) scanner is a device that scans a physical document (e.g., a printed resume or a driver’s license), creates an image, and puts the words into a digital format.

Common uses for OCR scanning include digitizing patient records and depositing paper checks online.

OCR scanning is one of many ways to convert an image to text. QuillBot’s image to text converter is a web-based option, and it’s completely free to use.