Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows 10 and 11 => Topic started by: Guzeppi on May 05, 2018, 08:44:01 AM

Title: Editing a scanned document
Post by: Guzeppi on May 05, 2018, 08:44:01 AM

Am trying in vain to edit a scanned text which I had typed in WORD and saved on my desktop. 
The scanned text could not be saved in WORD but in PICTURES where it is impossible to edit it.
Can I save the scanned document in WORD?
I am on WINDOWS 10, WORD 2016, and PHOTOSHOP CS6.

Thank you in advance for your help, particularly as my several futile attemtps to edit the scanned text have given me a headache.

Thanks again.

Joe Busuttil

Title: Re: Editing a scanned document
Post by: DaveLembke on May 05, 2018, 11:50:16 AM

OCR ( Optical Character Recognition ) software is needed. Many of the Scanners these days have a utility bundled with them that you should be able to print out that document and scan it with the OCR turned on and it should lift it back to a text format that can then be edited. At least that's the method I used the last time I was in this snafu. There is probably also a method that saves ink/toner to scan an image file for text, but I don't have any software solutions available for that that I have used to make any suggestions.

Scanner I used was an old Canon flatbed scanner that came bundled with OCR software to lift text back to an editable document. I have seen all-in-one printer/fax/copiers also have this software bundled with them to OCR lift text back to electronic document format.

Title: Re: Editing a scanned document
Post by: Geek-9pm on May 05, 2018, 04:43:26 PM

Here is more information about OCR and why you need it.
https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/o/ocr.htm

Quote

Methods of input

Data are generally passed to the computer by using a scanner or other hardware device, like a digital camera. Some computer fax applications use OCR to transform incoming faxes from graphics files into word processing documents.

Also:
https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000590.htm

Quote

... If you want to scan a text document and adjust or modify its text, you must use a software program with Optical Character Recognition (OCR)  ...

The OCR program should be part of the software that come with the scanner.  :)

Title: Re: Editing a scanned document
Post by: Guzeppi on May 06, 2018, 02:04:32 PM

Renewed thanks for your help.

Have succeeded in downloading (or is the right word "accessing"?) FREE OCR, but unfortunately, when the text popped up in WORD, I could not find the cursor to edit
the document.

Where did I go wrong?

Joe Busuttil