Optical character recognition or optical character reader (OCR) is an electronic conversion of digital images of typed, handwritten text, whether from a scanned document, a photo of a document, it can be used to identify text in a document that can be searched, extracted or even altered.

When PDF (portable device format) companies famously launched the .pdf format, there was a lot of excitement in the business world. The .pdf paved the way for sending documents that were small in file size and able to be quickly and easily viewed and printed. Unlike .doc files, which would allow the recipient to reformat the layout of the page, the .pdf was like a next-generation photocopy. And because of its small file size, it didn’t take long for the .pdf format to be seen as the obvious replacement for paper filing systems.

Now more than ever, typical computer users can easy scan documents into .pdf format, thus erasing the need for paper filing. But if you aren’t using OCR to capture data, .pdfs are little better than paper.

When PDF companies famously launched the .pdf format, there was a lot of excitement in the business world. The .pdf paved the way for sending documents that were small in file size and able to be quickly and easily viewed and printed. Unlike .doc files, which would allow the recipient to reformat the layout of the page, the .pdf was like a next-generation photocopy. And because of its small file size, it didn’t take long for the .pdf format to be seen as the obvious replacement for paper filing systems.

It might come as a surprise hearing that from a blogger on a blog dedicated to document imaging and scanning tips. But now that hard disk space and cloud storage have made it increasing easy for even average computer users to store vast amounts of data, a plain, old .pdf is a clumsy, limited data source. Aside from being easily e-mailed and stored, its lack of interactivity makes it a somewhat legacy technology.

Haver you even landed on a website, found what you were looking for, and then realized that the information was not contained on an .html page, but rather on a .pdf that you had to download and view using a PDF program? This scenario — which everyone has experienced — proves my point: contemporary computer users are used to real-time engagement with data. A file folder on your computer filled with .pdfs is cumbersome; you cannot easily index, access, or work with the data contained on them.

Document Imaging With OCR Technology

Most OCR programs that are accessible to the average user are not robust enough to handle major projects. This is especially true if you run a business and have documents with a lot of formatting — such as medical documents or blueprints. In this case, the best bet is to hire a professional document imaging company that can use robust OCR technology to make flawless scans of your paper documents.

Once completed, however, OCR will truly transform your .pdf library into data that you can really use.

What is Online Document Storage, Cloud file Storage and how they work?

This process has many names, such as: online back up, online storage, online server, document online management and much more. Many people don’t know this service exist, a continuation you will find out what this service is if you don’t know yet. Is the process of storing documents as electronic files. Online Document storage is beneficial for all kinds of businesses because it allows for the immediate retrieval of documents than using physical storage of paper documents. Online File Storage has been around for many years, but is now becoming very widespread as hard drive space now costs less than a dollar per gigabyte.

Scanning documents into PDF without utilizing OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is an inefficient approach, as stated in the document titled Document Imaging Tips: Scanning Into PDF Without OCR Is A Waste. OCR technology is essential for converting scanned documents into editable and searchable digital files. By enabling OCR during the scanning process, you significantly improve the usability and accessibility of the resulting PDF. This enables efficient text search and manipulation, ultimately saving you time and unlocking the full potential of your scanned documents. Therefore, it is recommended to opt for PDFs with OCR to maximize the benefits of document imaging.

OCR technology allows for text recognition within scanned documents, enabling searchability and text manipulation. By omitting OCR during the scanning process, valuable opportunities for document organization and data extraction are lost. Incorporating OCR into document scanning workflows is essential for maximizing productivity and effectively managing digital files.