Search text in images has become a common need in our daily lives, whether you are a student, a researcher, or just someone looking for information. With the growing popularity of images on the internet and in documents, it is increasingly important to be able to search for specific text within those images. 

Searching for text in images can be challenging, especially if you do not know the right tools and techniques. This blog post will discuss three practical ways to search for text in images. 

Additionally, we will introduce a bonus tool, which can make the process even easier.

Method 1: Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

OCR technology allows us to convert images with text into editable text documents. OCR software uses advanced algorithms to identify characters in an image and convert them into machine-readable text. This makes it possible to search, edit, and manipulate the text in the image as if it were a regular text document.

To use OCR to search for text in images, you need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose An OCR Tool 

Several OCR tools are available, including Adobe Acrobat, ABBYY FineReader, and Tesseract. You can choose any of these tools based on your preferences and requirements.

Step 2: Upload The Image

Once you have chosen an OCR tool, you must upload the image you want to search for text.

Step 3: Run OCR

After uploading the image, you need to run OCR on the image. The OCR tool will then extract the text from the image and convert it into an editable format.

Step 4: Search For Text

Once the text is extracted, you can search for the text using the search function of the OCR tool or copy and paste the text into a search engine.

OCR is a highly accurate way to locate text in images, but it can be time-consuming for large volumes of images. Additionally, OCR may not work for images with poor resolution or low contrast.

Method 2: Google Lens

Google Lens is a mobile app that uses image recognition technology to identify objects and text in images. It can search for text within images by taking a picture of the image using your smartphone camera. 

Here is how to use Google Lens to search text in images:

Step 1: Install Google Lens

If you do not have Google Lens installed on your phone, you must download and install it from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Step 2: Take A Photo

Once you have installed Google Lens, you need to take a photo of the image that contains the text you want to search for.

Step 3: Select The Text

After taking the photo, you must select the text you want to search for. Google Lens will then highlight the selected text.

Step 4: Search For Text

Once the text is highlighted, you can tap on it to search for it using Google search.

Google Lens is a quick and easy way to search for text in images using your smartphone, but it may not be as accurate as OCR. Additionally, it requires an internet connection and may not work well in low-light conditions.

Method 3: Online OCR Tools

Several online OCR tools allow you to convert images with text into editable text documents. These tools are similar to desktop OCR software but are accessible through a web browser. 

Using an online OCR tool, you can search text in images as follows:

Step 1: Choose An Online OCR Tool

Several online OCR tools are available, including Online OCR, Free OCR, and OCR.Space. You must select the one that best suits your needs.

Step 2: Upload The Image

Once you have chosen an online OCR tool, you must upload the image containing the text you want to search for.

Step 3: Convert The Image

The online OCR tool will then convert the image into editable text. This may take a few seconds or minutes, depending on the size of the picture.

Step 4: Search For Text

Once the image is converted into editable text, you can search for the text you want using the search function in the online OCR tool.

Online OCR tools are convenient and straightforward, but they may not provide the same level of accuracy as desktop OCR software. Additionally, they may limit the number of images you can convert daily or the size of the photos you can upload.

Bonus Tool: Use Anytxt To Search Text In Images

While the methods we have discussed so far are effective for searching text in images, they require some effort and time. If you want a tool to simplify the process, consider using Anytxt Searcher. Anytxt is a powerful text search tool for text in images, PDFs, Word documents, and other file formats. 

You can search text in images using Anytxt by following these steps:

Step 1: Install Anytxt (OCR Version)

You can download and install Anytxt (OCR Version) from the official website.

Step 2: Add The Image To Anytxt

Once you have installed the Anytxt OCR version, you can add the image containing the text you want to search for by adding the image file type by 

• “Options“->”Index manager“->”Index Rules“->”Add“->”Select“
• Then select png, jpg, or any other image format you like, then press OK.

Step 3: Search For Text

Then, once the indexing process is completed, it is possible to search for text within images. To avoid the resource-intensive process of optical character recognition (OCR), you can simply add pictures to a designated directory for testing purposes.

Anytxt is a powerful tool that can extract text from various documents, including images. It is accurate, fast, and easy to use, ideal for those who retrieve text from images frequently.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several ways to search text in images, including OCR, Google Lens, and online OCR tools. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of method will depend on your specific needs and preferences. 

Additionally, using a tool like Anytxt can make searching text in images even more accessible and more accurate. Utilizing these methods and tools, you can effortlessly search for text in images and extract meaningful information for your work or personal use. 

So, give these methods and tools a try. You will not be disappointed!