Recognizing text from images is an important and in—demand task in modern programming, which is found in various fields, from automating document processing to organizing search through uploaded photos and scans. In this article, we will take a closer look at how to implement image recognition using the free Tesseract OCR library and save the resulting text data to a DOCX document using the powerful tool SautinSoft Document .NET.
Tesseract OCR is one of the most popular open source optical text recognition systems developed by Google. It is capable of recognizing text in hundreds of languages and supports many image formats.
In most applications related to document or image processing, it is often necessary to extract text for automatic search, analysis, or further processing. For example:
Step-by-step guide:
Complete code
using System.IO;
using SautinSoft.Document;
using System;
using SkiaSharp;
namespace Example
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
// Get your free trial key here:
// https://sautinsoft.com/start-for-free/
RecognizeImage();
}
/// <summary>
/// Recognize an image using Tesseract (free OCR library) and save the result as DOCX document.
/// </summary>
/// <remarks>
/// Details: https://www.sautinsoft.com/products/document/help/net/developer-guide/ocr-image-using-tesseract-and-save-as-docx-net-csharp-vb.php
/// </remarks>
static void RecognizeImage()
{
// Here we'll recognize an image (perform OCR) containing a text on English, Russian and Vietnamese.
// Next save the OCR result as a new DOCX document.
// First steps:
// 1. Download data files for English, Russian and Vietnamese languages.
// Please download the files: eng.traineddata, rus.traineddata and vie.traineddata.
// From here (good and fast): https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_fast
// or (best and slow): https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_best
// 2. Copy the files: eng.traineddata, rus.traineddata and vie.traineddata to
// the folder "tessdata" in the Project root.
// 3. Be sure that the folder "tessdata" also contains "pdf.ttf" file.
// Let's start:
string inpFile = @"..\..\..\image.png";
string outFile = @"..\..\..\Result1.docx";
ImageLoadOptions lo = new ImageLoadOptions();
lo.OCROptions.OCRMode = OCRMode.Enabled;
// You can specify all Tesseract parameters inside the method PerformOCR.
lo.OCROptions.Method = PerformOCRTesseract;
DocumentCore dc = DocumentCore.Load(inpFile, lo);
// Make all text visible after Tesseract OCR (change font color to Black).
// The matter is that Tesseract returns OCR result PDF document with invisible text.
// But with help of Document .Net, we can change the text color,
// char scaling and spacing to desired.
foreach (Run r in dc.GetChildElements(true, ElementType.Run))
{
r.CharacterFormat.FontColor = SautinSoft.Document.Color.Black;
r.CharacterFormat.Scaling = 100;
r.CharacterFormat.Spacing = 0;
r.CharacterFormat.Size = 12;
}
// Change the page size and add page margins.
Section section = dc.Sections[0];
section.PageSetup.PaperType = PaperType.Letter;
section.PageSetup.Orientation = Orientation.Landscape;
double m = LengthUnitConverter.Convert(5, LengthUnit.Millimeter, LengthUnit.Point);
section.PageSetup.PageMargins = new PageMargins() { Top = m, Left = m, Right = m, Bottom = m };
dc.Save(outFile);
// Open the result for demonstration purposes.
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(new System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(outFile) { UseShellExecute = true });
}
public static byte[] PerformOCRTesseract(byte[] image)
{
// Specify that Tesseract use three 3 languages: English, Vietnamese and Russian.
string tesseractLanguages = "eng+vie+rus";
// A path to a folder which contains languages data files and font file "pdf.ttf".
// Language data files can be found here:
// Good and fast: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_fast
// or
// Best and slow: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_best
// Also this folder must have write permissions.
string tesseractData = Path.GetFullPath(@"..\..\..\tessdata\");
// A path for a temporary PDF file (because Tesseract returns OCR result as PDF document)
string tempFile = Path.Combine(tesseractData, Path.GetRandomFileName());
try
{
using (Tesseract.IResultRenderer renderer = Tesseract.PdfResultRenderer.CreatePdfRenderer(tempFile, tesseractData, true))
{
using (renderer.BeginDocument("Serachablepdf"))
{
using (Tesseract.TesseractEngine engine = new Tesseract.TesseractEngine(tesseractData, tesseractLanguages, Tesseract.EngineMode.Default))
{
engine.DefaultPageSegMode = Tesseract.PageSegMode.Auto;
using (MemoryStream msImg = new MemoryStream(image))
{
SKBitmap imgWithText = SKBitmap.Decode(msImg);
using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
{
imgWithText.Encode(ms, SKEncodedImageFormat.Png, 100);
byte[] imgBytes = ms.ToArray();
using (Tesseract.Pix img = Tesseract.Pix.LoadFromMemory(imgBytes))
{
using (var page = engine.Process(img, "Serachablepdf"))
{
renderer.AddPage(page);
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
PdfLoadOptions pl = new PdfLoadOptions();
pl.ShowInvisibleText = true;
// 'false' - Never load embedded fonts in PDF. Use the fonts with the same name installed at the system or similar by font metrics.
// 'true' - Always load embedded fonts in PDF.
pl.PreserveEmbeddedFonts = false;
pl.ConversionMode = PdfConversionMode.Continuous;
DocumentCore dc = DocumentCore.Load(File.OpenRead(tempFile + @".pdf"), pl);
byte[] returnPdf;
using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
{
PdfSaveOptions ps = new PdfSaveOptions();
dc.Save(ms, ps);
returnPdf = ms.ToArray();
}
File.WriteAllBytes(@"..\..\..\Result111.pdf", returnPdf);
return returnPdf;
}
catch (Exception e)
{
Console.WriteLine();
Console.WriteLine("Please be sure that you have Language data files (*.traineddata) in your folder \"tessdata\"");
Console.WriteLine("The Language data files can be download from here: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_fast");
Console.ReadKey();
throw new Exception("Error Tesseract: " + e.Message);
}
finally
{
}
}
}
}Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports SautinSoft.Document
Imports SkiaSharp
Module Sample
Sub Main()
RecognizeImage()
End Sub
''' Get your free trial key here:
''' https://sautinsoft.com/start-for-free/
''' <summary>
''' Recognize an image using Tesseract (free OCR library) and save the result as DOCX document.
''' </summary>
''' <remarks>
''' Details: https://www.sautinsoft.com/products/document/help/net/developer-guide/ocr-image-using-tesseract-and-save-as-docx-net-csharp-vb.php
''' </remarks>
Sub RecognizeImage()
' Here we'll recognize an image (perform OCR) containing a text on English, Russian and Vietnamese.
' Next save the OCR result as a new DOCX document.
' First steps:
' 1. Download data files for English, Russian and Vietnamese languages.
' Please download the files: eng.traineddata, rus.traineddata and vie.traineddata.
' From here (good and fast): https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_fast
' or (best and slow): https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_best
' 2. Copy the files: eng.traineddata, rus.traineddata and vie.traineddata to
' the folder "tessdata" in the Project root.
' 3. Be sure that the folder "tessdata" also contains "pdf.ttf" file.
' Let's start:
Dim inpFile As String = "..\..\..\image.png"
Dim outFile As String = "Result.docx"
Dim lo As New ImageLoadOptions()
lo.OCROptions.OCRMode = OCRMode.Enabled
' You can specify all Tesseract parameters inside the method PerformOCR.
lo.OCROptions.Method = AddressOf PerformOCRTesseract
Dim dc As DocumentCore = DocumentCore.Load(inpFile, lo)
' Make all text visible after Tesseract OCR (change font color to Black).
' The matter is that Tesseract returns OCR result PDF document with invisible text.
' But with help of Document .Net, we can change the text color,
' char scaling and spacing to desired.
For Each r As Run In dc.GetChildElements(True, ElementType.Run)
r.CharacterFormat.FontColor = SautinSoft.Document.Color.Black
r.CharacterFormat.Scaling = 100
r.CharacterFormat.Spacing = 0
r.CharacterFormat.Size = 12
Next r
' Change the page size and add page margins.
Dim section As Section = dc.Sections(0)
section.PageSetup.PaperType = PaperType.Letter
section.PageSetup.Orientation = Orientation.Landscape
Dim m As Double = LengthUnitConverter.Convert(5, LengthUnit.Millimeter, LengthUnit.Point)
section.PageSetup.PageMargins = New PageMargins() With {
.Top = m,
.Left = m,
.Right = m,
.Bottom = m
}
dc.Save(outFile)
' Open the result for demonstration purposes.
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(outFile) With {.UseShellExecute = True})
End Sub
Public Function PerformOCRTesseract(ByVal image() As Byte) As Byte()
' Specify that Tesseract use three 3 languages: English, Russian and Vietnamese.
Dim tesseractLanguages As String = "rus+eng+vie"
' A path to a folder which contains languages data files and font file "pdf.ttf".
' Language data files can be found here:
' Good and fast: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_fast
' or
' Best and slow: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_best
' Also this folder must have write permissions.
Dim tesseractData As String = Path.GetFullPath("..\..\..\tessdata\")
' A path for a temporary PDF file (because Tesseract returns OCR result as PDF document)
Dim tempFile As String = Path.Combine(tesseractData, Path.GetRandomFileName())
Try
Using renderer As Tesseract.IResultRenderer = Tesseract.PdfResultRenderer.CreatePdfRenderer(tempFile, tesseractData, True)
Using renderer.BeginDocument("Serachablepdf")
Using engine As New Tesseract.TesseractEngine(tesseractData, tesseractLanguages, Tesseract.EngineMode.Default)
engine.DefaultPageSegMode = Tesseract.PageSegMode.Auto
Using msImg As New MemoryStream(image)
Dim imgWithText As SKBitmap = SKBitmap.Decode(msImg)
Using ms As New MemoryStream()
imgWithText.Encode(ms, SKEncodedImageFormat.Png, 100)
Dim imgBytes() As Byte = ms.ToArray()
Using img As Tesseract.Pix = Tesseract.Pix.LoadFromMemory(imgBytes)
Using page = engine.Process(img, "Serachablepdf")
renderer.AddPage(page)
End Using
End Using
End Using
End Using
End Using
End Using
End Using
Dim pl As New PdfLoadOptions()
pl.ShowInvisibleText = True
' 'Disabled' - Never load embedded fonts in PDF. Use the fonts with the same name installed at the system or similar by font metrics.
' 'Enabled' - Always load embedded fonts in PDF.
' 'Auto' - Load only embedded fonts missing in the system. In other case, use the system fonts.
pl.PreserveEmbeddedFonts = PropertyState.Disabled
pl.ConversionMode = PdfConversionMode.Continuous
Dim dc As DocumentCore = DocumentCore.Load(File.OpenRead(tempFile & ".pdf"), pl)
Dim returnPdf() As Byte
Using ms As New MemoryStream()
Dim ps As New PdfSaveOptions()
dc.Save(ms, ps)
returnPdf = ms.ToArray()
End Using
Return returnPdf
Catch e As Exception
Console.WriteLine()
Console.WriteLine("Please be sure that you have Language data files (*.traineddata) in your folder ""tessdata""")
Console.WriteLine("The Language data files can be download from here: https://github.com/tesseract-ocr/tessdata_fast")
Console.ReadKey()
Throw New Exception("Error Tesseract: " & e.Message)
Finally
If File.Exists(tempFile & ".pdf") Then
File.Delete(tempFile & ".pdf")
End If
End Try
End Function
End ModuleIf you need a new code example or have a question: email us at support@sautinsoft.com or ask at Online Chat (right-bottom corner of this page) or use the Form below: