How to convert printed pages to text

If you have considered buying optical character recognition (OCR) software to import printed pages into Word, Microsoft Office may be able to do it for you.

Click on the Start button and then Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Tools and then Microsoft Office Document Imaging.

The interface is a bit basic but it works well. To import a document it must be saved as a TIF file.

If the document you want to bring into Word is not a TIF, go to the Print dialogue box, select the Microsoft Office Document Image Writer and this will save the document as a TIF.

Once the document has been imported, click on the Tools menu and then ‘Recognize text using OCR’. When the progress bar has disappeared, click on the Tools menu and then Send text to Word.

Leave ‘All pages’ selected and opt to keep pictures in the layout if you want. The default folder is My Documents, and if you want to change this click on Browse. Click on OK and Word will appear with the text in a new document.

George Hall

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