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Program selection

How do such services work?

The principle of their operation is as follows– the user uploads a picture that depicts text in a foreign language, the service processes and recognizes it, then converts it into text format and automatically translates it.

At the exit, the user receives a ready-made text document with translation of the source text.

The quality of the service depends on the quality of the recognition algorithms that are used in its operation.

They are based on the presence of characteristic elements and signs in a particular language.

Based on the combination of elements, the service recognizes individual characters and then words.

The text recognized in this way is automatically translated using systems or .

In general, we can say that even the highest quality services do not give very good results.

Almost any such resource has a number of problems in its functioning:

• It is well able to recognize only text from a high-quality photograph, ideally from a scan;
• Does not work well with pages that have a complex structure; many services cannot even process pages on which the text is printed in two columns;
• Not all fonts and formatting types are recognized adequately; small ones are poorly recognized; line spacing is too large or too small;
• It is almost impossible to recognize handwritten text in this way;
• Even if recognition was more or less successful, significant errors may occur in the translation algorithm itself, since automatic translation is always of low quality, and in combination with recognition errors, you can sometimes get completely incoherent text or even a set of characters;
• It is almost impossible to translate more or less specialized texts, since translators do not work with special terms.

To summarize, we can say that in the complete absence of knowledge of the original language, such services will be of little help in understanding the meaning of the source text.

Errors in recognition, coupled with imperfect automatic translation algorithms, can completely distort the meaning of the source text. However, if you have basic knowledge of the original language, such services can provide significant assistance in understanding the essence of what is written.

Specifications

There are several services that provide relatively high-quality (compared to others) recognition of the source text from a picture.

Features of working with them are given below.

Yandex Translator

Although most users use this service only to work with text fragments in a foreign language, it can also work with pictures, and even entire sites.

To translate text from a picture using this service, do the following:

• Find the Picture link at the top of the page and click on it;
• The page will refresh and you will see a field for dragging a picture;
• Drag the picture into the field from the Desktop using the mouse or click Select file;
• After this, the standard Explorer of your operating system– indicate the desired picture in it and click Open – after this the image will be uploaded to the service;

• A picture will appear in the drag-and-drop field with the following highlighted in yellow: what is highlighted in yellow is recognized by the service as text;
• If the service does not recognize all the text, you can make a number of settings: first indicate the source language of the original, then the desired translation language;

• When you click on the arrow between the language names, they will change places;
• Specify the structure of the text, thus helping the service recognize what exactly needs to be translated - to do this, click on the Lines button (by default) in the upper left corner of the translator window;

• A drop-down menu will open, if in it you click on Words, the recognition format will change - not entire lines, but individual words will be highlighted for recognition (the screenshots show that in the text taken as an example, more errors appear in this recognition format, so how words are defined incorrectly);

• When you click on the Blocks section, entire blocks of printed text will be highlighted - this is convenient for documents with complex formatting, large indents and free spaces, pictures;
• Once you have determined the source language and the most suitable OCR format, look for the button in the upper right corner of the window Open in Translator and click on it;

• The page will refresh– the recognized text from the original image will be transferred to the standard input field for the original text;
• Its automatic translation will immediately appear in the field on the right.

• Recognition results are not always so good;
• The example shows errors in text recognition (for example, in the first word), but the result is not bad, which is explained by the high quality of the image, standard formatting, and the literary simplicity of the original text.
• Low operating speed.

Ivan:“For me, recognition is easy due to the fact that the picture in the example shows standard text with a simple structure. In other cases there are errors."

NewOCR.com

Another popular and quite functional service created for recognizing text from a picture.

It also has a simultaneous translation function.

However, following the algorithm, the user, even without knowing the interface language, will be able to use the functionality of the service:

• Click on the Select file button - a standard one will open Explorer for your operating system, in which you must double-click or click on the Select the desired picture button;
• In the field below, indicate the original language - you can specify several languages ​​if you are not sure or if there are several languages ​​present (in this case, recognition algorithms for all specified languages ​​will be applied for each word, which may cause inaccuracies, so it is better to translate fragments into different languages separately);
• After that, click on the Upload +OCR button;
• Wait for the process to complete, which takes much longer than a similar one in Yandex;
• After this you will see the original image with the selected fragment– this is the fragment that the service was able to recognize as text and translated;
• If the text has several columns or blocks, you need to check the box next to the source and translation language field;
• After that, click OCR;
• In this case, the analysis will be repeated and the system will take into account the structure of the text.

• The quality of recognition and translation is quite high;
• If the quality of the text is low, some fragments are still recognized, and translation is carried out for that part of the text that was analyzed and recognized;
• Ability to manually define blocks of text.

• The service operates only in English;
• The system does not work with very low quality texts;
• The recognition quality is lower than that of Yandex.

Kirill:“Not a bad service if the texts are of good quality.”

Google Translate

Download the application to your mobile device by following the link:

Although the services described above can also be used from mobile devices, this is quite inconvenient and places a significant load on hardware resources.

Therefore, to translate text from a picture on a smartphone or tablet, it is better to use special applications and services.

It was Google that presented a convenient and functional service from photos online for mobile devices on Android based and iOS. Using the service, you can perform recognition both from a finished photo and one taken directly in at the moment text.

The service is not very convenient when it comes to large text, but it helps to recognize names on signs and road signs, etc.

The translation accuracy is quite high.

In order to use this function on your mobile device you will need to download the mobile app.

Install the application and launch it.

Functionality and navigation do not differ depending on the operating system, because act according to the algorithm:

• In the top field in the application header, above the text entry field, indicate the source language of the word being filmed, and next to it, select the language into which you want to translate it;
• Click on the Camera button at the bottom of the text entry window;
• The camera on your mobile device will work– point it at the word you want to translate and wait until the service determines its location;

We will talk about translators who recognize text from a photograph and thereby save the user’s time by eliminating manual text entry from the algorithm. This program will be useful for working with texts in a foreign language, for students who need to complete an assignment, as well as for tourists who find themselves in another country without special knowledge of the language.

Such services appeared relatively recently and are only gaining popularity. There are no strict rules when working with such applications. The main thing is that the text requiring translation is readable. Many programs recognize a photograph or picture even with unclear image. All the user needs to do is load the necessary material into the program, wait for scanning and receive the finished translated text.

The translation is carried out with the ability to copy, which means that the client of the program does not have to manually retype the resulting material. Parts of the text that may not have been translated correctly can be copied a separate fragment and re-translate it in online or offline services.

Popular apps

Today, many developers offer to use the services of their projects for the transaction of text from a photograph or picture. Most popular projects:

Online services

Some programs have versions adapted to work online. In this case, there is no need to download applications:

1. ABBY FineReader Online - the service works with many image formats and allows the user to upload the necessary material directly to the resource. Then on your own defines language the original document and performs translation, including from English into Russian. The result can be saved not only in text format, but also in PDF. You can use it on the official website of the company https://finereaderonline.com/ru-ru.
2. New OCR - the online resource has intuitive controls and is very easy to use. All that is required to get started is to go to the official website of the developer http://www.newocr.com/ and in the window that opens download the required file. Below, a menu will be offered in which the user must select the language of the original document and the language into which the transaction will be carried out. The application works with all possible image formats.

To work better with translation services, you should remember a few things:

• Downloadable image must be clear.
• The service performs exclusively automatic machine translation, so some complex sentences may be interpreted incorrectly. In this case, it is advisable to translate phrases that form a sentence separately.
• Best to use following formats to download the original image JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP.

Sometimes you need to translate an unfamiliar sign on the street on the fly. Or simply translate the text from the photograph you took. Many translators now have the ability to recognize text directly from a picture and translate it.

I compared free mobile applications that translate text directly from photos.

Google Translator comes first, since it requires the least amount of action - you don’t even need to take a photo, you can just point the camera and see Russian instead of a foreign word. True, this requires the Internet.

Google Translate

What a quick camera translation is is most easily explained with the help of a picture:

• Quick camera translation (see picture above).

37 languages ​​are supported (this means translation from photos, but in general much more).

To quickly translate from the camera, internet is required.

Please note that image quality largely depends on your camera, i.e. better camera, the more likely the picture will be recognized. This is true for all translators. Try to take larger photos and in good lighting.

Yandex Translator

Characteristics Languages ​​Internet

You can take a photo of the text and translate it.
You can upload an existing photo and translate it.
You can take a screenshot and translate it.

All recognized areas with text are highlighted on their own, you just have to confirm them.

Photo recognition and translation is supported for 12 languages: English, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, French, Chinese and Czech

Needed. You can download a dictionary to translate offline text, but you will still need the Internet to recognize and translate images.

Click on the camera icon to take a photo.

Press the green button to start recognition. Recognized text is highlighted in yellow. T – jump to text.

Microsoft Translator

Characteristics Languages ​​Internet

You can take a photo of the text and translate it.
You can upload an existing photo and translate it.
You can take a screenshot and translate it.

Translates speech in real time.

• Resource intensive: only supported latest versions Android and older phone models.
• There is no quick camera translation.

Smaller than Google.

Not required.

ABBYY Lingvo dictionaries

By default, a bare translator is installed, and dictionaries are offered to be purchased. But if you look through the set of dictionaries, you will find free ones - for example, a basic set of 11 dictionaries for 7 languages.

Characteristics Languages ​​Internet

There is a quick camera translation, but it is worse than in Google Translator: exactly one word is translated. After pointing the camera, you need to center it on the desired word and touch the screen. After this, the recognition process will begin.

You can take a photo of the text and translate it. But for some reason it translates exactly one word.

You can upload an existing photo and translate it.
You can take a screenshot and translate it.

• The recognition quality is good.
• No internet needed.
• Translates by pressing a finger on a word.

• Translates only one word at a time.

7 languages ​​for free.

Does not require the Internet to recognize and translate words.

Aim the center at the desired word and press your finger. The word will be translated. Please note that there is Live translation (quick from the camera) and Photo translation.

Translator Translate.Ru

Characteristics Languages ​​Internet

You can take a photo of the text and translate it.
You can upload an existing photo and translate it.
You can take a screenshot and translate it.

• You are required to take action for recognition: you need to select the area with the text using a rectangle, otherwise Translate will not even try to recognize it.
• The recognition quality is not very good.
• There is no quick camera translation.
• There is only one language.

There are situations when you need to translate some text, but you don’t know how to enter it into the translator field, or you’re too lazy to enter it. Especially for such cases, some translators have acquired the function of translating text from photographs.

About the translation function from an image

This function began to appear recently, so it still does not work very stable. To avoid incidents during translation, you need to take a high-quality photo of the text that needs to be translated. Also, the text should be legible in the image, especially if we are talking about some complex hieroglyphs or symbols. It is also worth understanding that some designer fonts (for example, Gothic) may not be perceived by the translator.

Let's look at the services where this function is available.

Option 1: Google Translate

The most famous online translator who can translate from a huge number of languages: from English, German, Chinese, French into Russian, etc. Sometimes some phrases into Russian or other languages ​​with complex grammar may not be translated correctly, but the service copes with the translation of individual words or simple sentences without any problems.

The browser version does not have a translation function from images, but this function is available in the service’s mobile applications for Android and iOS. All you need to do is click on the signature icon "Camera". The camera on your device will turn on, indicating the area to capture text. The text may extend beyond this area if it is large (for example, you are trying to translate a photo of a page of a book). If necessary, you can load a ready-made image from the device memory or virtual disk.

After you take a photo, the program will offer to select the area where it assumes the text is located. Select this area (or part of it) and click on the button "Translate".

Unfortunately, this functionality is only available on versions for mobile platforms.

Option 2: Yandex Translator

This service has similar functionality to Google Translate. True, there are slightly fewer languages ​​here, and the correctness of translation into and from some leaves much to be desired. However, translations from English, French, German, Chinese into Russian (or vice versa) are carried out more correctly than in Google.

Again, the translation functionality from a picture is only available in versions for mobile platforms. To use it, click on the camera icon and take a photo of the desired object, or select a photo from "Galleries".

Recently, Yandex Translator for browsers also has the ability to translate text from a picture. To do this, find the button at the top of the interface "Picture". Then transfer the image from your computer to the special field, or use the link "Select file". At the top you can select the source language and the language you want to translate into.

The translation process is similar to Google.

Option 3: Free Online OCR

This site is completely focused on translating photographs, as it no longer offers other functions. The correctness of the translation depends on what language you are translating into. If we are talking about more or less common languages, then everything is relatively correct. However, difficulties may arise if the picture contains text that is difficult to recognize and/or there is too much of it. This site is also partially in English.

Instructions for using the service are as follows:

1. First, upload the image from your computer that you want to translate. To do this, use the button "Select file". You can add multiple pictures.
2. In the lower field, initially indicate the original language of the picture, and then the language into which you need to translate it.
3. Click on the button "Upload + OCR".
4. After this, a field will appear at the bottom where you can see the original text from the picture, and below it will be translated into the selected mode.

Unfortunately, the function of translations from images is just being implemented, so the user may encounter some problems. For example, incorrect translation, or incomplete capture of the text in the picture.

Users are faced with the need to translate text from photos online. Situations can be different: there is text in a photograph that needs to be extracted from the image and translated into another language, there is an image of a document in a foreign language, text from the picture needs to be translated, etc.

You can use text recognition programs that use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to extract text from images. Then, the text extracted from their photo can be translated using a translator. If the original image is of good quality, then in most cases free online text recognition services will do.

In this case, the entire operation takes place in two stages: first, text recognition occurs in a program or online service, and then the text is translated using an online translator or an application installed on the computer. You can, of course, copy text from a photo manually, but this is not always justified.

Is there a way to combine two technologies in one place: immediately recognize and transfer a test from a photo online? Unlike mobile applications, there is little choice for desktop users. But, nevertheless, I found two options for how to translate text from an image online in one place, without the help of programs and other services.

An online photo translator will recognize the text in the image and then translate it into the desired language.

When translating from images online, pay attention to some points:

• the quality of text recognition depends on the quality of the original image
• In order for the service to open the picture without problems, the image must be saved in a common format (JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, etc.)
• if possible, check the extracted text to eliminate recognition errors
• the text is translated using machine translation, so the translation may not be perfect

We will use Yandex Translator and the Free Online OCR online service, which includes functionality for translation of text extracted from photographs. You can use these services to translate from English into Russian, or use other language pairs of supported languages.

Yandex Translator for translation from pictures

Yandex.Translator integrates OCR optical character recognition technology, with which text is extracted from photographs. Then, using Yandex Translator technologies, the extracted text is translated into the selected language.

Go through the following steps sequentially:

1. Log in to Yandex Translator in the “Pictures” tab.
2. Select the source language. To do this, click on the name of the language (English is displayed by default). If you don't know what language is in the image, the translator will start auto-detection of the language.
3. Select the language to translate. By default, the Russian language is selected. To change the language, click on the language name and select another supported language.
4. Select a file on your computer or drag a picture into the online translator window.

1. After Yandex Translator recognizes the text from the photo, click “Open in Translator”.

Two fields will open in the translator window: one with text in a foreign language (in in this case in English), another with translation into Russian (or another supported language).

1. If the photo was of poor quality, it makes sense to check the recognition quality. Compare the translated text with the original in the picture, correct any errors found.

• You can change the translation in Yandex Translator. To do this, turn on the switch " New technology translation." The translation is carried out simultaneously by the neural network and statistical model. The algorithm automatically selects the best translation option.

1. Copy the translated text into a text editor. If necessary, edit the machine translation and correct errors.

Translation from photos online to Free Online OCR

The free online service Free Online OCR is designed to recognize characters from files of supported formats. The service is suitable for translation, since it optionally has capabilities for translating recognized text.

Unlike Yandex Translator, Free Online OCR achieves acceptable recognition quality only on fairly simple images, without the presence of foreign elements in the picture.

Follow these steps:

1. Login to .
2. In the “Select your file” option, click on the “Browse” button, select a file on your computer.
3. In the “Recognition language(s) (you can select multiple)” option, select the required language from which you want to translate (you can select multiple languages). Click on the field and add the desired language from the list.
4. Click on the “Upload + OCR” button.

After recognition, the text from the image will be displayed in a special field. Check the recognized text for errors.

Copy the text into a text editor. If necessary, edit and correct errors.

Conclusion

Using Yandex Translator and online service Free Online OCR can translate text into the desired language from photographs or pictures online. The text from the image will be extracted and translated into Russian or another supported language.