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Look for a safe image to text converter for extracting text from pictures
My client sent me dozens of project details with screenshots and I have to extract text from images manually. It could be really boring and time consuming for copy and paste. I tested a few online an...
Use the built-in PowerToy utility for extracting text from images on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
PowerToys is a free, open-source utility suite from Microsoft for Windows 10/11 that adds advanced features to improve productivity. One of its tools, Text Extractor (image to text converter), uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to extract text from images, screenshots, or even videos.
Step 1: Install PowerToys
Download from GitHub or the Microsoft Store. Run the installer and follow the setup steps.
Step 2: Enable Text Extractor
- Open PowerToys Settings (from the Start menu or system tray).
- Go to "Text Extractor" in the left sidebar.
- Toggle "Enable Text Extractor" (it should be on by default).
- (Optional) Change the keyboard shortcut (default: Win + Shift + T).
Step 3: Extract Text from Image
- Open the image (e.g., screenshot, PDF, photo) on your screen.
- Press Win + Shift + T – your cursor turns into a crosshair.
- Drag a selection box around the text you want to extract.
- The text is automatically copied to your clipboard.
- Paste (Ctrl + V) into Notepad, Word, or any text editor.
For better accuracy, try a desktop image to text converter instead.