Well known in the field of character recognition software, Abbyy FineReader provide users with a simple yet effective way in which to transfer text from a printed format onto your PC. This is done directly through the use of a twain compatible scanner connected to your PC, or alternatively you can simply read images already created elsewhere (providing they are in a compatible format).

FineReader 5.0 recognises the majority of standard image formats (including .bmp, .jpeg and .tiff), along with allowing you to save the finished text in an even greater range of formats. Standard formats include .doc, .rtf, .txt and .csv. However, Abbyy recognises that in this multimedia age there are other formats which users require, and therefore enables text to be saved in several other formats - specifically .pdf, and .html.

The FineReader screen is broken up into a series of windows offering you thumbnailed views of documents, an image pane, a text output window and a zoom window offering you a close-up view of the document. The screen layout can be completely altered to suit the individual, and windows can be opened or closed as required.

The actual process of reading an image couldn't be easier. Simply place the article you want to recognise on the scanner, hit the 'Scan & Read' button, and within minutes you will have a complete copy of the text on your screen. The accuracy of the final output is extremely good, being able to cope with many text similarities, imperfections and discrepancies.

Before the image is read you can select and remove areas you do not require, and even alter the order in which columns and blocks are read. Simply read the document as is, and you will be presented with an exact replica of the original text, with FineReader being intelligent enough to automatically calculate the correct order of columns of text, even if a single page contains several separate articles.

Anything that FineReader is unsure of during the reading of a document will be highlighted in the final output enabling you to see, at a glance, exactly what needs to be altered manually. These alterations can be done simply by scrolling through the text, or through the use of the built-in spell checker. There is no doubt that the finished text is highly accurate, with the majority of highlighted errors simply being hyphenated words at the end of a line, or unrecognised words such as brand names, slang, nicknames etc.

Should the text you are reading contain special characters (i.e. decorative fonts or mathematical symbols), you can train FineReader to recognise these in seconds. This is not something you will need to use very often with FineReader, but it is nice to know the function exists.

FineReader is full of time-saving tools, including the ability to batch convert images which is great for maximising your output, and letting you attend to more important matters while this is being carried out.

The price quoted is for the Pro version of FineReader. An office version is also available at the cost of £269.99 including VAT.

Contact
Abbyy UK 01279 658150