What is HOCR format?

HOCR (HTML-based OCR)

HOCR stands for 'HTML for OCR' and is a file format designed to provide a structured representation of the output generated by Optical Character Recognition (OCR) systems. This format is particularly valuable for preserving the layout and spatial attributes of text as it appears in the original scanned document.

HOCR files are essentially HTML documents that include specific tags and attributes to denote recognized text, fonts, positions, and other relevant information. Each word or line of text is typically represented by a element with coordinates that indicate its position on the page, making it possible to recreate the original layout when displaying the OCR output.

One of the significant advantages of using the HOCR format is its compatibility with web technologies, allowing for easy integration into web applications. Developers can leverage existing web tools and libraries to manipulate and display HOCR content without needing specialized software.

Additionally, HOCR files can include metadata about the OCR process itself, such as the confidence level of recognition for each word, which can be useful for post-processing and quality assurance. This feature makes HOCR a preferred choice for applications requiring high accuracy in text recognition.

HOCR is widely used in various industries, including archiving, digital humanities, and library sciences, where converting printed text into digital formats is essential. Its structured nature allows for better data extraction and analysis, facilitating the development of advanced text processing applications.

Moreover, the HOCR format is often used in conjunction with other file formats, such as PDF and TIFF, to enhance the accessibility and usability of scanned documents. As a result, HOCR has gained popularity among developers working on OCR projects and digital preservation initiatives.

Overall, the HOCR format serves as an effective bridge between scanned images and machine-readable text, offering a versatile solution for a range of OCR-related applications.

What programs can open HOCR format?

  • Tesseract OCR
  • OCRmyPDF
  • ABBYY FineReader
  • gImageReader
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • PDF.js

Use cases for HOCR format?

  • Digitizing historical documents for preservation and access
  • Extracting text from scanned books for e-book creation
  • Converting printed forms into editable digital formats
  • Enhancing accessibility of printed materials for visually impaired users
  • Indexing and searching large volumes of scanned text documents
  • Creating searchable archives of newspapers and magazines