“Can Microsoft Word extract text from an image?” or “How to convert a JPEG to Word and edit text?” Are these the questions that got you here? You won’t be disappointed then. Well, Microsoft Word cannot extract text from images directly, However, you can use workarounds to copy and export text from images. In this post, we have covered three methods to convert an image to text for a Word document.
Table of Contents
Method 1. Using MS Word
Microsoft Word doesn’t offer a built-in OCR (Optical character recognition) feature for images. But it can convert PDF files into editable Word files.
Therefore, in this method, you will first need to convert the image into PDF and then convert PDF into a Word document to extract text from the picture. Don’t worry. We have explained the steps in detail. And for the sake of clarity, we have divided them into two sections – convert picture to PDF and convert PDF to text.
1. Convert the Picture into a PDF
There are two ways to convert your image into a PDF on your computer. You can do it using Word or with the help of the Print function.
Method 1: Using Save as PDF in Word
1. Open a new MS Word document.
2. Click on Insert followed by Pictures > This Device. Select the picture that you want to convert to text.
3. Now, click on File at the top.
4. Select Save as.
5. Choose the storage location for the PDF. Use an easy-to-remember location because you will need to open this PDF file later.
5. When the Save as window shows up, click on the drop-down box next to Save as type and select PDF.
6. Click on the Save button to convert the image into a PDF.
Tip: Learn how to put two pictures side by side in Word.
Method 2: Using Print to PDF
In this method, you will need to use the Print function to convert the picture into PDF as shown below:
1. Open the folder on your computer having the picture from which you want to copy text.
2. Double-click on it to open it in the Photos app.
3. Use the Ctrl + P keyboard shortcut to open the Print window.
4. Select Microsoft Print to PDF in the Printer section. Make sure the preview of the image is shown correctly. You might need to adjust the print size to fit the image.
5. Finally, click on Print.
6. The Save as window will open. Give a name to your PDF file and save it at your preferred location. Click on Save.
2. Convert PDF to Word Document
Once you have converted the image into PDF, you simply need to open the PDF file as a Word document. Doing so will automatically convert the PDF into editable text.
Follow these steps to convert PDF to Word:
1. Go to the folder on your computer where you saved the PDF file in the above section.
2. Right-click on the PDF file and select Open with followed by Word. If you don’t see Word, click on More or Choose another app and then select Word.
3. Click on Just once.
4. A pop-up window will show up confirming that the PDF will be converted into an editable Word document. Click on OK.
That’s it. Your image has been converted successfully into text form. Now, you can easily copy-paste the editable text from the image into your actual Word document.
Few tips:
- Try to use an image in which the text is clearly visible.
- The image must be in the proper direction i.e., the text shows from top to bottom. Rotate the image before converting it into a PDF.
Tip: Check out the best OCR software for Windows.
Method 2: Using Third-Party Online Tools
If the above method doesn’t work for your image or it seems a bit overwhelming for an image having just one or two lines of text, then you can use third-party online tools to export text from a picture. Later, you can copy-paste the exported text into your Word document.
Note: If the nature of the content is private or raises security concerns, follow the offline PDF method mentioned above. As here you will need to upload the files online on 3rd-party servers.
Follow these steps to use an online OCR tool to convert image to text for your Word document:
1. Open onlineocr.net in a browser on your PC.
2. Click on the Select File button and choose the picture from which you want to export text.
3. Select language and output format and click on Convert.
4. The tool will convert the convert and show the text at the bottom. Copy-paste the text into your Word document.
Tip: You can also use ocr2edit.com/convert-to-txt or imagetotext.info to convert images to text online.
Method 3: Using OneNote
If you have the Microsoft OneNote app installed on your computer, you can use it to convert images to text. OneNote has a built-in OCR tool that extracts text from a picture.
Follow these steps to use OneNote to convert an image to text for a Word document:
1. Open the OneNote app on your computer.
2. Create a new page.
3. Click on Insert followed by Pictures. Select the image that you want to convert to text.
4. Right-click on the image and select Copy text from the picture. Please keep in mind that it might take a couple of minutes for this option to appear in your picture. If you don’t see it immediately, I would request you to wait for 2-3 minutes.
5. Once you click on Copy text from the picture, OneNote will use the OCR feature to extract text from the image. Now, open your Word document and use the paste function to paste the copied text.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is the text editable after you convert the image into text?
Yes, the text is editable after you convert the image into text using any of the above methods.
2. What happens to the original image after converting it into text?
Nothing happens to the original image. You can still access and use it as an image even after copying text from it.
3. What image formats can be converted to text?
You can extract the text from popular image formats like JPEG, PNG, etc.
Copy Text from Picture
Hope you were able to convert the image into text using the above methods. If the methods didn’t help, check out other ways to get text from images on a Windows PC. Also, learn how to copy unselectable text on any device.
