Introduction
As developers, we often encounter challenges that inspire us to build solutions. One common problem I noticed was the need to extract text from images quickly and efficiently. Whether it’s scanning printed documents, extracting text from screenshots, or working with multi-language content, I needed a simple and effective solution. That's when I decided to create an Image to Text Converter using Next.js and Tesseract.js.
🧐 The Problem
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology is widely available, but many existing solutions are either too complex, require paid services, or don’t support multiple languages effectively. I wanted to create a tool that:
- Is free and open-source
- Supports multiple languages
- Provides an easy-to-use UI
- Allows exporting text in various formats
- Works entirely in the browser without requiring backend processing
💡 The Solution
I built a Next.js application that integrates Tesseract.js, a powerful JavaScript OCR engine. The app allows users to upload images and extract text instantly, supporting multiple languages and various export options.
✨ Features
🌍 Multi-language Support
Extract text in multiple languages like English, Arabic, Spanish, French, and more.
📤 Export Options
Users can export the extracted text in .txt, .pdf, or .md formats.
🖼️ Image Upload
Supports file selection and drag-and-drop image uploads.
🔄 Image Preprocessing (Upcoming)
Enhances OCR accuracy with grayscale conversion and cropping.
🕶️ Dark Mode
A seamless light and dark theme experience.
📱 Responsive Design
Optimized for both mobile and desktop devices.
🛠️ Tech Stack
- Frontend: Next.js, Tailwind CSS
- OCR Engine: Tesseract.js
- File Export: jsPDF
⚙️ How I Built It
-
Setting Up Next.js
- Installed and configured Next.js and Tailwind CSS.
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Integrating Tesseract.js
- Used Tesseract.js to process images and extract text on the client-side.
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Building the UI
- Created a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop support.
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Adding Export Options
- Implemented text, PDF, and Markdown export using jsPDF.
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Enhancing with Preprocessing (Upcoming)
- Working on grayscale conversion and cropping for better OCR accuracy.
📦 How to Use
1️⃣ Clone the Repository
git clone https://github.com/Mo-Ibra/imagetxt-to-txt
cd imagetxt-to-txt
2️⃣ Install Dependencies
npm install
3️⃣ Run the Development Server
npm run dev
Visit http://localhost:3000 to view the app.
🔗 Try It Out!
The project is available on GitHub, and I’d love your feedback and contributions!
👉 GitHub Repo
And you can check the demo from 👉 here
🏁 Conclusion
This project has been a great learning experience in working with OCR, file handling, and UI/UX improvements. If you're looking to build a similar tool or enhance your Next.js skills, give it a try! 🚀
💬 Let me know what you think in the comments, and feel free to contribute! 😃
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