OCR — Optical character recognition
Turning a picture of text, such as a scanned page, into real text a computer can search.
To a computer this is a photo. It cannot search it or copy a sentence out of it.
The photo is read into real text. Now it can be searched, copied, and given to a model.
OCR makes mistakes on poor scans, handwriting, and tables. A missed page or a misread number travels silently into everything built on top of it.
The fuller definition
Optical character recognition converts text visible in an image into machine-readable characters.
Go deeper
Delivery may be possible in April.
Subject to inspection.
Delivery may be possible in April. Subject to inspection.
source_id: A01
page: 2
version: original
This fictional example keeps a condition beside the proposition it qualifies. Extraction and chunking should preserve enough context to inspect what the source actually says.
A concrete example
OCR turns a scanned letter into searchable text for an inventory or review workflow.
The distinction that matters
Recognition errors, reading order, and missing handwriting can change meaning; retain and compare the original image.
Related terms
Where it is taught
How document-grounded AI answers workSource and further reading
OCRmyPDF · IntroductionThe definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.