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Image Translation (OCR)

Extract and translate text from images using XTranslator's powerful Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology.

What is Image Translation?​

Image Translation (OCR) allows you to:

  • Extract text from images
  • Translate text found in images
  • Process scanned documents
  • Handle both digital and photographed text

Supported OCR Formats​

XTranslator OCR supports the following formats (see Supported File Formats):

  • PDF
  • DOCX
  • PPTX
  • JPG/JPEG
  • PNG
  • WEBP
  • GIF (first frame only)

How It Works​

Step 1: Upload Your Image​

  1. Go to the Image Translation or OCR section
  2. Click Upload Image or drag and drop
  3. Select the source language (or use auto-detect)
  4. Choose your target language
  5. (Optional) Select a Domain (General, Legal, Medical, Politics, Financial, Education, Marketing, Tech)

Step 2: OCR Processing​

XTranslator will:

  • Detect text regions in the image
  • Extract text using advanced OCR
  • Recognize characters and words
  • Preserve text layout when possible

Step 3: Translation​

After extraction:

  • Text is automatically translated
  • Original and translated text displayed
  • Text can be copied or downloaded

Domains​

Selecting a domain tailors terminology (e.g., Legal vs Medical) for image/OCR translations. The selected domain is sent with the request and influences translation style and vocabulary.

Step 4: Get Your Results​

You'll receive:

  • Extracted original text
  • Translated text
  • Confidence scores
  • Text positioning (when available)

Limits by Plan​

PlanMax File SizeMonthly CreditsImage TranslationOCR Extraction
Free5 MB203 credits2 credits
Starter10 MB2003 credits2 credits
Pro20 MB5003 credits2 credits
Ultimate20 MB1,0003 credits2 credits

Best Practices​

For Best OCR Results:​

  1. Image Quality

    • Use high resolution images (300+ DPI for scans)
    • Ensure good lighting
    • Avoid blurry or distorted images
    • Keep text horizontal when possible

  2. Text Clarity

    • Use clear, readable fonts
    • Ensure sufficient contrast
    • Avoid decorative backgrounds
    • Remove shadows and glare

  3. File Preparation

    • Crop to text areas
    • Straighten rotated images
    • Clean up noise and artifacts
    • Use appropriate file format

OCR Features​

Advanced Text Recognition​

  • Multi-language Support - 40+ languages
  • Mixed Language Detection - Handle multilingual images
  • Font Variety - Printed and some handwritten text
  • Layout Preservation - Maintain text structure

Image Processing​

  • Auto-rotation - Correct skewed images
  • Noise Reduction - Improve text clarity
  • Contrast Enhancement - Better text detection
  • Adaptive Binarization - Optimize for OCR

Translation Integration​

  • Seamless OCR to translation flow
  • Context-aware translation
  • Batch processing support
  • Export translated text

Credits Usage​

Image translation uses credits based on type:

  • Image Translation: 3 credits per image (includes translation)
  • OCR Extraction: 2 credits per image (text extraction only, no translation)

Example (Pro Plan - 500 monthly credits):

  • Translate 10 images = 30 credits (10 × 3)
  • 5 OCR requests = 10 credits (5 × 2)
  • Total: 40 credits used, 460 remaining

Credits are deducted from your monthly allocation. When monthly credits run out, Extra Credits are used automatically (if available).

Common Use Cases​

Personal Use​

  • Translate signs and menus
  • Extract text from photos
  • Scan receipts and invoices
  • Digitize handwritten notes

Business Use​

  • Process business cards
  • Extract data from forms
  • Translate product labels
  • Digitize historical documents

Education​

  • Scan textbook pages
  • Translate study materials
  • Extract equations and formulas
  • Archive research documents

Travel​

  • Translate street signs
  • Read foreign menus
  • Understand tickets and passes
  • Navigate foreign documents

Supported Text Types​

Works Best With:​

  • ✅ Printed text
  • ✅ Clear typography
  • ✅ High contrast text
  • ✅ Horizontal text
  • ✅ Standard fonts
  • ✅ Clean backgrounds

Limited Support:​

  • ⚠️ Handwritten text (print only)
  • ⚠️ Cursive writing
  • ⚠️ Artistic fonts
  • ⚠️ Vertical text
  • ⚠️ Text on complex backgrounds
  • ⚠️ Very small fonts (under 10pt)

Not Supported:​

  • ❌ Heavily stylized text
  • ❌ Blurred or damaged text
  • ❌ Extremely low resolution
  • ❌ Text in images with heavy filters

Image Quality Guidelines​

  • Resolution: 300 DPI minimum for scans
  • Format: PNG or JPG for best results
  • Size: Larger than 800x600 pixels
  • Color: Color or grayscale (not required)
  • Compression: Minimal JPEG compression

Avoid:​

  • Over-compressed images
  • Very low resolution (under 100 DPI)
  • Extreme aspect ratios
  • Heavy image filters or effects

Tips for Success​

  1. Optimize Your Images

    • Use scanner instead of phone when possible
    • Ensure good lighting for photos
    • Keep camera steady to avoid blur
    • Frame text centrally in image

  2. Pre-process When Needed

    • Crop out non-text areas
    • Adjust brightness/contrast
    • Remove backgrounds when possible
    • Straighten skewed images

  3. Verify Results

    • Review extracted text accuracy
    • Check for missing characters
    • Verify translation quality
    • Re-upload if quality is poor

Limitations​

Current Limitations:​

  • Maximum file sizes vary by plan
  • Processing time depends on complexity
  • Some handwriting may not be recognized
  • Complex layouts may affect accuracy

Processing Time:​

  • Simple images: ~5-10 seconds
  • Complex images: ~20-30 seconds
  • Large PDFs: ~1-2 minutes

Troubleshooting​

Text Not Detected​

  • Ensure sufficient image quality
  • Check text contrast
  • Try adjusting image brightness
  • Crop to focus on text area

Poor OCR Accuracy​

  • Use higher resolution image
  • Improve lighting in photos
  • Remove shadows and glare
  • Try different image format

Translation Issues​

  • Verify OCR text is accurate first
  • Check language selection
  • Ensure text is clearly extracted
  • Contact support with examples

Upgrade for More​

Need more OCR and image translation capacity?

PlanMonthly CreditsImage TranslationOCR Extraction
Starter2003 credits2 credits
Pro5003 credits2 credits
Ultimate1,0003 credits2 credits

View All Plans

You can also purchase Extra Credits that never expire and work for all translation features.

Privacy & Security​

  • Secure Processing - All images encrypted
  • No Storage - Images deleted after processing
  • Data Privacy - Compliant with GDPR
  • Confidential - Your images stay private

Need Help?​

Extract and translate text from any image - Try OCR today!