24 Scanning from scanner buttons Back to TOC
What to expect from OCR programs 
Optical character recognition programs convert some text more 
accurately than other text. Because OCR technology is never perfect, 
proofread all converted text carefully to ensure the characters have 
been correctly interpreted.
These types of text convert most accurately:
● text in standard fonts
● text in 9-point font or larger
● crisp, clear text
● black text on a white background
These types of text might convert less accurately:
● text close to non-text elements, such as bullets, lines, or graphics
● text in spreadsheets, tables, or forms
● letters that have gaps, that “bleed” along their edges, or that touch 
other letters
● underlined text 
● text on colored paper
Handwriting cannot be converted.
Supported word-processing programs
By default, text converted using the OCR program appears in Microsoft 
Word or SimpleText. By changing the settings for the E
DIT TEXT button, 
you can have text appear in a different, supported program instead. 
See "Changing settings for buttons" on page 25. The Edit Text tab on 
the Buttons tab of the HP ScanJet Controls dialog box will display 
the supported programs installed on the computer.