· How-to
How to Read Phone Numbers and Emails From an Image
Pull phone numbers and email addresses out of a photo, flyer or screenshot with free in-browser OCR, then copy them without retyping a single digit.
Small Text OCR
Read fine print, tiny labels and small screenshot text. When the letters are small, the image is enlarged before OCR so each character has enough pixels to be recognized.
- Automatic upscaling
- Fine print and labels
- 19 OCR languages
- No upload
Add an image with small text
Supports JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, WebP, TIFF, HEIC, HEIF, HEICS
Auto detects the writing system and reads it. For better results, pick the language (up to 3 if the text mixes languages).
Drop an image with fine print, or paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V
or
Max file size: 10MB
More OCR Tools
Convert different image formats to text with our specialized OCR tools
By task
- Screenshot to Text Paste a screenshot, copy its text
- Photo to Text Read text from phone camera photos
- Text Scanner Scan paper to text, no app needed
- Business Card to Text Copy names, numbers and emails from cards
- Receipt to Text Read receipts and invoices as text
- Blurry Image to Text Read text from blurry or low quality images
- Book to Text Turn book pages into editable text
- Whiteboard to Text Turn whiteboard photos into notes
- Extract Code from Image Copy code from screenshots and photos
By file type
- Multi Image OCR
- PNG to Text Extract text from PNG files
- JPG to Text Extract text from JPG files
- JPEG to Text Extract text from JPEG files
- GIF to Text Extract text from GIF files
- Handwriting to Text Extract handwritten text
- BMP to Text Extract text from BMP files
- TIFF to Text Extract text from TIFF files
- WebP to Text Extract text from WebP files
- HEIF to Text Extract text from HEIF/HEIC files
- HEIC to Text Converter
- HEVC to Text Converter
- HEICS to Text Converter
- Image to Text Convert any image format to text
- PDF to Text Extract text from PDF documents
- Document OCR Advanced document text extraction
Key takeaways
- Why is small text hard for OCR?
- OCR needs enough pixels per letter. In a small or low resolution image, letters are only a few pixels tall, so shapes like e, c and o blur together.
- What does this tool do about it?
- It measures the height of the text lines. When they are small, the image is upscaled to roughly 300 dpi before reading, which gives the OCR engine clearer shapes.
- What still helps most?
- More real detail: zoom in before a screenshot, move the camera closer, or scan at a higher resolution.
How to extract small text from an image
Crop to the fine print, let the tool enlarge it, then check the result carefully.
Last updated:
-
1
1. Capture the fine print
Crop the image to the small text, or zoom in on screen before taking the screenshot. Drop or paste it here (up to 10 MB).
-
2
2. Enlarge and read
Click Extract Text. Small lines are detected and the image is upscaled before the text is recognized.
-
3
3. Check the details
Small print often holds numbers, dates and codes. Compare them with the original, then copy the text or download a .txt file.
Built for fine print
What happens to an image with small text before it is read.
-
Line height detection
The tool estimates how tall the text lines are, so only images with small text are enlarged.
-
Upscaling to about 300 dpi
Small text is enlarged to the size OCR engines read best, instead of being read at a few pixels per letter.
-
Contrast stretching
Grey fine print on a light background is darkened relative to the paper so thin strokes survive.
-
Straightening
Slightly tilted lines are straightened, which matters more when the letters are small.
-
Paste screenshots
Paste a screenshot of small interface text with Ctrl+V; no need to save a file.
-
Private
Contracts and labels are read on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Why use small text OCR?
What you get
- Fine print you can enlarge, search and copy
- Serial numbers and codes without squinting or retyping
- Readable text for people who find small print hard to read
- Free and private
Get more detail into the image
- Zoom the page or screen to 150 to 200% before taking a screenshot
- Move the camera closer rather than zooming digitally
- Scan documents at 300 dpi or more if you have a scanner
Where small text shows up
-
Contracts and terms
Footnotes and fine print in agreements, policies and letters.
-
Labels and packaging
Ingredients, dosage instructions and care labels.
-
Serial and model numbers
Tiny codes on devices, chargers and appliances.
-
Screenshots
Small interface text, captions and settings on a high resolution screen.
-
Maps and diagrams
Small labels on maps, charts and technical drawings.
-
Newspapers and books
Small print in old newspapers, dictionaries and reference books.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Our image to text converter is designed to streamline the process of extracting text from images. However, we understand you might have a few questions. To make the most of this tool, we've compiled some frequently asked questions along with helpful explanations to guide you.
How do I extract small text from an image?
Crop the image to the small text, open this page and add it. Click Extract Text; small lines are enlarged automatically before reading. Check numbers and codes against the original.
How small can the text be?
There is no fixed limit: it depends on how many pixels each letter has. If you can read the text when you zoom into the image, the tool usually can too. Text that is a blur of a few pixels cannot be recovered.
Does upscaling add detail?
No. Enlarging gives the OCR engine larger, smoother shapes to work with, but it cannot create detail that was never captured. A closer photo or higher resolution scan helps most.
Why are numbers in fine print wrong?
Small digits like 3, 8 and 6 or 1 and 7 are easy to confuse. Crop tighter, zoom in before the screenshot, and always double-check numbers.
Can I read small text from a screenshot?
Yes. Zoom the page first, take the screenshot and paste it here with Ctrl+V. See Screenshot to Text for more tips.
What if the small text is also blurry?
Blur hurts small text the most. Try the Black and white option and see Blurry Image to Text.
Is my image uploaded?
No. Upscaling and OCR run in your browser, so the image stays on your device.