How to Copy Text From a Page of a Book

Skip the retyping

To copy text from a book, photograph the page and run it through an image to text converter. ocrX reads the page and gives you the text to copy, quote, or save. Handy for students, researchers, and anyone building notes from printed sources.

Step by step

1. Photograph the page

Press the book flat, light the page evenly, and shoot straight down. Books curve near the spine, so get that part as flat as you can.

2. Upload and pick the language

Add the photo to ocrX and set the language.

3. Extract and copy

Run it, then copy the text or save it as a file.

Dealing with the curve near the spine

The bend near the binding is where OCR struggles most, because the text warps and the light falls off. Press the page down, or photograph the two halves separately and join the text afterward. Library book scanners exist for this exact reason, but for a page or two your phone is fine.

A word on copyright

Copying a few lines to quote or study is normal. Reproducing whole chapters to share is a different matter. Use this for personal study, notes, and fair quoting, and respect the author.

Tips

• Flatten the page and keep your hand out of the shadow.
• One page per photo reads better than a full spread.
• Pick the matching language for non-English books.

Wrapping up

A photo and ocrX turn a book page into text you can quote and keep, without typing it out by hand.