Screenshot
Keep native dimensions and use sparse layout for separate controls, menus, captions, and messages.
Convert PNG images to text with free online OCR
PNG OCR extracts text from lossless scans, screenshots, diagrams, and interface captures. Keep the original pixel size and check transparency, overlays, labels, and reading order against the source.
Text found in your PNG
N/Alocal review signal
0 pages0 words0 characters0 ms
Check low-contrast overlays, transparent regions, isolated labels, and the order of interface panels. Lossless storage does not repair a small or blurred source.
Preserve sharp pixels, then interpret the layout
PNG can preserve crisp source pixels without adding JPEG artifacts. It does not explain whether the image is a screenshot, diagram, or scan, so layout and transparency still have to be checked.
- Inspect the PNG at native size before resizing or flattening it.
- Choose a background that keeps transparent or pale text visible.
- Verify which labels belong to each panel, shape, or control.
What kind of PNG are you reading?
PNG is a strong OCR source for screenshots and lossless scans, provided the text remains large enough at its actual pixel size. A screenshot, a flatbed scan, and a diagram may share an extension while needing different layout and review choices.
Lossless scan
Check rotation, faint strokes, page edges, and whether the source has enough resolution for its smallest print.
Diagram or graphic
Expect labels to sit apart from one another. Review their spatial relationship with shapes and arrows.
Preserve the useful pixels
PNG avoids new lossy compression, but the container cannot restore a small, blurred, or badly captured source.
Preserve native resolution
Use the original screenshot or scan. Enlarging a small PNG creates more pixels but does not restore missing character detail.
Flatten transparency carefully
Transparent text or interface layers may lose contrast on a different background. Check that every character is visible before upload.
Crop mixed interfaces
Remove sidebars, notifications, and unrelated panels when they could interrupt reading order or be mistaken for document content.
Match sparse layouts
Screenshots with isolated buttons, labels, or captions often benefit from sparse-text mode instead of a continuous paragraph assumption.
Check transparency on the background that OCR sees
Transparent and semi-transparent text can appear readable in one editor but lose contrast when flattened against another color. Preview the exported PNG on a plain background before processing.
PreviewOpen the original PNG at actual size.FlattenUse a background that keeps every character distinct.InspectCheck overlays and pale interface labels against the source.
Choose PNG OCR for lossless image sources
Use OCR for Accessibility Goes Beyond Text Layers when labels, panels, or columns appear in the wrong sequence.
For reading order, structure, and output decisions, use the document and interface workflow guides.
Best for
Lossless scans, screenshots, diagrams, and interface captures at their native pixel size.
Not designed for
Restoring details missing from a small source or preserving transparent layers as editable objects.
Review first
Reading order, low-contrast overlays, transparent text, and isolated interface labels.
Choose an output for lossless scans and interface captures
Markdown works well for readable screenshot notes. JSON and CSV are better when labels, overlays, or separate interface regions need positional review against the original PNG.
- Readable screenshot notes
- TXT or Markdown
- Separate labels and regions
- JSON with diagnostics
- Word-by-word position checks
- CSV
PNG recognition questions
Is PNG always better than JPG for OCR?
PNG preserves pixels without new JPEG artifacts, but a small or blurred PNG still lacks useful character detail. The best source is usually the original file. See which source problems OCR cleanup cannot repair.
Can OCR read text on a transparent background?
It can read text that remains visible after the transparency is flattened, but low contrast can make characters disappear into the background. Review reading order for interface captures.