Text Grab

Text Grab is an optical character recognition (OCR) utility for Windows. It captures visible on-screen text that cannot be selected directly. The tool takes screenshots and extracts the text using Windows APIs, functioning locally without background processes. The results are automatically copied to the clipboard.

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• Quick capture with a hotkey. The function is activated by a user-defined key combination, instantly capturing the selected region. This method avoids navigating through menus and speeds up the workflow. The settings allow you to customize the shortcut to avoid conflicts with other applications.
• Window mode with editable text. After capture, the text is displayed in a separate floating window. In this mode, the content is editable before copying. You can correct recognition errors, format, or remove unwanted parts. The window remains visible until manually closed.
• Instant copy to clipboard mode. This function processes the capture and sends the text directly to the system clipboard without any intermediate interfaces. It shows no windows or confirmation dialogs. The result is available to paste into any application immediately after the capture.
• Full Screen OCR mode. Analyzes all visible content on the primary or secondary monitor. It captures an image of the full screen and applies character recognition to the entire area. Useful for extracting text from presentations, videos, or documents that span the entire screen.
• Integration with Windows clipboard history. The tool integrates with the operating system's clipboard history functionality. Each captured text is stored in the history accessible with the Windows key + V. It allows you to retrieve previous captures without repeating the process.
• Multi-language recognition. The OCR engine supports detecting and processing text in multiple languages simultaneously. It includes languages with non-Latin alphabets and special characters. Accuracy is maintained in documents with a mix of languages within a single capture.
• Region selection with precise adjustment. During capture, the user defines the area with an adjustable rectangular selector. The edges of the selection can be modified with pixel precision. The tool displays a magnifier to correctly align the boundaries with the target text.
• Command-line interface (CLI). Allows execution of OCR commands from terminals like PowerShell or Command Prompt. It supports parameters to specify input image files and save results to text files. Facilitates automation in scripts and batch processes.
• Saved configuration profiles. Application settings are stored in profiles that retain preferences between sessions. This includes custom keyboard shortcuts, default OCR languages, and window behavior. Profiles allow you to quickly switch between different work configurations.
• Automatic text orientation correction. Automatically detects and corrects rotated or angled text within the capture. The algorithm analyzes the arrangement of characters and adjusts the orientation before OCR processing. Works with scans of documents that are in the wrong position.
• Exclusion of specific areas from capture. During region selection, exclusion zones can be defined within the rectangular area. The OCR omits the content within these zones during processing. Useful for removing logos, graphical elements, or irrelevant text from the capture.
• Multi-monitor support. The tool works correctly in setups with two or more screens. It allows text capture on any monitor connected to the system. The region selector extends across all available monitors for cross-screen captures.

Development of Text Grab began in 2019 by developer Joe Fin. The creation responds to the need for a simple OCR tool integrated directly into Windows. The program is written in C# using the .NET framework and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) for the interface elements. Initial versions focused on basic text capture using the OCR engine built into Windows 10.

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