Scan Text

Scan Text is the second feature in the Read tab. This feature allows you to take a scan of a document or piece of text. Whereas Instant Text immediately starts to read any text detected by the camera, Scan Text is meant for denser and longer pieces of text and handwriting. Additionally, the scanned text is opened in a Reader which allows you to play, pause, or navigate through specific parts of the text.

This article contains the following: 

1. How to active Scan Text?
2. How to use Batch Scan? 
3. How to select my Reading Language?
4. How can Envision detect languages automatically?
5. How can Envision detect columns and headers?
6. How can Envision detect handwritten text?

How to active Scan Text?

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Tap on Scan Text, this will open a new screen.

Step 2: Grab a document that you want to scan and point your phone’s camera to it.

Step 3: If the document has clear corners, it will be automatically detected and processed. You can also tap on the Take Photo button to manually capture your document.

Step 3: You will hear a processing sound and the captured document will be opened in the Reader. You can read more about the reader and all its possibilities on the Reader article.

How to use Batch Scan? 

It is also possible to take multiple scans after each other and have them processed all at once. This is done by using the Batch feature, nested inside Scan Text. By default, the app is on Single mode, which is for one scan.

To do a Batch Scan, follow these steps:

Step 1: Tap on Scan Text

Step 2: Located above the Take Photo button, toggle the Single scan option to Batch. When using a screen reader, swipe left twice from the Take Photo button to be able to switch from Single to Batch.

Step 3: Once switched to Batch, tap on the Take Photo button, or wait for the page to be recognized and captured automatically.

Step 4: Your document has been captured and you can tap on the Take Photo again to take a second scan, or wait for the page to be recognized and captured automatically.

Step 5: Once you are done scanning multiple documents, tap on the Done button.

Step 6: You will hear a processing sound and the captured documents will be opened in the Reader.

How to select my Reading Language?

If you are reading documents mainly in one language, you can select it as your reading language, to improve the accuracy of your results in the Envision App. You can always change the reading language in case you are reading a text that is in a different language than the one currently selected.

To change this setting, follow these steps:

Step 1: Tap on Scan Text.

Step 2: Tap on the Scan Text Preferences icon located on the top right corner.

Step 3: Now toggle the option Reading language. A new screen will be opened.

Step 4: In this screen a list with all the languages supported by the envision app is displayed. You can now tap on the language you want to read on. A success message will be displayed and you will return to the Scan Text Preferences screen. Tap on the Back button.

Step 5: Now start taking a picture of the document that you’d like to have read.

Step 6: The document will be opened in the Reader and it will automatically read the document in the selected language.

How can Envision detect languages automatically?

If you don't know what language a document has, or if you want to read a document that has several languages, you can activate Language Detection.

To turn on Language Detection, follow these steps:

Step 1: Tap on Scan Text.

Step 2: Tap on the Scan Text Preferences icon located on the top right corner.

Step 3: Now toggle the option Language Detection.

Step 4: Once you have enabled Language Detection, tap on the Back button.

Step 5: Now start taking a picture of the document that you’d like to have read.

Step 6: The document will be opened in the Reader and it will switch automatically between the different languages.

How can Envision detect columns and headers?

Another option with Scan Text is being able to detect columns. This means that whenever a text contains columns, it will read correctly in the right direction. First, it will read the column on the left and then the column on the right. Headings are also recognised, therefore whenever there is a heading in the document you are reading, the app will inform you about it. 

To turn on Layout Detection, follow these steps:

Step 1: Tap on Scan Text.

Step 2: Tap on the Scan Text Preferences icon located on the top right corner.

Step 3: Now toggle the option Layout Detection.

Step 4: Once you have enabled Layout Detection, tap on the Back button.

Step 5: Now start taking a picture of the document that you’d like to have read.

Step 6: The document will be opened in the Reader and it will switch automatically read the text in the correct order and speak out loud 'Heading' whenever a heading is detected on the text.

Note: All these preferences can also be changed on the Reader by tapping on the Reader Preferences button. For more information, see Reader

How can Envision detect handwritten text?

The Envision App is also able to read handwritten text, though a doctor’s note might not make the cut! This is not a separate feature but built right into the Scan Text feature. Simply grab a piece of paper, write something on it or grab a Happy Birthday card that you received and scan it by using the Scan Text feature.