How to Read Photos in C# with IronOCR

What Input Format Should I Use?

Since browsers don't natively support TIFF format, download the TIFF input here. The displayed version below is converted to WEBP.

How Do I Implement the ReadPhoto Method?

This implementation demonstrates extracting text and region information from a TIFF image. For more examples, see our photo reading code example.

:path=/static-assets/ocr/content-code-examples/how-to/read-photo-read-photo.cs

using IronOcr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
using System;

// Instantiate OCR engine
var ocr = new IronTesseract();

using var inputPhoto = new OcrInput();
inputPhoto.LoadImageFrame("ocr.tiff", 0);

// Read photo
OcrPhotoResult result = ocr.ReadPhoto(inputPhoto);

// Index number refer to region order in the page
int number = result.TextRegions[0].PageNumber;

// Extract the text in the first region
string textinregion = result.TextRegions[0].TextInRegion;

//Extract the co_ordinates of the first text region
Rectangle region = result.TextRegions[0].Region;

var output = $"Text in First Region: {textinregion}\n"
             + $"Text Region:\n"
             + $"Starting X: {region.X}\n"
             + $"Starting Y: {region.Y}\n"
             + $"Region Width: {region.Width}\n"
             + $"Region Height: {region.Height}\n"
             + $"Result Confidence: {result.Confidence}\n\n"
             + $"Full Scnned Photo Text: {result.Text}";

Console.WriteLine(output);

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports IronOcr
Imports IronSoftware.Drawing
Imports System

' Instantiate OCR engine
Private ocr = New IronTesseract()

Private inputPhoto = New OcrInput()
inputPhoto.LoadImageFrame("ocr.tiff", 0)

' Read photo
Dim result As OcrPhotoResult = ocr.ReadPhoto(inputPhoto)

' Index number refer to region order in the page
Dim number As Integer = result.TextRegions(0).PageNumber

' Extract the text in the first region
Dim textinregion As String = result.TextRegions(0).TextInRegion

'Extract the co_ordinates of the first text region
Dim region As Rectangle = result.TextRegions(0).Region

Dim output = $"Text in First Region: {textinregion}" & vbLf & $"Text Region:" & vbLf & $"Starting X: {region.X}" & vbLf & $"Starting Y: {region.Y}" & vbLf & $"Region Width: {region.Width}" & vbLf & $"Region Height: {region.Height}" & vbLf & $"Result Confidence: {result.Confidence}" & vbLf & vbLf & $"Full Scnned Photo Text: {result.Text}"

Console.WriteLine(output)

What Properties Does OcrPhotoResult Provide?

The OcrPhotoResult class provides key properties for analyzing extracted text. For detailed information on working with OCR results, see our guide on data output and results manipulation.

Text: The extracted text from OCR input. Confidence: Statistical accuracy confidence (0-1 scale, 1 being highest). Learn more about result confidence scores. TextRegions: List of text regions with location data. Similar to defining OCR regions for targeted extraction.

Why Does ReadPhoto Only Support TIFF and GIF Formats?

TIFF is a lossless format for condensing multiple pages and frames into one file. It's used for high-quality, multi-image storage like legal documents and medical images. Being more complex than JPEG, it requires different methods for text extraction. The specialized handling ensures optimal results with professional-grade image formats.

TIFF images use different compression methods, so IronOCR employs specialized algorithms to decipher text. The advanced algorithms in ReadPhoto handle TIFF compression characteristics, ensuring accurate extraction from complex multi-layered documents.

Here's a comparison between TIFF and JPEG formats:

How Do I Choose Between ReadPhoto and Read for My Application?

Consider each production use case to optimize application performance. While ReadPhoto suits complex TIFF images, it processes more slowly. JPEG offers faster processing but lower quality, which may result in low OCR confidence rates. Use image quality correction filters to improve results when needed.

The confidence property in OcrPhotoResults or any IOcrResult interface class indicates result accuracy, allowing developers to test and optimize. For highest accuracy requirements, ReadPhoto with high-quality TIFF images provides best results, especially for archival or legal document processing where precision matters.

Find the balance between efficiency and accuracy by ensuring images meet certain quality thresholds. For mixed document types, implement a hybrid approach: use ReadPhoto for critical documents requiring high accuracy and standard Read for routine tasks prioritizing speed.