Extra White Spaces in OCR Output
Extracting text with OCR can produce unexpected white spaces between characters. This usually comes from variations in character width and spacing, and applying filters to the input does not always resolve it.
The following approaches have proven effective at avoiding the extra spaces.
Solution
Option 1: Use the Roboto font
Roboto is a clean, modern typeface that is OCR-friendly and often yields better character recognition results.
Option 2: Use ReadDocumentAdvanced()
ReadDocumentAdvanced() gives you more control over the OCR process and improves handling of complex text layouts.
Option 3: Use OcrLanguage.EnglishBest
OcrLanguage.EnglishBest is an advanced language model that provides better accuracy than the standard English option.
Option 4: Train a custom font
When the input PDF uses a unique or non-standard font, default OCR settings may struggle. Training a custom font teaches the OCR engine to recognize specific fonts more accurately, which significantly improves performance. See the OCR custom font training guide for the steps.
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Curtis Chau holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (Carleton University) and specializes in front-end development with expertise in Node.js, TypeScript, JavaScript, and React. Passionate about crafting intuitive and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces, Curtis enjoys working with modern frameworks and creating well-structured, visually appealing manuals.
