FineReader Quick Start Guide

Last updated: August 16, 2022

FineReader is a powerful Optical Character Recognition (OCR) program available for use in the Access Technology Center. It can be used in conjunction with a scanner or on its own to recognize inaccessible PDF files. You can use FineReader to convert printed materials to electronic text in a number of formats.

Starting FineReader

  1. StepsActions
  2. Click the Start menu in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.
  3. Click “All Programs.”
  4. Click “Accessible Technology.”
  5. Click “ABBYY FineReader.”

(Pressing <CTRL> + <ALT> + <F> will also launch FineReader.)

Using FineReader

Using FineReader with a Scanner

  1. StepsActions
  2. Click “Common” on the left of the FineReader menu.
  3. Click “Scan to Microsoft Word/Microsoft Excel/Searchable PDF Image,” depending on the file type you want.
  4. Select desired scanner and set scanner settings.
  5. Click “Scan.”
  6. Wait for scanning and text conversion to finish.
  7. Perform desired editing and save your file.

Using FineReader to Convert Inaccessible PDF Files

  1. StepsActions
  2. Click “Adobe PDF” on the left of the FineReader menu.
  3. Click “Convert to Searchable PDF Image.”
  4. Select the file you wish to convert.
  5. Wait for text conversion to finish.
  6. Perform desired editing and save your file.

Tips

  • A scanner dpi (dots per inch) setting of 300 or 400 is recommended for most documents. If the text is light in color, a higher dpi may help the OCR process.
  • While editing, any mistakes can be corrected by re-reading the current page. However existing edits on the page will be lost.

Essential Hotkeys

  • Start FineReader: Press <CTRL> + <ALT> + <F>.

Quitting FineReader

Do any of the following:

  • Press <ALT> + <F4> when FineReader is the active application.
  • Click the X in the upper-right hand corner of the FineReader menu.
  • Click the “File” menu at the top of the FineReader window and select “Exit.”

Help

For help and tutorials, do any of the following:

  • Click on the “Help” menu in the FineReader window.
  • Press <F1> when FineReader is the active application.
  • Consult the FineReader user manual, located on the ATC manual shelf.