ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Pro
Software Guide

The OCR software empowering users to easily convert paper-based documents and scanned images into editable text with superior accuracy.

ABBYY FineReader 7 Pro Download version
ABBYY FineReader Pro 5 Macintosh

ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Professional
Product description

FineReader 7.0 Professional Edition is the latest version of the award-winning OCR software that delivers superior OCR and PDF conversion capabilities with improved recognition accuracy and format retention.

FineReader 7.0's user-friendly interface helps you quickly and easily convert paper documents and PDF files into electronic format. You can edit, reuse and search documents using familiar applications, or simply email the recognized results to colleagues for collaboration.

Unsurpassed recognition accuracy
Based on ABBYY's unique IPA technology, FineReader delivers unsurpassed accuracy results above other OCR software programs. FineReader has received over 100 industry awards worldwide. The new 7.0 further enhances recognition accuracy, with an overall 25% improvement compared with version 6.0. FineReader 7.0 performs particularly well with text on colored or textured backgrounds or degraded documents.

Impeccable format retention
With innovative document recognition technology, FineReader 7.0 converts your documents and retains the original look and feel into an editable electronic format. Columns, tables, bulleted lists, spread sheets, wrap-around text, vertical text and pictures are impeccably preserved, so you won't have to spend time reformatting documents.

XML output
FineReader 7.0 allows users to export recognized documents into XML format by using native Microsoft Office Word 2003 XML schema. With the integration of Microsoft Office Word 2003, you can view your original document image and edit the results without leaving Word. The saved XML files can be manipulated and searched by any program that processes Word XML. Moreover, the XML output option provides you with additional data reporting, publishing and submitting options for business processes.

PDF conversion
FineReader 7.0 allows you to convert any paper document, scanned image or existing PDF file to editable formats. The results are always saved as linearized PDF files that are optimized for web publishing.

Six PDF output options
FineReader 7.0 supports all standard PDF output file formats (text and pictures only, text over image, text under image, and image only) with additional controls to replace suspect words with images. This gives you six PDF saving options - more PDF output formats than any other OCR software.
English and German legal and medical dictionaries
FineReader 7.0 includes new English and German dictionaries that contain the most frequently used legal and medical terminology for better recognition of legal and medical texts.

Multilingual document recognition
FineReader 7.0 recognizes texts in 177 languages with 34 languages using spell-check, including English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and more. FineReader also read scripting languages and science formulas, such as C/C++, COBOL, Fortran, JAVA, Pascal and simple chemical formulas.

Integration with Microsoft Office applications and WordPerfect
FineReader 7.0 allows you to send recognition results directly to applications that you are familiar with, including Word, WordPerfect, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, or a web browser. No need to save your results first!

One-button OCR from Microsoft Word
FineReader 7.0 is fully integrated with Microsoft Office. You can simply convert scanned documents and insert recognized text into your active file by a click of the Word-embedded FineReader button. You also have options to place the recognized document in a new document.

Scan-and-Read Wizard
Using FineReader's Scan&Read Wizard, you don't have to be an expert to get good OCR result. The Wizard guides you through the four simple steps of scanning (or filing opening), recognizing, proofing and exporting.

Microsoft PowerPoint support
FineReader 7.0 recognizes printed PowerPoint slides and handouts as images and allows you to export to PowerPoint XP and 2003. You can save your valuable time from creating a new PowerPoint presentation.

Morphology search capability
FineReader 7.0 allows you to search keywords or phases in an open batch. The search engine makes it easy to find specific pages within a large batch. (Note: This feature is available for 34 languages that have dictionary support.)

Batch document support
FineReader 7.0 provides users with easy-to-use processing tools to work with multi-page documents. Processes such as "read", "rotate", "locate blocks", "despeckle", and "save" can be applied universally. Comments can be also added to a specific page; recognized results can be saved to files, or exported to applications of your choice.

Duplex scanning capability
When scanning a two-sided document, such as books, by using a duplex scanner, FineReader 7.0 provides a duplex-scanning option that helps you separate each page as an image. Additional image splitting tools allow you to split the image into several areas and save each area as a separate page. This mode is particularly handy for recognizing business cards scanned on one page, books, and PowerPoint handouts.

Hyper-threading technology support
When running FineReader 7.0 on computers with Hyper-Threading Technology in background mode the program boosts the speed of recognition.

Full HTML support
With HTML CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) extension capabilities, FineReader 7.0 replicates your paper documents in HTML format, maintaining their exact layouts.

E-mail support
With a click of button, you can send recognition results in email as a file attachment You can attach the result as a PDF, Word (.doc), Excel (.xls) or any other FineReader supported formats. This makes it easy for you to scan and share documents.

The spell-check system
FineReader's intuitive spell-check interface highlights uncertain characters or words not in the dictionary, and provides a list of suggestions. The software's zoom window also shows the corresponding image so you can easily proof read and make corrections if necessary.

Tutorial
FineReader 7.0 includes a tutorial that provides you with sample documents and practical tips to help you quickly get started and get great recognition results.

ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Pro Platforms

• PC with 200 MHz or higher processor clock speed; Intel Pentium/Celeron/ Xeon, AMD K6/Athlon/Duron or compatible processor
• Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6 or later, Windows Me/98
• 64 MB of RAM for Windows XP/2000/ NT 4.0, 32 MB of RAM for Windows Me/98
• 220MB of hard-disk space for typical installation and program operation
• TWAIN-compliant scanner, digital camera or fax-modem (optional)
  Super VGA (800x600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor
  
  

• Enhanced Recognition Accuracy
• Improved Layout Analysis and Format Retention
• Increased PDF Recognition Accuracy and Functionality
• Microsoft Word XML Output
• New Editing Capabilities
• Output to Microsoft PowerPoint
• Ease of Use
• Image Splitting Tool
• Full-text Searches with Morphology Support
• Barcode Recognition
• Intel Hyper-Threading Technology Support
• Other New/Improved Features

(REVIEW By By Emilie Martin 20-02-2004 VNunet.com)

Pros
Pdf recognition; clear and easy-to-use interface.

Cons
Struggled with more complex page layouts.

Verdict
Powerful and reasonably priced.

Review
For this version of its OCR (optical character recognition) package, Fine Reader 7, Abbyy claims a 25 per cent improvement in accuracy, but it is the two additional features that are likely to be of real value.

First is recognition of read-only pdfs, which means you can use Fine Reader as a pdf editing tool and save the resulting text back to pdf. The second is increased integration with Office apps, which makes it easier to insert text into Word from a number of scanned and recognised documents and provides an embedded view of your original scan for quick reference while you are editing.

The easy-to-use interface makes scanning a document, converting it to editable text, using the spellcheck tool and saving it to file a walk in the park. There are a number of text editing and image management options which help save time on quick, straightforward jobs.

In our tests Fine Reader automatically read documents scanned in upside down and coped well with tables. It also did a good job reading multi-column text, a task that OCR packages traditionally find challenging. Fine Reader managed near-100 per cent text accuracy on our test colour scan, retaining column formats and placing embedded images in the resulting Word document.

You can save your project to image file formats including jpg, tif and bmp, as well as Powerpoint, XML and HTML.

This is an impressive package that will save a considerable amount of time and frustration.

What do others say about ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Pro? Check out the results of these Search engines