Copy Text from Screen (OCR)

Copy text from the screen on Windows with your Stream Deck: press a key, drag over the text you can see, and paste it anywhere. Like a screenshot to text tool in one press, it reads (OCR) the text in pictures, paused videos, scanned PDFs, error messages, games and remote desktops, and puts it on your clipboard as plain text. Japanese and English are read together, even in one line, and the key shows the moment the text is copied.

Use Read Text from Area for anything on screen, or give a key a Read Fixed Area: set the spot once, like a subtitle line, a game's chat box or a field in a remote app, and every press reads it again in one go. Turn on Also open in Google Translate to see the text in your language right away. Made for streamers, gamers and office work.

Features

Read Text from Area: press the key and the screen dims. Drag over the text, let go, and paste. The selection shows its size as you drag

Read Fixed Area: the first press sets the area, every later press reads it at once. Hold the key for 0.6 seconds to pick a new area

Auto language: Japanese and English together in one pass, including English words and numbers inside a Japanese line. Or pick one text recognition language that is installed in Windows

Lines: keep the lines as they are on the screen, or join them into one paragraph

Also open in Google Translate (off by default), into the language you choose

Clear key states: DRAG, reading, COPIED with the first words, NO TEXT, CANCELLED. The settings show the last read: characters, lines and language

Right-click, Esc or a second press of the key cancels. Your clipboard only changes when text is found

Five looks: Classic, Neon, Ring, Bars, Solid

English and Japanese

FAQ

How do I copy text from an image or a video on Windows? Press the Read Text from Area key, drag over the text in the picture or the paused video, and paste with Ctrl+V.

Can I copy the text of an error message? Yes. Drag over the message box and the code, for example 0x80070005, is copied as text, ready to paste into a search.

Does it read Japanese? Yes. Auto reads Japanese and English together, including English words and numbers inside a Japanese line, when Windows has the Japanese language added.

Can one key read the same spot every time? Yes. Read Fixed Area keeps its area, so one press copies the subtitle line, chat box or field you set. Hold the key to pick a new one.

Does my text leave my PC? Text is read on your PC and goes to your clipboard. Only Also open in Google Translate opens the text in your browser, and it is off until you turn it on.

Privacy

Runs on your PC, with no account and no telemetry. The screen is looked at only while you select or press a Fixed Area key, and no pictures are saved.

Requirements

Windows 10 or later, Stream Deck app 6.9 or later

Windows PowerShell (part of Windows; nothing to install)

A text recognition language installed in Windows (Japanese and English Windows have one). To read Japanese on an English Windows, add Japanese in Settings > Time & language > Language & region

Limitations

Reading is a best guess: very small text, thin gray text, decorated fonts and busy backgrounds can come out with mistakes, so check a code before you use it. Japanese voiced marks on tiny gray text and the yen sign and backslash can be mixed up

Tested with Japanese and English. Other languages installed in Windows can be picked and are read by Windows as is

Handwriting is read poorly, if at all

Games in exclusive full screen may cover the selection: use windowed or borderless mode

Text is copied as plain text, without fonts or layout

Google Translate takes the first part of very long text

Compatibility: tested on Windows 11

Something not working, or an idea? Email contact@gramshift.com any time, in English or Japanese. Every message is read.

First release. Copy text from the screen with OCR: press the Read Text from Area key, drag over the text and paste it. Read Fixed Area reads the same spot again with one press; hold to pick a new spot. Auto reads Japanese and English together, or pick a language installed in Windows. Keep lines or join them, and optionally open the text in Google Translate. Five key looks, English and Japanese.