Extract text from scanned text files (OCR)
To convert OCR text files to another format, you need Adobe Acrobat or other Text software.
To convert other file formats to the "OCR Text Data" file type, you need software like Adobe Acrobat or a similar tool.
.OCR files are highly fragmented, serving multiple distinct purposes depending on their origin. Primarily, they are used by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for internal administrative messages and military posting orders. In the civilian sector, they are typically generated as intermediate data files by Optical Character Recognition software. Examples include OCR processed PDF documents linked to Adobe Acrobat, OCR script files for Subtitle Workshop, or legacy FAXGrapper fax text files by Nuance Communications.
The main disadvantage of the .OCR format is its lack of standardization. A generic .OCR file could be a proprietary military database entry, a raw text dump from a scanner, or a specialized subtitle script. This fragmentation means double-clicking the file rarely opens it in the correct application, and specialized software requires costly subscriptions or obsolete hardware. Users typically need to convert these files to standard formats like PDF, TXT, or DOCX to read, share, or edit the extracted text. Subtitle variants are often converted to standard SRT or VTT.
Standard online converters frequently fail to process .OCR files because they cannot correctly guess which of the completely different file types they are handling. Proprietary formats, like the CAF administrative messages, are particularly difficult to open as they rely on closed, internal government systems. However, convert.guru provides a realistic workaround. Just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view it, and convert it when possible. Our system inspects the internal file signature to show embedded text or underlying data, helping you bypass application lock-in.
Convert.Guru analyzes your OCR file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PDF, DOCX, DOC, SSA, PY and AU3 files.
If you want to convert OCR file to PDF, TXT, RTF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, PAGES, TEX, LATEX, MD, MARKDOWN or LOG, you can use Adobe Acrobat or similar software from the "Text and Data Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert PDF, DOC, ASC, TODO, NFO, MEMO, README, DOCX, JPG, TXT, NOTE or RTF files to OCR, try Adobe Acrobat or another comparable tool in the "Text and Data Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our OCR converter.