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Copy Text from Screen (OCR)Stream Deck plugin for Windows

Copy the text you can see on your screen with one Stream Deck key

Read the words in pictures, paused videos, scans and error boxes, and paste them anywhere as plain text.

Get it on the Elgato Marketplace See how it works

One-time purchase on the Elgato Marketplace, shown there in your own currency.

Copy Text from Screen (OCR): Copy the text you can see on your screen with one Stream Deck key

Overview

What Copy Text from Screen (OCR) does

To copy text from the screen with a Stream Deck on Windows, add Copy Text from Screen (OCR) and press its Read Text from Area key: drag over the text you can see, let go, and paste it anywhere with Ctrl+V.

It reads (OCR) the text in pictures, paused videos, scanned PDFs, error messages, games and remote desktops, Japanese and English together, and a Read Fixed Area key reads the same spot again with each press.

Features

What you can do

01

Press, drag, paste

Press the key and the screen dims. Drag over the text, let go, and paste it anywhere. The selection shows its size as you drag.

Press, drag, paste: Press the key and the screen dims. Drag over the text, let go, and paste it anywhere. The selection shows its size as you drag.
02

Japanese and English together

Auto reads both in one pass, including English words and numbers inside a Japanese line. Or pick one text recognition language installed in Windows.

Japanese and English together: Auto reads both in one pass, including English words and numbers inside a Japanese line. Or pick one text recognition language installed in Windows.
03

Same spot, one press

Read Fixed Area keeps an area such as a subtitle line, a game's chat box or a field in a remote app, and every press reads it again. Hold the key for 0.6 seconds to pick a new area.

Same spot, one press: Read Fixed Area keeps an area such as a subtitle line, a game's chat box or a field in a remote app, and every press reads it again. Hold the key for 0.6 seconds to pick a new area.
04

From pictures, videos and scans

Copy the words in images, paused videos, scanned PDFs, error messages, games and remote desktops, as plain text on your clipboard.

From pictures, videos and scans: Copy the words in images, paused videos, scanned PDFs, error messages, games and remote desktops, as plain text on your clipboard.
05

Five looks, clear states

Classic, Neon, Ring, Bars or Solid. The key shows DRAG, reading, COPIED with the first words, NO TEXT or CANCELLED, in English or Japanese.

Five looks, clear states: Classic, Neon, Ring, Bars or Solid. The key shows DRAG, reading, COPIED with the first words, NO TEXT or CANCELLED, in English or Japanese.

Also built in

  • Your clipboard kept safe

    It changes only when text is found, and a right-click, Esc or a second press of the key cancels the selection.

  • Lines your way

    Keep the lines as they are on the screen, or join them into one paragraph for text that wraps in a narrow column.

  • Translate in one go

    Turn on Also open in Google Translate to see the text in the language you choose right away.

  • Stays on your PC

    Text is read on your PC and goes to your clipboard, with no account and no telemetry, and no pictures of the screen are saved.

Set up

How it works

  1. Install the plugin from the Elgato Marketplace, find Copy Text from Screen in the action list and drag Read Text from Area onto a key.
  2. Press the key. The screen dims: drag over the text you want and let go. The key shows COPIED and the first words.
  3. Paste with Ctrl+V anywhere. For a spot you read again and again, add Read Fixed Area: the first press sets the area, every later press reads it at once.

Get Copy Text from Screen (OCR)

FAQ

Questions

Short answers to what people ask before they add it.

Something not working?

Email contact@gramshift.com and we will help you get it going. You can also use the support page.

How do I copy text from the screen with a Stream Deck?

Add Copy Text from Screen (OCR) and drag Read Text from Area onto a key. Press it, drag over the text in any app or picture, let go, and paste with Ctrl+V.

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. To add it on an English Windows, open Settings > Time & language > Language & region.

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 for 0.6 seconds to pick a new one.

Does my text leave my PC?

Text is read on your PC and goes to your clipboard, and no picture of the screen is saved. Only Also open in Google Translate opens the text in your browser, and it is off until you turn it on.

Requirements

Before you buy

Works with

Works on Windows 10 or later with the Stream Deck app 6.9 or later and a text recognition language installed in Windows (Japanese and English Windows have one). It uses Windows PowerShell and the text recognition that are part of Windows, so there is no other app to install.

A Stream Deck plugin sold on the Elgato Marketplace.

Limits

  • Reading text from a picture can make mistakes: very small text, thin gray text, decorated fonts and busy backgrounds read less well, so check codes and numbers before you use them. The yen sign and the backslash, and Japanese voiced marks on tiny gray text, can be mixed up. Handwriting is read poorly, if at all.
  • Tested with Japanese and English. Other languages installed in Windows can be picked and are read by Windows as is.
  • Games in exclusive full screen may cover the selection: use windowed or borderless mode.
  • Text is copied as plain text, without fonts, tables or layout.
  • Google Translate takes the first part of very long text; your clipboard still has all of it.
  • Requires Windows 10 or later, Windows PowerShell (part of Windows) and the Stream Deck app 6.9 or later. Not for Mac.
  • Something not working, or an idea? Email contact@gramshift.com any time, in English or Japanese. Every message is read.

Get Copy Text from Screen (OCR)

Works on Windows 10 or later with the Stream Deck app 6.9 or later and a text recognition language installed in Windows (Japanese and English Windows have one). It uses Windows PowerShell and the text recognition that are part of Windows, so there is no other app to install.

Get it on the Elgato Marketplace

One-time purchase on the Elgato Marketplace, shown there in your own currency.