Free guide · Oct 8, 2026

light-ocr: extract text locally and check what it missed

How to set up light-ocr, extract your first document and check the mistakes.

The short version

I would test one invented timetable before using OCR on anything important. Keep a typed copy as ground truth, photograph the page, extract the text and compare every line. Start with ordinary type before adding glare, small print or a tilted camera. That gives you a useful error record rather than an impressive-looking box overlay.

The three things this guide helps you do are set up the documented package, extract a first image or PDF and check the mistakes. “Offline” here refers to local recognition after package acquisition; the initial installation still needs the package files.

What's in the full guide

  1. 01Pick the smallest useful test
  2. 02Check the documented setup
  3. 03Extract one image
  4. 04Extract the matching PDF
  5. 05Score the output without fooling yourself
  6. 06Test local processing separately from accuracy
  7. 07Change one condition at a time
  8. 08The limits to keep in mind
  9. 09Your first action