Which platforms support offline OCR?
ReadMD supports local offline OCR on Windows through WinRT and on macOS through Apple Vision. Availability follows the capabilities of the operating system and device.
Extract scan text into editable Markdown.
On Windows and macOS, ReadMD calls the operating system's native recognition engine locally. The scan stays on your device while you turn recognized text into a reviewable document.
Local OCR workflow
Prepare the scan
Use a clear image or PDF page stored on the device. Straight pages and readable type usually produce cleaner results.
Add or paste the source
Add a scan in ReadMD, or use the clipboard workflow to extract text from a pasted screenshot.
Recognize locally
Windows uses WinRT OCR. macOS uses Apple Vision offline recognition. No cloud account is required for these paths.
Review and save Markdown
Correct reading order, headings, tables, figures, names, and numbers before saving or editing the Markdown.
OCR questions
Can I extract text from a screenshot?
Yes on supported platforms. ReadMD includes a clipboard workflow for extracting text from a pasted screenshot without sending it to a web service.
Will OCR perfectly preserve tables and layout?
No. Recognition quality depends on scan clarity, language, fonts, and layout complexity. Review headings, tables, numbers, names, and reading order after extraction.
Is the scanned page uploaded for recognition?
No. The qualified Windows and macOS OCR paths are designed to run locally and do not require a cloud account.