Punjabi OCR — Image to Text & PDF
ਤਸਵੀਰਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸਕੈਨ ਕੀਤੇ ਦਸਤਾਵੇਜ਼ਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਟੈਕਸਟ ਕੱਢੋ
- Gurmukhi & Shahmukhi
- Accurate script handling
- Right-to-Left Shahmukhi
Free image OCR. No account needed. PDFs use pages.
Open OCR for all languagesLetter writing manual
Real scan. Unedited OCR.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ॥
f1656 ਇਸ ਪੁਸਤਕ ਦੇ ਪੰਜ ਭਾਗ ਹੋਵਨਗੇ।
ਪਹਿਲਾ ਭਾਗ॥ ਇਸ ਵਿਖੇ ਓਹ ਚਿੱਠੀਆਂ ਅਰ ਪੱਤ੍ਰਕਾ
ਹੈਂ ਜੋ ਆਪਸ ਮੇਂ ਲਿਖੀਆਂ ਜਾਂਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ ਅਰ ਇਹ ਭੀ
ਮਾਲਮ ਰਹੇ ਜੋ ਏਹਇਸਤਰਹ ਦੀਆਂ ਚਿੱਠੀਆਂਤਿੰਨ ਵਜਹ
ਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ ਹੇਠਾਂ ਨਮੂਨਾ ਦੇਖੋ॥ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਵਜਹ॥ ਇਸ
ਵਿਖੇ ਓਹ ਚਿੱਠੀਆਂ ਹਨ ਜੋ ਬਜ਼ੁਰਗਾਂ ਦੀ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਛੋਟਿਆਂ
ਨੂੰ ਲਿਖੀਆਂ ਜਾਂਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ। ਦੂਸਰੀ ਤਰਹ॥ ਇਸ
ਵਿੱਚ ਓਹ ਪਤ੍ਰਕਾ ਹੈਂ ਜੋ ਛੋਟਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਤਰਫ਼ੋਂ ਵਡਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ
ਲਿਖੀਆਂ ਜਾਂਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ॥ ਤੀਸਰੀ ਤਰਹ। ਇਸ ਵਿੱਚ
ਓਹ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਪੱਕਾ ਹੈਂ ਜੋ ਬਰਾਬਰ ਦਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਮ ਹਨ।
ਦੂਸਰਾ 1613 ਭਾਗ॥ ਇਸ ਦੂਸਰੇ ਭਾਗ ਮੇਂ ਅਰਜ਼ੀਆਂ ਲਿਖਨ
ਦੀ ਅਕਲ ਦੱਸੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ ਥੋੜੇ ਨਮੂਨੇ ਭੀ ਸਾਥ ਲਿਖੇਹਨ॥
ਤੀਸਰਾ ਭਾਗ॥ ਇਸ ਤੀਸਰੇ ਭਾਗ ਮੇਂ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਕਾਗਜ਼ਾਂਦੇ
ਨਮੂਨੇ ਲਿਖੇ ਹਨ ਜੋ ਦਫ਼ਤਾਂ ਤੇ ਕਚਹਿਰੀਆਂ ਵਿਖੇ
ਵਰਤਮਾਨ ਓਹ ਕਾਗਜ਼ ਹਨਪ ਲਿਖੇ। ਹਨ ਚੌਥਾ ਜੈਸੇ ਭਾਗਕਿ॥ ਇਸ ਰੋਜ਼ ਚੌਥੇ ਅਥਵਾ ਭਾਗ ਅਕਸਰ ਵਿੱਚ
ਸੰਸਾਰ ਵਿਵਹਾਰ ਮੇਂ ਅੱਜ ਕੱਲ ਵਰਤਮਾਨ ਹਨ॥
ਪੰਜਵਾਂ ਭਾਗ॥ ਇਸ ਭਾਗ ਵਿਖੇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਪੱਤ੍ਰਕਾ ਸਵੈਯਾ
ਸਮੇਤ ਲਿੱਖ ਕਰਕੇ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਕਰੀ ਜਾਵੇਂ ਗੀਂ 56॥ 15 55Original text order preserved
Punjabi OCR converts images, scans and PDFs containing Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ / پنجابی) text into editable, searchable digital text. FastOCR reads Punjabi online: upload an image with no account, or a PDF with a free account, then copy the text or download a searchable PDF. Accuracy depends on scan quality, so check the result against your original.
Try it with your Punjabi document
Drop your file here
PDF, PNG, JPG, WebP, BMP, HEIC
PDF up to 1 GB · images up to 20 MB
Tips for a clear photo
- Lay the page flat.
- Use even light, with no shadows.
- Turn off the flash to avoid glare.
- Fill the frame with the page.
What is Punjabi OCR & Developer API?
Developer API docs →Punjabi OCR is the automated process of converting scanned multi-page PDFs up to 1GB and documents into editable, searchable Punjabi text while preserving accents, complex ligatures, and native character shapes. FastOCR reads printed text in this script and generates full-text searchable PDFs with selectable text overlays. For engineering teams building RAG pipelines, vector search databases, or automated document ingestion, FastOCR also provides a Punjabi OCR REST API at api.fastocr.org with 20 free pages a month for every signed-in account. The API accepts PDF files up to 1 GiB, and PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, WebP and BMP images up to 20 MiB. An image counts as one page.
Gurmukhi & Shahmukhi
Recognizes Gurmukhi script (India) and Shahmukhi script (Pakistan).
Accurate script handling
Full support for Gurmukhi vowel signs (laga matra) and consonants.
Right-to-Left Shahmukhi
Correct RTL cursive processing for Shahmukhi (Urdu-based).
Mixed Punjabi & English
Bilingual text extraction with both scripts handled in one pass.
Searchable PDF output
Prerenders PDFs with invisible text layer for full-text search.
Translate after extraction
Extract Punjabi text then translate to English or any language.
Why Punjabi OCR Is Challenging
- Supporting two entirely different scripts for the same language (Gurmukhi LTR and Shahmukhi RTL)
- Recognizing Gurmukhi vowel signs (laga matra) and subscripts (haaha, raara, vaava)
- Handling connected cursive characters in Shahmukhi script where letters change shape
- Distinguishing small dot diacritics (bindi, tippi, addak) in Gurmukhi that change word pronunciation and meaning
How to Extract Punjabi Text from a PDF & Images
- Go to fastocr.org
- Upload your Punjabi image or PDF. Language is detected automatically.
- Wait for processing — images take seconds, PDFs show a progress bar.
- Download results: searchable PDF, raw text file, or copy text directly.
Tips for Better Punjabi OCR Accuracy
- Scan at 300+ DPI to preserve Gurmukhi matras and dots (bindi, tippi) which are very small
- Ensure high contrast so that the top horizontal line in Gurmukhi script is preserved
- For Shahmukhi script, use calligraphic Naskh-style print for better accuracy
Common Use Cases for Punjabi OCR
- Digitizing Punjabi legal deeds, court filings, and land registry records
- Extracting text from Indian and Pakistani government documents, ID cards, and forms
- Converting scanned Punjabi literature, Gurmukhi scriptures, and newspapers
- Processing Punjabi business invoices and trading documents
FastOCR vs Standard OCR Apps for Punjabi
| Capability | FastOCR Dedicated Cloud AI | Standard Online OCR Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Punjabi Script Recognition | ✅ Full native cloud recognition for Punjabi (complex alphabets and diacritics) | Limited character sets or unhandled accents |
| Multi-Column & Table Layouts | ✅ Preserves proper paragraph and table alignment | Merges unrelated columns together |
| Searchable PDF Output | ✅ Dual-layer searchable PDF with coordinate-aligned text overlay | Plain unformatted text dump only or unsupported |
| Instant Web Access | ✅ Zero software installation (runs in mobile & desktop browser) | Requires local CLI libraries or complex desktop setup |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it support Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi scripts?
Yes. FastOCR supports Gurmukhi script (used in India) and Shahmukhi script (used in Pakistan). The AI auto-detects the script type.
How accurate is Punjabi OCR?
FastOCR reads printed Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi Punjabi. Faded prints may reduce accuracy.
Is Punjabi OCR free?
Yes. Image OCR is completely free and requires no signup. PDF processing requires a free account — see fastocr.org/pricing for plan details.
Dedicated Punjabi Tools
PDF to Text
Convert and extract Punjabi documents.
Image to Text
Convert and extract Punjabi documents.
Handwriting OCR
Convert and extract Punjabi documents.
Searchable PDF
Convert and extract Punjabi documents.
Punjabi to English Translation
Convert and extract Punjabi documents.
English to Punjabi Translation
Convert and extract Punjabi documents.
All supported languages
Convert and extract Punjabi documents.
Explore Specialized OCR Workflows
FastOCR provides dedicated AI text recognition engines optimized for complex document types and formats:
Free for images. No registration required.
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Free Punjabi OCR
Upload & Extract TextLast updated: July 24, 2026