Ahsan Text Scanner: User Guide

 

Welcome to Ahsan Text Scanner! This guide will walk you through all the features of the app so you can easily scan images, extract text, translate it, and manage your work.

1. First Look: The Splash Screen

When you first visit Ahsan Text Scanner, you'll see a stylish splash screen with the app's name and a cool animation. This screen will appear for 5 seconds and then automatically transition you to the main application. Don't worry, you'll only see this once per browser session!

2. Getting Started: Your First Scan

The main purpose of Ahsan Text Scanner is to get text out of images. Here's how:

• Uploading an Image:

  • From your device: Click the "Upload Image" button (with the cloud icon). This will open your device's file explorer, allowing you to select an image file (JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, max 4MB).
  • Using your camera: Click the "Use Camera" button (with the camera icon).
    • Your browser will likely ask for permission to use your camera. Please allow it.
    • You'll see a live feed from your camera.
    • Point your camera at the document or text you want to scan.
    • Click the "Capture" button (with the aperture icon) to take a picture.
    • If you're on a mobile device or have multiple cameras, you can use the "Flip Cam" button (with the refresh icon) to switch between front and back cameras.
    • To stop using the camera and go back to upload mode, click "Stop Camera / Upload".
      
      
      
      
      
      

• Image Preview:

  • Once you've selected or captured an image, a preview will appear.
  • If you want to choose a different image or start over, click the "Clear Image / New Scan" button (with the rotate icon).

• Automatic Text Extraction (OCR):

  • As soon as an image is selected, the app will start processing it. You'll see a loading animation ("Analyzing your image...").
  • The extracted text will appear in the "Extracted Text" area below the image uploader.
  • The app will also try to identify the original language of the text in the image (e.g., "EN", "UR"). This will be shown next to the "Extracted Text" title.

3. Working with Extracted Text

Once the text is extracted, you have several options:

• Original Extracted Text Area:

  • View: The extracted text is displayed in a text box. You can even edit it directly if needed!
  • Language Display: The detected language of this original text (e.g., "EN", "UR") is shown in the title of this section.
  • Actions:
    • Copy All: Click this button to copy all the extracted text to your clipboard.
    • Copy Selected: Highlight a portion of the text with your mouse, then click this button to copy only the selected part.
    • Download: Click this button to save the extracted text as a .txt file on your device.

• Translating Text:

  • Below the original text area, you'll find the "Translate Text" section.
  • Select Target Language: Use the dropdown menu (it initially shows "Select language" with a languages icon) to choose the language you want to translate the extracted text into (e.g., Spanish, French, Urdu).
  • Translate: Click the button that says, for example, "Translate to English".
  • View Translated Text: A new text area will appear below, showing the translated text. A loading animation will appear while the translation is in progress.
  • Translated Text Actions: Similar to the original text, you have buttons to Copy All, Copy Selected, or Download the translated text.

4. Managing Your Scans: The History Panel

Ahsan Text Scanner remembers your recent scans!

• Show/Hide History: Click the "Show Scan History" button (with the history icon) at the bottom of the main content area. Click it again ("Hide Scan History") to close the panel. The number in the button shows how many items are in your history.
• What's Stored: Each history item includes:
  • The extracted (and potentially translated) text.
  • The timestamp of when the scan was performed.
  • The language of the text as it was saved (e.g., if you translated it to Spanish, it will show "ES").
• Actions on History Items: For each item in the history list:
  • Load to editor (Load Icon): Click the first icon (looks like a page with a corner turned) to load that text back into the "Extracted Text" area.
  • Copy text (Copy Icon): Click the copy icon to copy the text of that history item directly.
  • Download text (Download Icon): Click the download icon to save that specific history item's text as a .txt file.
  • Delete item (Trash Icon): Click the trash icon to remove that specific item from your history.
• Clear All History: If the history panel is open and contains items, a "Clear All" button will appear at the top right of the panel. Click this to remove all items from your scan history (a confirmation will be asked).
  
  
  
  
  
  

5. Quick Actions: Floating Buttons (FABs)

On the bottom-right of your screen, you'll find handy Floating Action Buttons:

• New Scan (Plus Icon): Click this to clear the current image and text, ready for a new scan.
• Download Extracted Text (Download Icon): This button appears when there's text in the "Extracted Text" area. Click it to quickly download the original extracted text.

6. Customizing Your Experience

• Theme Toggle (Sun/Moon Icon):
  • Located in the top-right header.
  • Click this button to open a dropdown menu where you can choose between:
    • Light: A light color scheme.
    • Dark: A dark color scheme.
    • System: The app will follow your operating system's theme preference.

7. Important Information & Support

• Footer Links:

  • At the bottom of the page, you'll find links for:
    • "Terms of Use" and "Privacy Policy": Clicking these will open a dialog box (modal) with important information about using the app and how your data is handled. These modals have a close button (❌) and scrollable content. Links within them (like to Instagram) will open in a new browser tab.
    • Social Media Icons (Instagram, Globe): Links to Ahsan Ali's Instagram and website.
    • "Support / Report Issue" (Chat Bubble Icon): Clicking this link will take you to a live chat page to get help or report any issues.

• Header Support Button (Lifebuoy Icon):

  • Located next to the Theme Toggle in the top-right header.
  • This is another quick way to access the support chat link.

• Cookie Consent Banner:

  • The very first time you visit, a banner will appear at the bottom: "This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By using the site, you agree to our Privacy Policy."
  • Click "Accept" to dismiss the banner. It won't show up again during your session.
  • Click "Learn More" to open the Privacy Policy dialog.

8. Tips for Best Results

• Clear Images: For the best text extraction, use clear, well-lit images with good contrast.
• Camera Permissions: If camera access isn't working, check your browser's site settings to ensure permission hasn't been blocked for Ahsan Text Scanner.
• Responsive Design: The app is designed to work well on desktops, tablets, and mobile phones!