Extract Text from Images with AI

Two routes

• Classic OCR — tools like Tesseract extract raw text fast and free.
• Vision LLMs — multimodal models read an image and understand layout, so you can ask for structured output directly.

Extract the merchant, date, and total from this receipt as JSON.
[image attached]

Choosing

Use classic OCR for bulk, simple text. Use a vision model when you need understanding — tables, forms, handwriting, or "pull these specific fields." Combining both (OCR + LLM cleanup) is a robust pattern for messy documents.