Free online PNG to TEXT converter

Source format: PNG

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a raster image format that uses lossless compression and supports transparency. It is commonly used for screenshots, logos, graphics, and other images that need sharp detail. A PNG file stores pixels, not editable characters, so any text you see inside the image is part of the picture.

Target format: text file

A text file usually means a plain-text document such as .txt. It contains editable characters rather than image data. Text files are lightweight, widely compatible, and easy to open in any text editor. When converting PNG to text, the usual goal is OCR (optical character recognition), which extracts readable text from the image and saves it as plain text.

How to convert PNG to text

The right method depends on whether the PNG contains readable text.

If the PNG contains text, use OCR software. Good desktop options include Tesseract OCR, Adobe Acrobat, and ABBYY FineReader. Some workflows can also use LibreOffice Draw, but OCR-focused tools usually give better results.

1. Open the PNG in OCR software or a text-recognition tool.
2. Make sure the image is clear, upright, and high resolution.
3. Run OCR to extract the text.
4. Review the recognized text and correct any errors.
5. Save or export the result as a .txt file.

For a command-line workflow, Tesseract OCR is a common free choice. A basic command looks like tesseract input.png output. In this case, Tesseract typically creates output.txt automatically.

If you prefer a graphical workflow, open the PNG in OCR-capable software and use the export or save option. In many programs, this is found under File → Export or File → Save As, then choose plain text or TXT as the output format.

On 101convert.com, you can convert the file online for free without installing any software. Upload the PNG, let the service extract the text, and download the resulting text file.

When OCR works best

• Use clean, high-resolution PNG images for better recognition.
• Crop the image to the text area when possible.
• Straighten skewed images before conversion.
• Use strong contrast and avoid blur or heavy noise.
• Review the extracted text carefully, especially for unusual fonts, multiple columns, or mixed layouts.

Limitations to keep in mind

PNG to text is not a direct format conversion in the same sense as image-to-image conversion. The result depends on OCR accuracy, which is affected by font style, background noise, skew, blur, language, and layout. Screenshots and clean scans usually produce the best results, while handwritten text, decorative fonts, or low-quality images may require manual correction.

If the PNG contains no actual text—for example, a photo, diagram, or logo—OCR may return little or no useful output. Transparency and color depth usually do not matter much for OCR; clarity and contrast matter far more.