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Google Translate is one of the most popular and widely used tools for translation. You can use Google Translate to scan text from documents and images in different formats, including PDF, Word, JPG, and more.
This article provides a step-by-step guide on how you can translate an image using Google Translate on a phone and computer. However, due to Google Translate's limitations when translating a scanned PDF or image, this article also offers alternative methods you can consider.
What Google Translate Can Do for You
Google Translate is a translation tool available on multiple platforms. As a well-known online tool, Google Translate supports over 130 languages, from commonly used languages, such as English, French, Spanish, and German, to less common languages, such as Hebrew, Quechua, Sepedi, Tsonga, and others.
Google Translate are available on both mobile and PC. You can directly paste text in the word box using the PC version to get the translation. You can also translate a document or a website with its online tool. If you use the mobile version, you can quickly get translation results through your smartphone's camera or during conversations by transcribing what you hear.
How to Use Google Translate Image Scanner on a Phone
You can use the mobile version of Google Translate to translate pictures. Here is how you can translate images using Google Translate on your phone.
Go to the Google Translate app on your phone, and then you can translate images in two ways.
The first method is to upload an image from an album. Then, set the languages you need, for example, from English to Spanish. After selecting the language, Google Translate will automatically recognize the text in the picture and display the translation in the same layout as the original image. The translated text will replace the input text. You can also tap Select Text or Send to Translate Home if you need to edit the text.
The other method is to translate information at your sight directly. Aim your camera at the text that you want to translate. Wait for a few seconds, and then the translation will appear on the screen with the text replaced. To copy the translation, you can tap the photo button.
How to Use Google Translate to Translate Scanned PDF on PC
You can use Google Translate to translate documents easily. With only three simple steps, you can quickly get the translation. Here's a guide to uploading and downloading a file you want to translate.
Step 1Upload a file
Open a browser and go to the Google Translate website. Click the Documents tab and select the original text language and the language to which you want to translate the text. Then, click Browse Your Computer, and select the PDF file that you want to process.
Step 2Start translation
After the upload, click Translate to translate the PDF.
Step 3Download the document
Once the page prompts that the translation is complete, click Download translation. Then, the file will be automatically downloaded from the website and saved to the default folder.
Google Translate is free and can produce a translation of a 200-word file within seconds. However, the limitations of Google Translate are also obvious.
- Google Translate cannot translate scanned PDFs.
The tool cannot recognize the text if you upload a scanned PDF or an image.
- Errors occur if the layout of the PDF is not clear.
When translating PDF, Google Translate retains the layout of the file. Consequently, grammatical and format errors may be returned when information is not in a system-friendly order.
How to Use Google Translate to Translate Photo to Text On PC
You can use Google Translate to translate a scanned photo in two ways. First, you can use the OCR tool to recognize text in a scanned file. This way, Google Translate can understand the meaningful pixels and translate them into another language. You can also extract text from PDF or JPG files by converting them into Word files. Doing so can make the result more accurate and return fewer mistakes.
PDFelement is an ideal application for converting files with OCR. Follow the procedure below to see how to apply OCR:
Step 1Select a file
If you haven't downloaded PDFelement, you can download it from its official website. After you download the app, launch the desktop application. On the home page of the interface, click OCR PDF to process your scanned document. Then, select the scanned PDF from your computer as prompted. Click Open when finished.
Step 2Change the settings
Choose from over 30 languages available, and change the page range and the dpi based on your requirements. Keep Editable Text selected for Type. After confirming the settings, click Perform OCR to start the task.
Step 3Open and edit
Once the operation is successful, click Open. Then, you will be navigated to the PDF edit interface. Modify the text if you want to delete or add something.
Step 4Save and export
After you complete the modification, find Export Data in the Form tab in the upper toolbar. Then, save the editable and searchable file to your desired location.
Note: If you are processing an image, you need to convert the image into a PDF first. Drag and drop the file to the blank area or click Open File. Then, the picture will be converted into a PDF.
Find the OCR Text Recognition tool in the Tool tab in the upper part of the interface. Click the tool, change the language, and type the settings as shown above. Repeat the same steps: click Perform OCR and Open, and then save the document.
Once you get the editable document, you can upload it directly to Google Translate. Then, you can also copy the text from the converted file. Then, paste it into the Google Translate text box. The translation will appear in the translation text box.
What Else Can I Do With the PDF
Aside from having OCR and conversion tools, PDFelement also provides a variety of tools that you can use to modify your PDF.
On the home page of the application, you can compress, merge, or split your PDF. You can also compare the old version of your file with the new version of the file. If you want to process multiple PDFs and get the output simultaneously, click Batch PDF. This allows you to upload many large files with multiple pages.
PDFelement's main features include:
- Markup the PDF with tools like highlight, underline, squiggly, pencil, etc.
- Comment on the PDF with a text box, text callout, or sticky note.
- Add related files and organize them with a paperclip.
- Measure the distance between two points on a page with the distance measure tool.
- Sign the document with a stamp and signature.
- Increase the security of a document with a password.
- Add more effects to a document with buttons, such as the check box, radio button, dropdown, list box, etc.
- Modify the document with a watermark, background, header & footer, etc.
Comments Received from PDFelement Users
As a desktop application, PDFelement provides powerful features and stable services compared with other online tools. You do not need to worry about having an Internet connection as it enables you to modify files offline. PDFelement also supports both Windows and macOS. Plus, you can enjoy the free version on multiple devices.
PDFelement has received a lot of positive comments from many users. Some users appreciate PDFelement's intuitive UI, providing guides that are easy to understand. Many users also consider PDFelement's Document Cloud a unique and important feature. With this feature, you can save all your documents in a secure place. More importantly, you can ensure that your data will not lose in storage.
Aside from the free features, you can upgrade to the Pro version if you have professional requirements. PDFelement offers Individual, Team & Business plans that provide more features at cost-effective prices. With paid plans, users can unlock free document cloud storage, remove watermarks, get free tech support, and more. A bundle plan is also available if you need to use PDFelement on multiple platforms at lower prices.
Conclusion
Google Translate provides efficient translating services but does not allow you to translate a scanned PDF and image directly. To overcome the limitations of Google Translate, you can use PDFelement to convert a document into an editable and searchable file. With PDFelement, you can increase the efficiency of handling and modifying documents within seconds. Download PDFelement now and edit documents with a variety of tools!