Scan & process documents with advanced editing, OCR, PDF & DOCX

Installation and Registration

Website Version

• What is the difference between the demo version and the registered version?

  The demo version enables you to try the application before actually buying it. There's neither use limit nor time limit for trying the demo version. Here are the only limitations:
  

  • For outputting an image file: you will see the words "Unregistered copy" written in white and the Prizmo icon on the output image.
  • For outputting a text file or a business card: some words are replaced by the following characters ●●●●●●●. These characters will appear both in the preview, and in the output document.

  
  

• Prizmo keeps asking me to connect to the Internet in order to register. I checked my connection several times. What am I doing wrong?

  Internet connection is established when you first activate the application. This problem usually occurs when you type something wrong in the activation code (e.g. problem with the case, missing number or letter or an additional blank after the code). Try again to copy and paste your activation code because it is case sensitive.
  
  

• Entering the activation code did not activate Prizmo. I tried downloading a fresh copy, but this did not help. When I restart I get the message that Prizmo is not registered.

  Please try again. As the activation code is case sensitive, it is usually better to copy/paste it. Please be careful not to enter leading or trailing spaces.
  

Mac App Store Version

• I purchased Prizmo on the Mac App Store but didn't receive any serial. Could you send one to me?

  Apple relies on another licensing system for activating applications available on the Mac App Store. You don't need any code to register it. After purchasing an application, it is fully functional right away. Moreover, the purchase is saved in your iTunes account history. It means that if you want to install Prizmo on your new Mac, you only have to download a fresh copy from the Mac App Store (and you won't be charged a second time by the way).
  

Versions

• What is the difference between Prizmo 4 and Prizmo 4 incl. the Pro Pack?

  
  

  	Prizmo 4		Prizmo 4 incl. Pro Pack
  OCR in 28 Languages	Yes		Yes
  Apple OCR in 8 Languages	Yes		Yes
  Translation into 59 Languages	Yes		Yes
  Neural network-based translation into 22 Languages	No		Yes
  Multipage Processing	Yes		Yes
  Content Flattening	Yes		Yes
  Edge Repair	Yes		Yes
  Text-to-Speech	Yes		Yes
  Batch Processing	No		Yes
  Automator Action	No		Yes
  Custom Export Scripts	No		Yes
  Price	$49.99		$74.99
  Sold on the Mac App Store	Yes (no trial version available)		Yes, through In-App Purchase (no trial version available)
  Sold through our Store	Yes (trial version available)		Yes (no trial version available)

  
  
  

• What is the difference between Prizmo sold on the Mac App Store, and Prizmo sold through Creaceed's website?

  First, the licensing system: you need a serial for registering applications sold through Creaceed's website, but you don't need one if it was downloaded from the Mac App Store (Apple relies on another licensing system).
  Besides, the major difference is that only the Mac App Store version of Prizmo supports iCloud.
  
  

• How can I make sure I already own Prizmo 4 with the Pro Pack?

  Open Prizmo's Preferences, and click the Pro Pack tab. You can check there if the Pro Pack is activated or not.
  

• Do you plan to release Prizmo for Windows?

  Creaceed is specialized in Mac and iPhone development. We started over 12 years ago to work with all Mac-related technologies (Cocoa, Objective-C, OpenGL...), and we think they are great. So, we want to go on this way. We have no plan for a Windows version at this time.
  

Import Options

• How can I import documents or files into Prizmo? (including macOS/iOS Continuity Camera)

  Scanning can happen in many different ways, and Prizmo supports all of them.
  Whatever you want to scan, and however you plan to do it, Prizmo is the way to go.
  
  

  From iPhone or iPad (without tethering)

  On macOS Mojave (or later), make use of the Continuity Camera feature available in Prizmo. Click on the “Shoot with iPhone” button then snap a picture of a text with your device, which will be directly imported into a new Prizmo document.
  Note that both iPhone/iPad and Mac need to be logged onto the same iCloud account.
  
  Have a look at the detailed video below to see how it works.
  
  

  
  

  From Digital Cameras

  Compact cameras, DSLRS,... every digital camera is fine. The higher resolution the better of course, but you can get good results even with the camera of an iPhone 5.
  
  Nowadays, cameras often have 10-megapixel sensors. A 10-megapixel image is roughly as good as, or even better than, a 300-dpi US-Letter scan. After some image improvements, you can even go beyond 600 dpi with such images.So, you can really do without a scanner, even more now.
  
  

  From Scanners

  

  Prizmo supports most current connected and Wi-Fi scanners.
  
  Access the scanner from within Prizmo, select the area to be scanned, the resolution, the format... The scanned document is automatically imported into Prizmo where you can apply OCR.
  
  The whole list of supported scanners is available here.
  
  

  Even from your Screen

  

  
  You can process OCR on screenshots.
  Prizmo automatically detects if the input picture is a screenshot, and applies a specific processing for improving its resolution. This way, a 72-dpi screenshot can turn into a 288-dpi picture! This is much better suited for getting accurate OCR results.
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  Have you ever tried to copy text which could not be selected, no matter what you did? Now, there's a way to copy unselectable text from any application or website!
  You can process OCR on text visible on your screen in one of the supported languages, save the recognized text to the clipboard, and paste it just wherever you want (Mail, Pages...).
  
  

• Which scanners are supported?

  A list of supported scanners is available on Apple's website. The word "Scan" is mentioned next to all scanners which are supported by macOS.
  
  

• Is there anything I can do to check my scanner is supported before purchasing a license?

  Yes, there is.

  • Open the Preview application. Click File, and then Import from Scanner. If your device is listed there, it is supported by macOS.
  • And don't forget Prizmo's trial version is fully functional. So, you can also check if your scanner is supported by importing a document into Prizmo right from your device.

  
  

• Do you have a list of cameras supporting full tethering?

  We rely on the tethering function as implemented in macOS, and Apple does not provide an official list of supported devices. However, we think that Nikon and Canon DSLRs are a safe bet.
  
  

• Can I perform OCR on screenshots?

  Yes, you can. Prizmo automatically detects you imported a screenshot, and applies a specific processing in order to increase the screenshot resolution, and therefore its readability. As a result, OCR should be nearly as accurate on a screenshot as on a page coming from a scanner.
  
  Besides, you can perform OCR on text visible on your screen even without making a screenshot! Click the prism icon in the status bar (upper right corner of your screen), draw a rectangle around the text to select it, select the language and click the Copy Text button. The text is copied to the clipboard, and you can paste it wherever you want.
  
  

• Can I automate the actions so that many book page pictures are processed in a similar fashion?

  Yes, you can. Put your DSLR on a tripod, connect it to your Mac, and keep the book in the same position when you take pictures. You'll be able to use full tethering, and therefore to take pictures right from within Prizmo, without even touching your camera!
  
  

• Are multipage documents supported?

  Prizmo works great with multipage documents, either as input or as output.
  

  As Input

  In Prizmo window, you can view the whole document in the left column, page by page. All pages are numbered to help you handle long documents. This way, you can very easily select which page(s) to process.
  
  

  As Output

  You can choose what you want to export in the output window: all pages of the document, or only the selected page(s). No need to process a 100-page document if you only need 3 pages out of it! This will help you save time.
  

Selection and Preview

• I imported a photograph into Prizmo but it is upside down. How can I correct that?

  You can rotate the input photograph without any problem in Prizmo. Click the Left or Right button in the bottom toolbar.
  
  

• I am trying to move the grid corners to fit the page corners, but the grid remains a rectangle. What can I do to change it into a parallelogram?

  Perspective is currently locked in the document. You can resize the grid, but you can't correct perspective indeed. To fix this, open the Crop window, and click the Frame tab. Click the icon showing a document viewed in perspective (next to the Auto Detect button), and it will enable freeform frame reshaping. Alternatively, you can hold the Command key while dragging one of the frame handles.
  
  
  

• How can I position the grid accurately in the Crop window?

  In the lower right corner, you can move a slider to set the zoom level applied on the previewed picture. Besides, there are several zoom options available in the View menu:

  • Zoom in or Command and + keys
  • Zoom out or Command and - keys
  • Zoom to Selection or Command and * keys: zoom is applied to preview only the selected region.
  • Zoom to Actual Size or Command and 0 keys: zoom is applied to preview the input picture at 100% (the previewed image might be really big as a consequence).
  • Zoom All or Command and 9 keys: zoom is applied to preview the whole input photograph (the previewed image might be small as a consequence).

  Moreover, you can move the previewed picture within Prizmo: click the picture, press the Alt key and move until the picture is where you want it to be.
  
  

• How can I change the preview format?

  You can change it in a very accurate way in the Dimensions window. Choose a standard preset like US Letter or opt for a custom format. For the latter, you can type a number in the fields "Width" and "Height". Besides, you can choose the preferred unit in Prizmo's Preferences (pixel, inch, centimeter or millimeter).
  
  

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

• What do you mean by "region types"?

  When processing OCR, Prizmo analyzes the whole page content, and identifies different region types:
  
  

  • 
    Text regions: represented by a red icon in the region top left corner
  • Image regions: represented by an orange icon
  • Numeric regions: represented by a green icon.

  It's really handy, and it will significantly enhance the way recognized information is output. And above all, it will improve the recognition accuracy.
  
  What is more, you can change the type for existing regions and for regions you added manually.
  
  

  

  
  

• How to Improve OCR Accuracy?

  Here is a tip to get better OCR results: before performing OCR, move the readability slider in the OCR window, and check if you can read the text previewed in Prizmo. This feature shows you exactly what the OCR engine gets as input when it launches. If the input is good (i.e. if the text is neither too bright nor too dark), recognized text will be highly accurate.
  
  

  

  
  
  

• I tried Prizmo's OCR but I got poor results. What can I do?

  We checked the accuracy of the OCR engine in the available languages. Even with pictures taken in poor circumstances (document on several other documents, picture taken in front of the document rather than above...), we got very good results.
  
  Here are some recommendations for improved OCR results:

  • you should be right above the document you want to photograph.
  • use the camera flash when you take a picture.
  • when you select the text, check the grid is larger than the text to be recognized.
  • make sure the top and bottom lines of the grid are parallel to the text to be recognized.
  • choose the language of the document in the list (you can recognize a letter in Spanish while using Prizmo in English).
  • zoom in to get the text regions in close-up, and play with the Readability slider. You should be able to read the text on the whole page.

  
  

• Is the quality of my images good enough to perform OCR?

  Image quality is a major issue indeed. OCR results will most likely be disappointing if the input image quality is poor. Here are a few examples of what should be avoided:
  
  

  • The image is blurry. Check you are able to read the text on the picture. You can't in this example. Please take a new picture of better quality.
    
    
  
  
  
  • The ticket is crumpled.
    
    
  
  
  
  • It is a double-sided document. Characters, lines and colors which are printed on the other side could hinder OCR.
    
    
  
  

• How to perform OCR on multipage documents?

  Prizmo is able to perform OCR on multipage documents, and export the whole recognized text in a single document. After importing the document into Prizmo, select all pages in the left column, choose the OCR language, check the text readability, and click the Recognize button. You can preview the OCR results for each page individually by selecting the related page in the left column. When ready, click the Export button. You can output either all pages, or only the selected page(s).
  
  

• Which file types are available for saving OCR results?

  Besides the usual image files (jpeg, tiff and png), there are several text files available:

  • PDF (Image + Searchable Text): it is made of formatted text (columns, character size, bold, italic...) in addition to an image of the input document. Recognized text is Spotlight-indexable. It's the best file type for archiving purposes.
  • Rich Text or RTF: text is partially formatted (only bold, italic...). Very handy if you want to copy/paste text in Pages, Mail, OpenOffice...
  • Regular Text or TXT: it's raw text without any formatting. For people who want to modify the lay-out of an existing text.



• Can I translate the OCRed text?

  Next to the usual export options, you can also translate the OCRed text. Students in foreign languages and businessmen involved in international trade, just to name a few, will appreciate this unique feature.
  
  Translation services are available in 59 languages: Afrikaans, Arabic, Bangla, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Cantonese (Traditional), Catalan, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Fijian, Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Klingon, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malagasy, Malay, Maltese, Norwegian Bokmål, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Serbian (Cyrillic), Serbian (Latin), Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tahitian, Tamil, Thai, Tongan, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Welsh.
  
  

  

Pro Pack

• What is the Pro Pack made of?

  If you have many documents to OCR for business or private purposes, you will be interested in Prizmo's Pro Pack. Prizmo's Pro options will help you go further in your daily search for productivity.
  
  

  1. Batch Document Processing: you can add all documents to be processed in a specific window, and configure settings for each document (output format, OCR language...). Then, launch batch processing, and let Prizmo take charge. You are free to work on something else in the meantime.
  
  
  2. Automator Action: you can automatically process collections of files, and integrate Prizmo with existing workflows. For instance, you can create a folder action for automatically performing OCR in this specific folder.
  
  
  3. Custom Scripts: Prizmo can be integrated easily in enterprise workflows using custom Unix scripts and AppleScripts.
  
  
  4. Neural Network-Based Translation: available in 22 languages for a more accurate translation. See full list of supported languages here.

  
  
  

• How to unlock the Pro Pack when you already own Prizmo 2 or 4 regular version?

  Copies purchased through our online store require a specific upgrade code that we can give you (please write to

  ). When purchasing Prizmo + Pro Pack, paste this code in the coupon code field, and you'll pay the price difference (limited to 1 Pro Pack per Prizmo license).
  
  On the Mac App Store, you can unlock Pro options through In-App Purchase.



• How do I install custom scripts?

  You can download and install these sample scripts by clicking here. Install the package by double-clicking it.
  
  This installs scripts in your $HOME/Library/Application Scripts/ folder.

  • If you got Prizmo from the Mac App Store, the scripts will be in the com.creaceed.mas.prizmo2 subfolder.
  • If you got Prizmo from our store, the scripts are located in the com.creaceed.prizmo2 subfolder.

  All the scripts you make must be located in this specific subfolder.
  
  This subfolder contains 2 scripts (one AppleScript, one shell script). You'll notice that these scripts also appear in Prizmo Preferences > Export Options > Script, where you can select them. Once selected, the script is invoked when you export your document with the script option.
  
  Please refer to the provided sample scripts to see how arguments are passed (this depends on whether the script is a shell script or an AppleScript).



• How to export to Devonthink?

  Benjamin Zeiss shared his scripts for exporting to Devonthink. Special thanks to him from all Prizmo users!

Upgrade

• Is the upgrade from Prizmo 2 to Prizmo 4 free?

  Yes, it is. If you purchased Prizmo 2 through our online store, you'll get warned after opening the application. If you purchased Prizmo 2 through the Mac App Store, Prizmo 4 will be listed in the Updates section.Pay attention though, Prizmo 4 requires at least OS X Yosemite.

• Is it possible to upgrade from Prizmo to the Prizmo incl. the Pro Pack?

  Basically, yes but there's a difference depending on the sales channel you used for purchasing Prizmo.
  If you purchased your license

  • on the Mac App Store, you have to purchase the Pro Pack through In-App Purchase. Open the Preferences window, and select the Pro Pack tab.
  • through Creaceed's website, please write to
    so we can give you an upgrade code. When purchasing Prizmo + Pro Pack, paste this code in the coupon field and you will only pay the price difference.

  
  

• What can I do if I can't find my activation code?

  Write to

  , and mention all your contact information (name, address, email...) so that we can quickly search for your activation code in our database.
  

Can't find your answer? Need Help?

Write to
. When you ask a question, please send the following information so that we can quickly help you:
• Mac Model
• macOS Version
• Prizmo Version
• Whether you purchased Prizmo through the Mac App Store, or through Creaceed's Website
• Input Image Format and Resolution
• Camera or Scanner Model
• Crash Report if you have one
• Any Message about Prizmo when you open Console.app.

Thank you!