Remove Text from image (Is it possible)?

Hello Lobo;

  Yes it would be. Maybe someone will read this and get the hint ;-)

Take Care
Carrzkiss

Yea, one of our own Experts could do it, eh?

If I new something about Graphics Programming. I would love to make something like this.
But my main programming is with area's of "WebBrowser & Text Editor" Programming.
Which I enjoy the WebBrowser projects better myself ;-)

Yea, their are some great developers in here, in all development languages.
Maybe, who knows.
Do some checking, might just try it myself.
If someone else does not do it first.

Making me think. And it is almost time for bed.
Need to think about sleep, not work :-)

Like Lobo, I don't know of any tool that does this now. But, it's not a unique idea, and there is a commercial market for it.
Here's a starting place for exploring further, you can probably follow up with the authors and also the references:
http://www.dim.hcuge.ch/medgift/publications/bvm2005_mueller.pdf

Well,

We can write text to images, eg. PHP / GD. But to obscure already present text, we could have a problem.

Then again - if we're talking about images of a certain format - eg medical imaging, then we know which area contains unwanted text, thus have co-ords to work with, so that shouldn't be a problem,

But to recognise text and then remove it (fill it), well - possibly, but it would never be used in a non-standard format / multi / unknown format for medical imaging, for example - for security on one hand and loss of important original content. Unless of course, the text is not actually present on the image, but added during rendering (like perhaps with DICOM, with XML data, for instance - no problem.) But, after it is placed - not nice.

But if you want to write something for a standard format to remove text (eg patient info in top left / right) - I'm up for that, even for 50 points. Just give me a template, ;)

Nice reference, lherrou

d.

IDreamer007;
 Thanks for your Input.

  There is not very much that I cannot do when it comes to Graphics.
Rather working with Images for Web, Software and so forth.
So I do not need no one to place text on an image, or even to cover the text up with text.
This I can do myself, with me eyes closed.

Simply put, just wanted to find out "IF" (And that is the BIG "IF") there is a program
Available that will Strip and Render out the present text on an image.
Nope, not Medical images. Hard Written text on images, is what I need to strip.

Very time consuming, but I could take it out peice by peice using Photoshop.
But you are looking at hours of work per image.
Stripping the Text out, and then revamping the image with the Surrounding colors/pixels.
Just not in my description of fun at the moment.

Take Care

Optical Character Recognition or OCR apps comes bundled with most scanners these days.  It's like magic.

Right,

Seems I've not explained what I'm saying well enough..... I understand that you want to remove text, hard-written etc... the only prob is that you can ditinguish what is most likely not text. Distinguishing accurately what IS text is a problem. My point was that IF the text is in a certain regular format - eg in the same place on every image, then this is much simpler than writing an app to recognise text anywhere on the pic. I mean, what if it's a pic of a sign....you get where I'm coming from?

Parts of the image may resemble (or actually be) textual items.Thus, doing what you are saying will probably destroy the image / or not remove the text, depending on sensitivity.

So, the question is - is the text in the same place on every image? If not, the question is then, how well defined is the text - I mean, if you have text of varying cols, in varying places, varying fonts etc...you're outta luck. If it's the same place, same color etc, it is possible, and I'm up for it.

So, yeah - I got ya. I was just extrapolating earlier...;)

d.

Yes, a very interesting topic.

I would think that the primary issue presented is not the text detection (as Dreamer007 pointed out, we basically have that already in the OCR engines), but in the correct determination of the replacement pixels. As with anyone else who works with retouching images, I have spent long periods of time picking out like material and "cloning" it to the place that I am touching up. Sometimes it's easy (like fixing a single section in a linear feature) and other times it's hard (like guessing what the shape of some object/body part/etc would like look if it were present in the image). So I imagine the focus for development would have to be on replacement pixel selection algorithms.

*L* Those are the times when I wish I had an assistant or intern working for me *L*

That's where fractals would shine, I think. The same kind of algorithm used by programs like Genuine Fractals could be used to generate the necessary pixels.

What your looking for is an imaging program with macro capabilities that can scan in image with OCR like scanning (of images) then batch remove text via a mix of actions and macros and replace it with (ummm, a color?) which you'd end up the the same spot. Or it could search for the text and blur it.

I'm usually not a negative person, but that's not going to happen, ever!

The reason: Usually one that is removing text from existing images (unless it's the time date stamp of a photo) would usually be a person other than the author of the image. So the complexity and minimal need to do something like this among large amounts of people would make the idea or wish of such a software remain an idea and a wish.

Sorry but you'll waste more time by lookin instead of getting down and dirty. I think that's  your best bet.

BUT
If your text is in the same place on every image. Use Photoshop, create an action set to open up each image, go to the bottom right "select the same size area of text" then blur or remove or replace.

OR

Also, if the text is on the outside of each image and isn't in the way of the photo. Use Photoshop again, create an action set to batch process a "STROKE, INSIDE" as many pixels as you need. This will put a border around and over that text.

OR

Do the same as the last but instead of "STROKE INSIDE" use CROP 1% or similar.

Right now myself and another Developer are working on a project that removes text from .bmp images.
We have succefully removed "Green Bold Text" Black Bold Text, & Gray Bold Text
From images.
Which when removed the pixels behind are removed as well.
So we are working on replacing the Pixels with its surrounding pixels.

Never say Never.
Things will never happen, if people do not try.
If people try, things will happen.

Take Care All
Carrzkiss

If/when you are successful, I want a chance to buy stock!

I will post all information on the project into this posting.
For those that are interested in the project.

It's downfalls (Meaning: having problems, and trying to work through them)
It's Uprizing   (Meaning: coming together and a release date coming soon)

Take Care all;

Carrzkiss

So, you have a picture that someone has, most annoyingly, plastered "COPYRIGHTED 2005" or "Sample"
and you want that text to... go away.
Well, the orig. image had 2 layers.. but the final image only has 1. There are NO "Bits under the text". If you remove the text, you will have nothing but blank space. the only way you would be able to remove the text would be if the file you had was a multi-layered format (NOT bloody likely)

So, there are 3 solutions.
1. use the "Clone" tool to replace the text with neighboring pixels... will take time
2. If the picture is generated "on-the-fly" the text is sometimes placed in different positions... merge the 2 images, bringing the non-text-pixels to the front
3. PAY FOR THE PICTURE!

Everseeker;

  Did you even bother to read my last post in here?
  If not, then please read it.

  And FYI, we are not plaining on using it to rip off peoples copyrights and such.

  Think about this for a moment:
  A picture is put on the Net. Someone finds it and puts it on their site.
They add in their on Site Name to the image.

  This is not a "Copyright" this is just that, not a thing, just someone taking an image
And destroying it with Text and crap on it.

  My personal opinion on the Copyrighted material.
  If it is Copyrighted, do not put it on the Internet.
  If you do not want people to take your images from your site.
  Do not put it on the Internet.

  Thanks

Carrzkiss,

Yes, please keep us posted; it seems like a very interesting project indeed.

Well, I stand by my response
It is to your Orig. Question.

1. Nothing currently exists that will automaticly do this.
2. Manual methods are either replacing individual bits via cloning (Which you did mention)
or
3. I discussed the possibility of obtaining multiple images. If the images are not marked exactly the same, you may be able to recover at least a fraction of the detail lost by the Text.

Personally, I no longer use plain text. I use Steganography & Digital Watermarking to imprint photos I have on my site.

PS May want to read up on Copyrighting a wee bit there. If a person has a web page, even if it includes "Public Domain" photographs, the act of creating and publishing (Posting) that site results in a legal copyright (in the US)
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to assert a copyright (commonly done in a footer) for it to exist.
So, if you are using images retrieved from the net, whatever your reasoning, you are in fact, working with copyrighted material
UNLESS
the author specificly states, in the publication, or in a written document sent to you, that the material is may be used by you.

You're not in a grey area of copyright law here...
"  If it is Copyrighted, do not put it on the Internet.
  If you do not want people to take your images from your site.
  Do not put it on the Internet."

"  If it is Copyrighted, do not put it in a library.
  If you do not want people to take your images from your book.
  Do not put it in a Library."

Everseeker;

  Always nice to hear from you :-)
Rather you think this is a waste of time or not, it is always nice to read what you write.
As you see to think you know what you are talking about.
And I have to give it to you. You have been doing your homework.

Yes I know all about the Copyright information, permissions and so forth.
I happen to have a lot of material that is copyrighted. So I know the need of people
Having permissions to use that material.

Anyway. Keep your post coming in. [As mentioned above] it is always nice to
See you comment in here, as it gives me something to read, when I am not busy.
Which is not very often. See when I am not busy, I am able to read it all, instead of just
Glancing over it a bit, and either posting or not posting.
Depending on what you say or not.
But still is nice to read it through, Even though everything you right is Negative.

Such a pour soul. Negativity is not a bad thing, But being Negative on "What has not been done yet"
Is really a funny thing?

Take Care All;
Carrkziss

Closing this question out.
If and when the development of this project comes to be something that
Actually works well enough for the real world.
I will post all findings back to this posting.

Take Care ALL

Carrzkiss