ocrxword

ocrxword is an open-source software project that aims to automate the digitization of crossword puzzles through optical character recognition. It provides tools to process images or scans of crosswords, extracting the grid structure and the associated clues into a structured, machine-readable format.

The core functionality includes grid detection and cell segmentation, OCR for letters and digits, and layout analysis to separate across and down clues. The workflow typically handles image preprocessing (deskewing, denoising), grid recognition, and text extraction, followed by assembling the data into a puzzle object. Output formats commonly include JSON, XML, and CSV, with support for manual correction and validation to ensure accuracy.

The project employs a modular pipeline built with open-source components for image processing and text recognition. It often relies on libraries such as OpenCV and Tesseract, allowing extensions to accommodate different crossword styles, languages, and clue formats. The emphasis is on interoperability with archival practices and existing puzzle databases, facilitating export, search, and reuse of puzzle content.

ocrxword is maintained by an international community of volunteers and hosted in a public repository, welcoming contributions, bug reports, and feature requests. It is used by researchers, librarians, puzzle enthusiasts, and collectors to preserve, analyze, and repurpose crossword content in digital form. See also OCR, crossword puzzle digitization, and data extraction in related contexts.