Read text from shipping labels, licenses, component markings, and damaged barcodes with integrated OCR capabilities on Datalogic scanners.

In enterprise environments, damaged or poorly printed barcodes can significantly impact productivity. Traditional scanning solutions either fail completely or require operators to manually transcribe bad printed barcodes or other human-readable printed information, which is a time-consuming and error-prone process.
SnapOCR bridges this gap by combining barcode scanning with intelligent optical character recognition (OCR) technology in a single, unified workflow.

Overview

Datalogic introduces SnapOCR, an innovative feature that combines traditional barcode scanning with optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities. This enables devices to capture and process human-readable text when barcodes are damaged or poorly printed or when additional data extraction is needed. This feature addresses critical operational challenges in warehousing, logistics, and retail environments, where label quality varies and capturing additional text information alongside barcodes adds value to workflows.

SnapOCR operates as an intelligent fallback system. When standard barcode decoding encounters difficulties, the feature automatically engages OCR technology to read the human-readable text typically printed above or below barcodes. This ensures data capture success even in challenging conditions. Beyond recovery scenarios, SnapOCR enables sophisticated, multi-data capture workflows. For example, it can simultaneously read license plates, shipping labels with multiple text fields, and documents requiring structured data extraction.

Features and workflow

Selection Modes

SnapOCR offers three distinct operational modes to match different use cases:

  • Always Select: This mode searches the entire camera frame for text and ignores ROI definitions. The system proposes the found text for the user to select or correct before sending it to the client application. This mode is ideal for damaged barcodes where the exact text location is unpredictable.
  • ROI (Region of Interest): Defines specific areas within the frame where text should be captured. Users can configure a reference ROI that matches the label form factor and then define multiple internal ROIs for specific data fields. Each ROI, or the entire label, can have its own regular expression (regex) filter for validation and a prefix for identification in the output stream.
  • PickList: Focuses OCR processing near the center pointer, similar to PickList barcode scanning. This mode optimizes performance when operators can aim at specific text areas, thereby reducing processing overhead and improving response times.
(PickList mode:
Camera preview overlay, OCR Recognition) 
(User confirmation)
(Acquired data)

 

Scanning Policies

SnapOCR integrates with standard scanning workflows through three policies:

  • OCR and Barcode: This policy attempts barcode decoding first and falls back to OCR if unsuccessful
  • OCR Only: Barcode decoding is bypassed entirely
  • Trigger-Based: Assigns OCR to specific triggers, enabling operators to select standard scanning or OCR capture by pressing different triggers

Advanced ROI Configuration

For structured documents, such as shipping labels or forms, SnapOCR supports sophisticated ROI (region of interest) configuration:

  • Define a Reference ROI that matches your label form factor
  • Create multiple Internal ROIs for specific data fields
  • Apply RegEx filters to validate text structure
  • Add prefixes to identify data sources for post-processing
(SnapOCR ROIs configuration with Scan2Deploy)

 

 (Camera preview overlay, OCR Recognition)  (User confirmation)  (Acquired data)

 

Practical Implementation

Use Case 1: Fallback for Damaged Barcodes

Set the scanning policy in SnapOCR to "OCR and Barcode". When the scanner cannot decode a barcode, SnapOCR automatically activates to capture the human-readable text, ensuring there is no disruption to the workflow.

Use Case 2: Dedicated OCR Trigger

Using Datalogic's Advanced Keyboard Remapping, assign a button (e.g., the right trigger) to "OCR Decode" and keep the other triggers for standard barcode scanning. Then, configure SnapOCR’s scanning policy to "OCR only".
This gives operators instant access to both capabilities.

Use Case 3: Structured Data Capture

For applications such as license plate reading, form processing, or document data extraction, configure the reference ROI (yellow) to match your label shape. Then, add one or more internal ROI (numbered, blue) to capture only the relevant text fields. Automatic validation is performed through RegEx patterns.

Important Considerations

  • Send vs Propose modes: Use "Send" when data goes directly to text fields; use "Propose" when applications consume data programmatically
  • Performance: SnapOCR requires adequate lighting for optimal text recognition
  • Languages: Multiple language support available - check device documentation for specifics

Configuration and Deployment

 SnapOCR integrates with Datalogic's deployment ecosystem:

  • Scan2Deploy Studio: Visual configuration interface with profile export and QR code generation for seamless device deployment
  • OEMConfig: Native Android Enterprise integration for fleet-wide management via EMM platforms
  • Datalogic SDK (for advanced applications): Programmatic control via SnapOcr, SnapOcrRoiSettings, and related classes for custom implementations

Device and Firmware Support

Core SnapOCR functionality is available in Datalogic SDK 1.38 and later on selected firmware images.
Advanced features—including automatic image cropping and frame capture for both barcode and OCR results—are available in SDK 1.45 (released July 1, 2025) and are being rolled out across supported devices.

 Device

 OS

 Firmware Version

 Memor 30/35

 Android 15
 Android 13

 all firmware releases
 v1.18 or later

 Memor 12/17

 Android 15
 Android 13

 all firmware releases

 Skorpio X5

 Android 13
 Android 11

 v4.05 or later
 N/A

 Joya Touch 22

 Android 13
 Android 11

 v4.05 or later
 N/A

 Memor 20

 Android 13
 Android 11

 v4.05 or later
 N/A

 

Useful Links


Community Support

For deployment assistance or specific use case consultation, visit the Datalogic Discussion Forum.