Chinese Seal Script OCR - Identify Characters from Images

Check character crops before recognition

Cropping and character splitting happen in your browser. When you click “Recognize”, character images are uploaded for cloud processing. History stays in this browser. Similarity scores are not accuracy estimates.

Add a seal script image

JPG, PNG or WebP. On desktop, you can also drag or paste an image.

Your image preview will appear here

Choose an image, then confirm the crop to continue to character splitting and recognition.

Character crop preview

Review, remove or adjust character crops before recognition.

Seal script

Review the crops first. Recognize up to 10 images at a time, including the whole image if selected.

Also recognize the whole image as one character

Keep the automatic crops and add the whole image. Useful when parts of a character are disconnected.

Black-and-white threshold

Lower values retain fewer dark pixels. Hover over the original image to check brightness.

Image processing

Changes automatically split the image again. Check the updated crops.

Recognition history

Click a saved image to restore it, adjust its crop and recognize it again. The latest 50 character images and their candidates stay in this browser only. Clearing browser data also deletes this history.

No recognition history yet

What can this seal script reader help with?

Use this tool to look up unfamiliar seal script characters in Chinese seal impressions, rubbings or calligraphy. Upload an image to see possible modern Chinese characters and reference forms. Take a photo or choose one on your phone; drag or paste an image on desktop. You can also draw a character.

This is a character lookup aid. It does not authenticate seals, identify an artist or appraise artwork. Similarity scores compare shapes, not the probability of a correct answer. Check the image and context.

Read seal script from a photo in three steps

Take a clear photo and crop it to the seal inscription or character. Use “Straighten image” if needed.
Confirm the crop and check that a character has not been split into separate parts. The limit is 10 images per batch, including the whole image if selected.
Click “Recognize” and compare the candidates with the reference forms. Choose a match and click “Use this character”, or select “None match” and adjust the image to try again.

Seal script OCR: frequently asked questions

How do I read white characters on a red seal?

Crop away the surrounding background. After confirming the crop, set “Image processing” to “Black on white (invert)”. Check that strokes remain intact before recognition. Adjust the threshold if strokes disappear.

What if one character is split into several parts?

Crop the image to one complete character, then select “Also recognize the whole image as one character”. Remove unwanted partial crops or use “Adjust crops” to include the complete shape.

Is the first candidate always correct?

No. Compare the candidate list with the original image, reference forms and inscription context. Click “Use this character” to confirm a useful match. Simply viewing or switching a candidate does not count as acceptance. Character details link to a Chinese lookup page.

Can this recognize a full page or every seal script character?

No guarantee. The tool returns candidates for individual crops, up to 10 images per batch. Crop a full page to the part you want to read. Blurred, damaged, overlapping, joined or unsupported character forms may not be recognized.

Where are my images and recognition history stored?

Cropping and splitting happen in your browser. Clicking “Recognize” uploads character images for cloud processing. History stays in this browser and does not automatically sync across devices. Feedback analytics do not include images, candidate text or filenames.