EDIT Optical Character Recognition

This Unicode block embraces the characters contained in two different character recognition systems. Additionally, it includes characters from electronic data processing.

While the first three characters - U+2440 to U+2442 - are derived from the OCR, i. e. Optical Character Recognition system, characters U+2446 to U+2449 originally belonged to MICR, i. e. Magnetic Ink Character Recognition.

Both these character recognition systems serve the same purpose: Wherever large amounts of forms need to be processed, this automated processing allows for data gathering within electronic data processing, which mostly implies forms used in banking and financing, e. g. checques and credit transfers, large numbers of which need to be processed daily.

OCR-A and MICR E13-B scripts were internationally standardized by ISO, i. e. the International Standards Organization, and adopted unchanged by national standards institutions like, for example, the German Standards Institute DIN.

In addition to OCR-A, a variation of the script was developped in 1968 which rather followed common print characters. Developped by the US American National Standards Institute ANSI in collaboration with Swiss script designer Adrian Frutiger, this variation called OCR-B was designed to make deciphering easier.

In France, a completely individual MICR script similar to the bar code was developped: CMC 7.

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EDIT MICR - Magnetic Ink Character Recognition - Definition

Characters are printed on a document with the help of a special magnetic ink containing ferric oxide. As soon as the document is inserted into the MICR reading device, the ink is magnetized, which allows for electronic processing of the character shapes.

Characters must invariably be printed in a font standardized especially for this purpose and consisting of no more than 14 characters (ISO 2033 / DIN 66226).

Advantages of MICR
· counterfeiting of documents is difficult
· documents retain legibility even with handwritten additions, when folded, creased or dealt with in similar ways

Disadvantages of MICR
· MICR reading and encoding devices are expensive
· the system accepts but the 14 characters contained in the MICR font (ISO 2033 / DIN 66226)

Use of MICR
MICR is mainly used for data processing of bank checques in English-speaking Western countries like the US or Great Britain.

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EDIT OCR - Optical Character Recognition - Definition

The term OCR is derived from information technology and describes the automatic character recognition of a printed model.

Originally, specially designed fonts were developped for automatic character recognition, e. g. for printing on checque forms. These fonts were designed to provide for a quick recognition of different characters by an OCR reading or scanning device which would not require a large amount of calculation. Accordingly, in OCR-A, characters, and especially numbers, display a great dissimilarity. OCR-B was designed on the basis of OCR-A by Adrian Frutiger. OCR-H was adapted from hand-written numbers and capitals.

Today, enhanced performance of modern computers and improved algorithms allow for the recognition of \"normal\" fonts and even hand-writing (e. g. in mail distribution). Wherever readability by man is not of prime importance, increasingly, bar codes are used for their easier technological manageability.

Modern character recognition also includes the recognition of different fonts and type sizes as well as of page layout to make for a rendering as close to the original as possible.

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EDIT OCR-A was created in 1968 by American Type Founders in the USA.
OCR-B was created in 1968 by Adrian Frutiger, commissioned by the European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA) in Geneva.

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