What is Handwritten Data Collection?
Handwritten data collection is the first step to build training datasets to train Optical Character Recognition (OCR) systems to recognize and understand written text.
Handwritten character recognition is a field of research within computer vision that aims to extract information from typed, handwritten or printed text. Optical character recognition engines bridge the gap between humans and machines by allowing all forms of unstructured text data to be edited, searched, indexed and retrieved. Developing handwritten OCR models with high accuracy is still an open problem for researchers and companies alike due to a lack of high-quality training data.
Lionbridge collects handwritten data for machine learning in over 300 languages. With over two decades of experience, Lionbridge develops, calibrates, and improves text-based machine learning applications for the world’s largest corporations.
Why Collect Text Data with Lionbridge?

The Lionbridge platform makes it easy to collect handwritten text samples from thousands of contributors.
- 500,000+ Contributors
- 300+ Languages
- 20+ Years of experience
Scalability
Lionbridge has access to a global network of 500,000+ qualified contributors, allowing clients to quickly generate custom audio datasets in over 300+ languages and dialects.
Quality
The Lionbridge quality assurance system features built-in validation, spot-checking and a worker seniority system to ensure the highest quality data to train machine learning applications.
Expertise
With over 20 years of hands-on experience collecting audio data for machine learning use cases, Lionbridge has gained the trust of the world’s largest corporations.

Our Handwritten Data Collection Services
Text Data Collection
Lionbridge makes it easy to collect and process handwritten text samples from thousands of native speakers worldwide. Quickly scale your handwritten text database in over 300+ languages.
Image Transcription
Extract text from images with Lionbridge’s transcription services. Lionbridge offers image transcription services for invoices, receipts, business cards, menus, forms, and more.
Linguistic Annotation
With a background in linguistics, Lionbridge is a well equipped to handle any kind of text annotation project. Our curated crowd of 500,000 annotators can accurately label text data in 300+ languages and dialects.
How it Works

1. Project set-up
Our team will work with you to develop a custom solution based on your project objectives and timeline.


2. Production
Our crowd of multilingual experts get to work collecting, creating or annotating your data.


3. Delivery
Our project management team check, package and format the data before being sent to you for final approval.

Handwritten Data Collection Case Studies
DOCUMENT TRANSCRIPTION FOR A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
Lionbridge transcribed hundreds of multilingual handwritten documents dating back hundreds of years, to help a non-profit organization train and build an optical character recognition model.
OCR SYSTEM TRAINING FOR AN AI COMPANY
For an AI company, Lionbridge collected hundreds of samples of handwritten Japanese characters from native speakers. The data was used to train an OCR model to extract data from unstructured documents.
WE PROVIDE OUTSOURCED AUDIO DATA COLLECTION TO THE WORLD’S LARGEST COMPANIES
Handwritten Data Collection Pricing
How much does it cost to collect handwritten data?
The Lionbridge platform streamlines much of the data collection process, allowing us to offer the most cost-effective solution in the industry.
Contact us to get a free estimate for your project.
- Account Manager
- Project Management
- 24/7 Support
- API
- NDA
- Volume pricing
- Custom reporting
- Enterprise-grade SLAs
- Custom invoicing
- Consulting services

Multilingual Handwritten Data Collection Services
Lionbridge provides text data services in all major languages and dialects. Some of our most popular languages include:
- Chinese handwritten data collection
- Dutch handwritten data collection
- French handwritten data collection
- German handwritten data collection
- Italian handwritten data collection
- Japanese handwritten data collection
- Portuguese handwritten data collection
- Spanish handwritten data collection