Photos, Barcodes, and OCR*

Modified on Fri, 20 Jun at 3:21 PM

Capture visual observations with photos, scan barcodes to document the ID of your reagents and instruments, and convert machine printed text into notes in seconds* - all with one app!

*Optical character recognition (OCR) is currently only available on iOS

Capture visual observations with photos

With Labfolder Go, you can take batches of up to 7 photos. This allows you to collate related visual observations in a single data entry! You can also add voice notes to your photo(s), enabling you to provide further context or to add remarks on-the-fly.

There are 2 distinct flows for capturing photos:

1. Capture photos hands-free and by voice

If you want to use your device entirely hands-free, you can enable Photo voice commands in the Beta settings of Labfolder Go.

This is particularly useful if you are working with gloves or hazardous substances, and are using a device that is permanently installed in the same place.

To capture photos hands-free and by voice, you can follow these steps:

Say "Hey Labfolder, open camera"
Say “Take photo” to capture up to 7 photo(s)
Say “Next” to continue to the photo preview
Say “Attach voice note” to attach a voice note to your photo(s)
Say “Save” to save your photo(s)

2. Capture photos by using the touchscreen

To capture a photo manually by using your device's touchscreen, you can follow these steps:

Tap on the camera icon on the bottom right corner of your screen
Tap the shutter button to capture an image
Tap on the “Next” button to continue to the photo preview
Tap the microphone button to attach a voice note to your photo(s)
Tap “Save” to save your photo(s)

Additional photos can be added to a batch even after a voice note has been recorded
To do so, say or tap on “Add more photos” in the bottom-left corner after capturing your initial pictures
Toggle the flash and change to landscape mode in the top-right corner

Scanning barcodes

Using the camera feature, you can also scan the barcodes of consumables, instruments, and reagents in your lab.

Scanned barcodes are saved as a note in your active project.

Tap the camera icon in the bottom right corner of your app or say:

"Hey Labfolder, scan barcode!"

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

On iOS, you also benefit from OCR. This enables you to scan and convert any machine-printed text, such as labels and instructions, to an editable text note in your active project.

To scan machine printed text, tap on the camera icon in the bottom right corner or say:

"Hey Labfolder, scan text!"

Photos do not need to be aligned perfectly for OCR. You can define the scanning area or rotate the entire image by tapping on the scan in the bottom left corner.

How can I get support?

If you have questions about Labfolder Go and were unable to find an answer in our knowledge base, you can contact us at support@labforward.io.