Binarization of pre‐filtered historical manuscripts images
International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics
ISSN: 1756-378X
Article publication date: 27 March 2009
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce an innovative procedure for digital historical documents image binarization based on image pre‐processing and image condition classification. The estimated results for each class of images and each method have shown improved image quality for the six categories of document images described by their separate characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
The applied technique consists of five stages, i.e. text image acquisition, image preparation, denoising, image type classification in six categories according to image condition, image thresholding and final refinement, a very effective approach to binarize document images. The results achieved by the authors' method require minimal pre‐processing steps for best quality of the image and increased text readability. This methodology performs better compared to current state‐of‐the‐art adaptive thresholding techniques.
Findings
An innovative procedure for digital historical documents image binarization based on image pre‐processing, image type classification in categories according to image condition and further enhancement. This methodology is robust and simple, with minimal pre‐processing steps for best quality of the image, increased text readability and it performs better compared to available thresholding techniques.
Research limitations/implications
The technique consists of limited but optimized pre‐processing sequential steps, and attention should be given in document image preparation and denoising, and on image condition classification for thresholding and refinement, since bad results in a single stage corrupt the final document image quality and text readability.
Originality/value
The paper contributes in digital image binarization of text images suggesting a procedure based on image preparation, image type classification and thresholding and image refinement with applicability on Byzantine historical documents.
Keywords
Citation
Nikolaos, N. and Dimitrios, V. (2009), "Binarization of pre‐filtered historical manuscripts images", International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 148-174. https://doi.org/10.1108/17563780910939282
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited