This blog post explains what happened when a link led to an image instead of a readable news article. It provides practical options for getting a high-quality summary.
Drawing on three decades of experience in science communication and editorial workflows, I outline why this happens. I also explain how to extract text from images and what details you can send me so I can craft an accurate, journalistically sound summary.
Why some links return images instead of text
When you click a link and get an image file (JPEG, PNG, GIF) rather than a text page, the web resource may be an image-based scan or a screenshot of a printed article. It could also be a social-media image post.
Many news snippets, infographics, and archival scans are published as images to preserve layout or to avoid automated scraping. Automated systems and standard copy-paste tools can’t read embedded text within images.
Without readable text, I can’t produce a faithful summary or identify key facts, quotes, and context. This is why I requested the article text or a description of the image.
How I can help if you provide a bit of input
If you share the necessary material, I’ll prepare a concise, reliable summary or a full rewritten blog post in a professional journalistic voice. Below are the simplest, fastest ways to give me what I need so I can deliver accurate content quickly.
Send one of the following:
- Paste the full article text into the chat.
- Type or paste key excerpts or headlines from the image.
- Describe the image content, including any captions, dates, and credited sources.
- Upload a higher-resolution scan or a PDF with selectable text (if available).
Practical tips for extracting text from images
If you prefer to extract the text yourself before sending it, there are reliable OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tools that work well for news images and scanned pages. Free tools and built-in smartphone features can turn an image into editable text in seconds.
Use these best practices to improve OCR accuracy: ensure good lighting and contrast. Crop out borders and correct any skew.
If the image contains heavy graphic elements or complex layout, include a brief description of which parts are essential. Focus on the headline, lead paragraph, and quotes.
Recommended OCR and workflow options
Quick methods I recommend:
- Smartphone Live Text or Google Lens: Point, copy, paste — fast for short articles or captions.
- Free OCR services: Websites like OCR.space or desktop tools can handle larger scans and preserve paragraph breaks.
- PDF conversion: If you can save the image into a PDF and run a PDF-to-text converter, that often yields the cleanest output.
Once you paste the text or provide a clear description, I’ll craft a readable, SEO-optimized summary or a full-length blog post tailored to your audience.
Mention any specific angle you want emphasized, such as science, policy implications, or local impact.
I’ll adjust tone and structure accordingly.
Next step: Paste the article text or briefly describe the image and its source.
I’ll produce a crisp, journalist-grade summary or a tailored blog post, with accurate sourcing and clear, engaging language.
Here is the source article for this story: APTOPIX California Extreme Weather Wildfires