Skip to main content

Process Business Card

Processes a business card image to extract contact information using ABBYY Cloud OCR service.

Common Properties​

  • Name - The custom name of the node.
  • Color - The custom color of the node.
  • Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
  • Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
  • Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.

Inputs​

  • Image Path - Path to the business card image file to be processed.

Options​

  • Language - Language of the business card text (default: English). Supports over 200 languages for international business cards.
  • Image Source - Source of the image (default: auto). Options:
    • Auto - Automatically detect source
    • Photo - Image from camera or smartphone
    • Scanner - Image from flatbed scanner
  • Export Format - Output format for the results (default: txt). Supports txt, rtf, docx, xlsx, pptx, pdf formats, xml, and more.
  • Description - Optional description for the processing task.
  • PDF Password - Password for encrypted PDF files if applicable.
  • Correct Orientation - Automatically correct card orientation (default: false).
  • Correct Skew - Automatically correct card skew (default: false).
  • Write Extended Character Info - Include extended character information in output (default: false).
  • Write Field Components - Include individual field components in output (default: false).

Outputs​

  • Task - ABBYY task object containing extracted business card information with structured contact fields.

How It Works​

The Process Business Card node extracts structured contact information from business card images. When executed, the node:

  1. Reads the business card image file
  2. Applies orientation and skew correction if enabled
  3. Uploads the image to ABBYY Cloud
  4. Recognizes text using the specified language
  5. Extracts and structures contact fields (name, company, phone, email, address, etc.)
  6. Returns a task object with structured contact data

Requirements​

  • Valid ABBYY Cloud credentials
  • Clear business card image with readable text
  • Correct language selection for the card's language

Error Handling​

The node will return specific errors in the following cases:

  • Robomotion.ABBYYCloud.ErrImagePath - Image path is invalid or file not found
  • Robomotion.ABBYYCloud.ErrImageData - Cannot read image file
  • Robomotion.ABBYYCloud.ErrOption - Invalid option parameters
  • Robomotion.ABBYYCloud.ErrDescription - Invalid description
  • Robomotion.ABBYYCloud.ErrPDFPassword - Invalid or incorrect PDF password

Usage Example​

Scenario: Extract contact information from a business card photo

1. Process Business Card node:
   - Image Path: "C:/cards/john_doe.jpg"
   - Language: English
   - Image Source: Photo
   - Export Format: xml
   - Correct Orientation: true
   - Correct Skew: true
   - Write Field Components: true

2. Wait Task node:
   - Task: {{ $.task }}
   - Timeout: 30 seconds

3. Parse XML output to extract:
   - Name
   - Job Title
   - Company
   - Phone Numbers
   - Email Address
   - Website
   - Address

Common Use Cases​

  • Contact Management - Digitize business cards into contact database
  • CRM Integration - Import business card data into CRM systems
  • Event Networking - Collect and process cards from conferences and events
  • Lead Generation - Convert business cards to sales leads
  • Digital Business Card Library - Build searchable business card archive
  • Mobile Apps - Integrate business card scanning into mobile applications
  • Email Marketing - Build email lists from business card contacts

Extracted Information​

The node typically extracts the following fields:

  • Name - Full name of the person
  • Job Title - Position or role
  • Company - Organization name
  • Department - Department or division
  • Phone Numbers - Office, mobile, fax numbers
  • Email Address - Email contact
  • Website - Company or personal website URL
  • Address - Office or business address
  • Social Media - LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. (if present)

Tips and Best Practices​

  • Image Capture:
    • Use good lighting without shadows or glare
    • Capture the entire card within the frame
    • Ensure text is in focus and readable
    • Use at least 300 DPI for scanned cards
    • Avoid curved or warped cards
  • Image Source:
    • Set to "Photo" for smartphone camera captures
    • Set to "Scanner" for flatbed scanned cards
    • "Photo" mode applies special enhancement for camera images
  • Language Selection:
    • Always select the card's primary language
    • For multilingual cards, choose the dominant language
    • ABBYY supports 200+ languages including Asian scripts
  • Orientation Correction:
    • Enable for cards that might be upside down
    • Useful when processing batches of mixed orientations
    • Adds minimal processing time
  • Skew Correction:
    • Enable for photos taken at an angle
    • Less critical for scanned cards
    • Improves field detection accuracy
  • Export Format:
    • Use XML for structured, programmatic access
    • Use vCard (VCF) format if supported for direct import
    • Use text formats for simple storage
  • Field Components:
    • Enable to get separate components (first name, last name, etc.)
    • Useful for database imports requiring split fields
    • Provides more granular data extraction
  • Batch Processing:
    • Process multiple cards in a loop
    • Use consistent naming for easy matching
    • Enable Continue On Error for robust batch processing
    • Consider deduplication after processing
  • Data Validation:
    • Validate email formats after extraction
    • Verify phone number formats
    • Check for complete required fields
    • Implement manual review for critical contacts