Editing Optical mark recognition (section)

==OMR software==
[[File:PlainPaperOMRFormSm.jpg|thumb|Plain paper OMR survey form, without registration marks and drop-out colors, designed to be scanned by an image scanner and OMR software]]
OMR software is a computer software application that makes OMR possible on a desktop computer by using an [[Image scanner]] to process surveys, tests, attendance sheets, checklists, and other plain-paper forms printed on a laser printer.

OMR software is used to capture data from OMR sheets. While data capturing scanning devices focus on many factors like thickness of paper dimensions of OMR sheet and the designing pattern.

===Commercial OMR software===

One of the first OMR software packages that used images from common image scanners was Remark Office OMR, made by Gravic, Inc. (originally named Principia Products, Inc.). Remark Office OMR 1.0 was released in 1991.

The need for OMR software originated because early optical mark recognition systems used dedicated scanners and special pre-printed forms with drop-out colors and registration marks. Such forms typically cost US$0.10 to $0.19 a page.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://fdc.fullerton.edu/technology/scantron/Scantron%20Forms%202008%20handout.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320151154/http://fdc.fullerton.edu/technology/scantron/Scantron%20Forms%202008%20handout.pdf |archive-date=2009-03-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In contrast, OMR software users design their own mark-sense forms with a word processor or built-in form editor, print them locally on a printer, and can save thousands of dollars on large numbers of forms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://remarksoftware.com/case-studies/higher-ed/grading-biology-exams-at-a-large-state-university-with-remark-office-omr|title=Grading Biology Exams at a Large State University|author=Michael Wagenheim |publisher=RemarkSoftware.com |access-date=2015-07-21}}</ref>

Identifying optical marks within a form, such as for processing [[census]] forms, has been offered by many forms-processing (Batch Transaction Capture) companies since the late 1980s.  Mostly this is based on a [[bitonal]] image and pixel count with minimum and maximum [[pixel]] counts to eliminate extraneous marks, such as those erased with a dirty eraser that when converted into a black-and-white image (bitonal) can look like a legitimate mark.  So this method can cause problems when a user changes their mind, and so some products started to use grayscale to better identify the intent of the marker—internally scantron and NCS scanners used [[grayscale]].

OMR software is also used for adding OMR marks to mail documents so they can be scanned by folder inserter equipment. An example of OMR software is Mail Markup from UK developer Funasset Limited. This software allows the user to configure and select an OMR sequence then apply the OMR marks to mail documents prior to printing.