eScriptorium
HTR for UK Collections
Managed Handwritten Text Recognition. No per-page fees. No vendor lock-in.
Get a QuoteWhat is eScriptorium?
eScriptorium is an open-source platform for Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR), developed at the École Pratique des Hautes Études. It allows archivists and researchers to train models on historical handwriting and produce searchable transcriptions at scale — without ongoing per-page costs.
Handwritten Text Recognition
Train AI models on your specific handwriting — parish registers, estate records, quarter sessions, court books, estate papers. Once trained, transcribe thousands of pages automatically, producing searchable, exportable text aligned to the original images.
No Per-Page Fees
Unlike Transkribus, eScriptorium charges nothing per page transcribed. Pay only for the server infrastructure — a flat monthly rate regardless of how much you process. Ideal for large digitisation projects on limited budgets.
No Vendor Lock-in
Your models, your data, your transcriptions. eScriptorium is fully open-source (AGPL). Export to ALTO XML, PAGE XML, or plain text at any time. Your work belongs to your institution — not a commercial platform.
IIIF Native
eScriptorium ingests IIIF manifests directly from your image server or digitisation partner. Works seamlessly alongside your existing AtoM or ArchivesSpace catalogue, and with IIIF viewers like Mirador and Universal Viewer.
Community Models
Benefit from pre-trained Kraken models developed for historical English, Latin, Secretary hand, and other scripts common in UK archival collections. Share and refine models with partner institutions without leaving your own server.
Fully Managed
We handle installation, GPU configuration, Celery workers, Redis, and Kraken updates. Your researchers and archivists access a clean web interface — we manage everything underneath. Backups, monitoring, and support included.
eScriptorium vs Transkribus
| Feature | Transkribus | eScriptorium (Hosted) |
|---|---|---|
| Per-page transcription fee | Yes — credits required | None |
| Open source | Proprietary | AGPL |
| Data stored in UK/EU | External cloud | Your instance |
| Export to standard formats | Limited | ALTO, PAGE, text |
| IIIF ingest | Partial | Native |
Ideal For
- Cathedral Archives — chapter acts, registers, correspondence
- University Special Collections — manuscripts, personal papers, diaries
- County Record Offices — quarter sessions, tithe maps, estate records
- Religious Archives — parish registers, mission records, novitiate lists
- National & Local Libraries — rare book annotations, medieval manuscripts
- Research Projects — AHRC-funded digitisation and transcription initiatives
Start Your HTR Project
Ready to make your manuscripts searchable?
📧 info@archiveshosting.co.uk