User Guide for MRZ Scanner with Python

In this guide, you will learn step by step on how to build a MRZ scanner solution with Dynamsoft Capture Vision SDK using python.

• User Guide for MRZ Scanner with Python
  • About the Solution
  • System Requirements
  • Installation
  • Build Your Own Application
    • Create a New Project
    • Include the Library
    • Initialize the License Key
    • Create a CaptureVisionRouter Instance
    • Invoke the Capturing
    • Filter and Get MRZ Details
    • Build and Run the Project

About the Solution

With the MRZ Scanner, you can extract the MRZ string from an image of a passport, visa, or ID card, and then parse it to retrieve data such as the first name, last name, document number, nationality, date of birth, expiration date, and personal number, converting them into human-readable fields.

System Requirements

To find out whether your environment is supported, please read the System Requirements.

Installation

Start terminal or command prompt to run the following command:

pip install dynamsoft-capture-vision-bundle 

Build Your Own Application

In this section, we’ll walk through the key steps needed to build an application that reads the machine-readable zone (MRZ) from an image file.

You can download the entire source code from here.

Create a New Project

Create a new source file named mrz_scanner.py.

Include the Library

Import package dynamsoft_capture_vision_bundle in the source file.

from dynamsoft_capture_vision_bundle import * 

Initialize the License Key

If this is your first time using the library, you will need to obtain a trial license key. We recommend getting your own 30-day trial license through the following modal:

Add the following code inside the __main__ method to initialize the license for using the SDK in the application:

errorCode, errorMsg = LicenseManager.init_license("DLS2eyJvcmdhbml6YXRpb25JRCI6IjIwMDAwMSJ9") if errorCode != EnumErrorCode.EC_OK and errorCode != EnumErrorCode.EC_LICENSE_CACHE_USED: print("License initialization failed: ErrorCode:", errorCode, ", ErrorString:", errorMsg) else: # codes from following steps 

The string “DLS2eyJvcmdhbml6YXRpb25JRCI6IjIwMDAwMSJ9” here is a free public trial license. Note that network connection is required for this license to work. Please replace it with your own 30-day trial license.

Create a CaptureVisionRouter Instance

cvr_instance = CaptureVisionRouter() 

Invoke the Capturing

result = cvr_instance.capture("[PATH-TO-THE-IMAGE-FILE]", "ReadPassportAndId") 

Please change the [PATH-TO-THE-IMAGE-FILE] to a real image file path.

Filter and Get MRZ Details

if result.get_error_code() != EnumErrorCode.EC_OK: print("Error:", result.get_error_code(), result.get_error_string()) parsed_result = result.get_parsed_result() if parsed_result is None or parsed_result.get_items() == 0: print("No MRZ detected.") else: items = parsed_result.get_items() print("Detected", len(items), "MRZ Result(s).") for index,item in enumerate(items): print("Result", index+1) print("DocumentType:", item.get_code_type()) if item.get_field_value("passportNumber"): print("DocumentID:", item.get_field_value("passportNumber")) else: print("DocumentID:", item.get_field_value("documentNumber")) # get more field values 

Build and Run the Project

1. Save the mrz_scanner.py file.
2. Start terminal or command prompt and change to the target directory where mrz_scanner.py located in.

3. Run the command

    python mrz_scanner.py 

4. You will see the output message in the console like

    Detected 1 MRZ Result(s). Result 1 DocumentType: XXX DocumentID: XXX