Most scanners available on the market nowadays feature some limited version of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. Other programs have OCR modules included. For many people who use OCR occasionally, these solutions can meet their needs adequately.

Others, who often process large volumes of documents, need a more professional solution with a complete list of advanced features. For a comparison of the top desktop OCR software, please see http://www.ocrworld.com/software/5-in-depth/149-top-ocr-software.html
It is obvious that some OCR applications are more accurate than others. However, there are certain steps you can take in order to ensure the best possible results. Here are some tips which will help you achieve your OCR goal.

1. Scan documents at 300 or, preferably, at 600 DPI.
2. Make sure the paper document you are scanning is smooth. If the paper is wrinkled, you can try pressing it between heavy books for a while or ironing it under a thin cloth using a warm iron.
3. You can achieve much better results if you use gray-scale instead of black and white when scanning.
4. Clean the scanner bed before placing the document. Any stains can make the text in the scanned image blurry.
5. The recommended text size in the scanned documents is 10 point or higher.
6. Make sure the lines of text in the document are parallel with the bottom of the page.
7. It is very important that the paper is clean before scanning as any stains, lines or ink blotches will cause poor results. Try to clean the paper with a rubber before scanning.
8. Most of the modern OCR applications can handle more complex formatting, tables and graphics and will preserve their positions in the resulting document. However, if you are dealing with an older version, you can try scanning such elements separately as different images to get more accurate results.
9. OCR programs are different. Try various source images to find out what works best for your software.
10. Always proof read carefully and correct any errors before sharing OCR-produced text.