PixLabeler: User Interface for Pixel-Level Labeling of Elements in Document Images

We present a user interface design for labeling elements in document images at a pixel level. Labels are represented by overlay color, which might map to such terms as ldquohandwritingrdquo, ldquomachine printrdquo, ldquographicsrdquo, etc. The primary purpose is to streamline processes for manual production of ground truth data, which is necessary for training algorithms and evaluating performance. Unlike general paint-type programs, the UI design is targeted specifically toward selection of collections of foreground pixels that are likely to be meaningful elements in a document image analysis context. Our implementation, called PixLabeler, is available for download and allows customized plug-ins for bootstrapping according to the labeling task.