# Spaces

By default an OCRMax tool does not expect your character strings to contain any spaces, so it does not factor spaces into the segmentation process. By definition a space contains no character features, but the tool offers several parameters that allow the segmentation process to analyze the region of interest and insert one or more spaces in what it ultimately recognizes as the character string:

Parameter | Description
--- | ---
Space Insert Mode | Specifies how to handle how the segmentation process inserts space characters into the gaps between other recognized characters. The default is None but you can choose from two other options: Allow the segmentation process to insert a single character, regardless how large. Allow the segmentation process to insert multiple spaces based on the width of the gap and the parameters for minimum and maximum space width.
Space Min Width | Specify the minimum width for a single space character, in pixels.
Space Max Width | Specify the maximum width for a single space character, in pixels.
Space Score Mode | Specify how the OCRMax tool generates a result score for each space character. The tool can either give a space character a score of 1.0 to always validate a space character, or it can give a space character a result score based on the amount of foreground pixels are present. If your character strings can contain both space characters next to thin characters (such as a "1" or an "i"), you might also choose to change the default value for the width of each cell rectangle. See the section Cell Rectangle Width Type for more information.

Be aware that the parameters you choose allow the OCRMax tool to perform segmentation on a character string with one or more spaces at various locations, but you cannot train a space character in your OCR font. The tool will display a cell rectangle around a space character to visually confirm that the space is recognized.