After you have downloaded and installed Tortalk on your computer, simply open the software. The software looks like the image below, it acts as an overlay above other programs you have opened. This is because Tortalk is used to read text, and with Tortalk you can select any text and have it read out loud. It does not just have to be long texts or documents, it can also be used to mark individual words to be read out loud.

picture showing Tortalk

You use Tortalk by hightling the words or sentences you want read aloud (1). Then click the play button on the program (2). Tortalk will only read out the words that are highlighted.

picture showing Tortalk

Tortalks functions

Image that shows Tortalks functions Start reading the highlighted text.

picture showing tortalks functions Pause or resume reading text.

picture showing tortalks functions Slow down.

picture showing tortalks functions The current speed.

picture showing tortalks functions Speed up.

picture showing tortalks functions Open a window that converts all text inside the window into speech. This can be used on e-books for example.

picture showing tortalks functions Opens a menu to change the reading voice or language.

picture showing tortalks functions Other settings and a user manual under the Help button.

Reading locked files

In some files, and even some eBooks, it is not possible to select the text. In this case you can instead use the OCR function in Tortalk to read the text. Click on the OCR button (1) in the menu to bring up the black frame. Set the frame over the text you wish to be read (2). The shape of the frame is changed by clicking and dragging the edges. Finish by clicking on the play icon on the right hand side (3).

Image of reading locked files