diff --git a/generate_gt_for_training.py b/generate_gt_for_training.py
index 1971f68..d4b58dc 100644
--- a/generate_gt_for_training.py
+++ b/generate_gt_for_training.py
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ def visualize_ocr_text(xml_file, dir_xml, dir_out):
         print(f_name, 'f_name')
             
         co_tetxlines, y_len, x_len, ocr_texts = get_textline_contours_and_ocr_text(xml_file)
-        
+    
         total_bb_coordinates = []
         
         image_text = Image.new("RGB", (x_len, y_len), "white")
@@ -513,20 +513,20 @@ def visualize_ocr_text(xml_file, dir_xml, dir_out):
             #y_bb = bb_ind[1]
             #w_bb = bb_ind[2]
             #h_bb = bb_ind[3]
-            
-            font = fit_text_single_line(draw, ocr_texts[index], font_path, w, int(h*0.4) )
-            
-            ##draw.rectangle([x_bb, y_bb, x_bb + w_bb, y_bb + h_bb], outline="red", width=2)
-            
-            text_bbox = draw.textbbox((0, 0), ocr_texts[index], font=font)
-            text_width = text_bbox[2] - text_bbox[0]
-            text_height = text_bbox[3] - text_bbox[1]
+            if ocr_texts[index]:
+                font = fit_text_single_line(draw, ocr_texts[index], font_path, w, int(h*0.4) )
+                
+                ##draw.rectangle([x_bb, y_bb, x_bb + w_bb, y_bb + h_bb], outline="red", width=2)
+                
+                text_bbox = draw.textbbox((0, 0), ocr_texts[index], font=font)
+                text_width = text_bbox[2] - text_bbox[0]
+                text_height = text_bbox[3] - text_bbox[1]
 
-            text_x = x + (w - text_width) // 2  # Center horizontally
-            text_y = y + (h - text_height) // 2  # Center vertically
+                text_x = x + (w - text_width) // 2  # Center horizontally
+                text_y = y + (h - text_height) // 2  # Center vertically
 
-            # Draw the text
-            draw.text((text_x, text_y), ocr_texts[index], fill="black", font=font)
+                # Draw the text
+                draw.text((text_x, text_y), ocr_texts[index], fill="black", font=font)
         image_text.save(os.path.join(dir_out, f_name+'.png'))
     
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/gt_gen_utils.py b/gt_gen_utils.py
index 907e04d..753b0f5 100644
--- a/gt_gen_utils.py
+++ b/gt_gen_utils.py
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ def update_region_contours(co_text, img_boundary, erosion_rate, dilation_rate, y
     return co_text_eroded, img_boundary
 
 def get_textline_contours_for_visualization(xml_file):
-    tree1 = ET.parse(xml_file, parser = ET.XMLParser(encoding = 'iso-8859-5'))
+    tree1 = ET.parse(xml_file, parser = ET.XMLParser(encoding='utf-8'))
     root1=tree1.getroot()
     alltags=[elem.tag for elem in root1.iter()]
     link=alltags[0].split('}')[0]+'}'
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ def get_textline_contours_for_visualization(xml_file):
 
 
 def get_textline_contours_and_ocr_text(xml_file):
-    tree1 = ET.parse(xml_file, parser = ET.XMLParser(encoding = 'iso-8859-5'))
+    tree1 = ET.parse(xml_file, parser = ET.XMLParser(encoding='utf-8'))
     root1=tree1.getroot()
     alltags=[elem.tag for elem in root1.iter()]
     link=alltags[0].split('}')[0]+'}'
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ def fit_text_single_line(draw, text, font_path, max_width, max_height):
     return ImageFont.truetype(font_path, 10)  # Smallest font fallback
 
 def get_layout_contours_for_visualization(xml_file):
-    tree1 = ET.parse(xml_file, parser = ET.XMLParser(encoding = 'iso-8859-5'))
+    tree1 = ET.parse(xml_file, parser = ET.XMLParser(encoding='utf-8'))
     root1=tree1.getroot()
     alltags=[elem.tag for elem in root1.iter()]
     link=alltags[0].split('}')[0]+'}'
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ def get_images_of_ground_truth(gt_list, dir_in, output_dir, output_type, config_
     for index in tqdm(range(len(gt_list))):
         #try:
         print(gt_list[index])
-        tree1 = ET.parse(dir_in+'/'+gt_list[index], parser = ET.XMLParser(encoding = 'iso-8859-5'))
+        tree1 = ET.parse(dir_in+'/'+gt_list[index], parser = ET.XMLParser(encoding='utf-8'))
         root1=tree1.getroot()
         alltags=[elem.tag for elem in root1.iter()]
         link=alltags[0].split('}')[0]+'}'
@@ -1311,7 +1311,7 @@ def find_new_features_of_contours(contours_main):
     return cx_main, cy_main, x_min_main, x_max_main, y_min_main, y_max_main, y_corr_x_min_from_argmin
 def read_xml(xml_file):
     file_name = Path(xml_file).stem
-    tree1 = ET.parse(xml_file, parser = ET.XMLParser(encoding = 'iso-8859-5'))
+    tree1 = ET.parse(xml_file, parser = ET.XMLParser(encoding='utf-8'))
     root1=tree1.getroot()
     alltags=[elem.tag for elem in root1.iter()]
     link=alltags[0].split('}')[0]+'}'