OCR PDF Files
Easily convert scanned PDF into searchable and selectable documents.
Drop your scanned PDF file here
or click to browse and select a file
Supports PDF files up to 25MB
Scanned documents are just images—you can't search, copy, or edit the text. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) reads the text from images and makes it selectable and searchable. Turn scanned PDFs into editable, searchable documents.
Our OCR tool analyzes each page, recognizes text characters, and embeds that text into the PDF. The result looks the same visually, but now you can search, copy, and select text. It's like giving your scanned documents a digital makeover.
How OCR Works
OCR uses pattern recognition and machine learning to identify letters, numbers, and symbols in images. It analyzes shapes, compares them to known characters, and reconstructs words and sentences. Modern OCR is remarkably accurate, especially with clear, high-quality scans.
The process preserves the original page appearance—your scanned images stay intact. The extracted text is layered invisibly on top, making it searchable and selectable while maintaining the visual look.
How to run OCR on a PDF
Upload a scanned PDF or image-based document.
Choose the language of the text inside the document.
Start OCR and download a PDF where you can search, select, and copy text.
OCR Accuracy Factors
Clear, high-resolution scans produce the best results. Sharp text, good contrast, and standard fonts are recognized accurately. Handwriting, unusual fonts, or poor-quality scans may have lower accuracy.
Even with perfect scans, OCR isn't 100% accurate—expect 95-99% accuracy for printed text. Always review important documents and correct any errors. For critical documents, manual verification is recommended.
OCR Questions
Does OCR work on handwritten text?
OCR works best on printed text. Handwriting recognition is much less accurate and may not work well. For handwritten documents, specialized handwriting recognition tools are needed, and accuracy is typically lower.
Can I edit the extracted text?
The extracted text is embedded in the PDF, making it searchable and selectable. To edit it, you'd need to convert the PDF to Word first, then edit, then convert back. The OCR makes the text accessible, not directly editable in the PDF.
How long does OCR take?
Processing time depends on file size and page count. A single page might take a few seconds, while a 50-page document could take a minute or two. The complexity of the layout also affects processing time.
Will the PDF look different after OCR?
No, the visual appearance stays exactly the same. OCR adds invisible text layers without changing how the document looks. You'll see the same scanned images, but now with searchable text underneath.
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