OCR PDF
Make a scanned PDF searchable and selectable.
How to use OCR PDF
- Add your scan Any PDF made from scanned pages or photographs of a document.
- Pick the language Accuracy depends heavily on this, so choose the language actually on the page.
- Run OCR Each page is read and an invisible text layer is placed over the original image.
- Search it The PDF looks identical but you can now select, copy and search its text.
This tool isn't available yet
OCR PDF runs on our file-processing service, which is still being set up. Rather than have you upload a file we know we cannot process, we have turned the upload off.
These work right now
They run entirely in your browser, so nothing is uploaded at all.
A scanned document is a picture of text, not text. You cannot search it, select it or copy from it. OCR PDF reads what is on the page and places an invisible text layer over the original image — the document looks exactly the same, but now it behaves like a real text document.
Why the original image is kept
Some OCR tools replace the scan with recreated text, which means every recognition mistake becomes a permanent, invisible error in your document. We keep the original page image and put the recognised text behind it. If the OCR misreads a word, the picture still shows what was really there — you just might not find that word by searching.
What affects accuracy
Resolution first: below about 200 DPI, letters simply do not have enough pixels. Then contrast, straightness and language. A clean 300 DPI scan of printed text typically comes back near-perfect. Handwriting, faint photocopies and heavily stylised fonts are much harder, and we will tell you honestly how many characters we managed to recognise.
Frequently asked questions
Does OCR change how my document looks?
Not at all. The visible pages are untouched; the recognised text sits invisibly behind them.
Which languages are supported?
English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic and Urdu today. More can be added — tell us which you need.
How long does it take?
Roughly a few seconds per page. Up to 60 pages per file.
Can it read handwriting?
Not reliably. OCR is built for printed text; handwriting recognition is a different problem.