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OCR PDF

Turn scanned PDFs into searchable, selectable text.

Runs on your device

Other sites: 0Check it yourself
  1. 1Add files
  2. 2Set up
  3. 3Download

Tip: You can also drop files anywhere on this page, or paste them.

or drop them here

Accepts PDF

How to use OCR PDF

  1. 01Add a scanned PDF. Scans from Scan to PDF work well too.
  2. 02Choose the document language and a resolution. For some languages a high-accuracy engine is available, at the cost of a one-time download.
  3. 03Press Run OCR. Pages are cleaned up, turned upright, straightened and read; then download the searchable PDF.

About OCR PDF

OCR PDF reads the text in scanned pages and photos and adds it to the PDF as an invisible layer, exactly over the words in the image. The page looks the same, but you can now search it, select and copy text, and let screen readers read it aloud. Pages that already contain real text are left alone.

Why your files stay private

Text recognition usually means sending scans to a cloud service. Here the recognition engine itself is downloaded to your browser and runs on your processor, so scanned contracts, letters and records are read on your device and never uploaded.

OCR PDF: common questions

Why is the language setting important?
Recognition uses a model for the language you choose, with its alphabet and common words. Picking the right one makes a big difference to accuracy, especially for accents and non-Latin scripts.
Which resolution should I use?
200 DPI suits most office scans. Use 300 DPI for small print or poor scans; it is slower but reads fine detail better. 150 DPI is fastest for large, clear text.
What does the high-accuracy option do?
It uses a second recognition engine, PaddleOCR, which reads difficult scans better for the languages it supports. It downloads about 36 MB the first time and then stays on your device.
Some words weren't recognised. What can I do?
When a page is hard to read, only the words recognised with confidence are added. A sharper scan, the right language or a higher resolution usually helps.
Will the pages look different afterwards?
No. The original page images are kept and the text is added invisibly on top, so printing and viewing look exactly as before.

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