PDF OCR Online - Convert Scanned PDF to Text

PDF OCR online for free. Convert scanned PDFs to searchable text. Extract text from image-based PDFs.

Drop scanned PDF here or click to browse

.pdf, application/pdf • Max 100MB

What This Tool Does

Recognizes text in scanned PDFs and images
Supports 100+ languages for text recognition
Converts image-only PDFs to searchable text PDFs
Handles multi-column layouts and tables
Preserves original document formatting

How to Use

1
Upload scanned PDF
Select the image-based or scanned PDF document
2
Choose language
Select the document language for accurate recognition
3
Configure OCR settings
Set quality options and layout preservation preferences
4
Download searchable PDF
Save the PDF with recognized, searchable text

How it works

Upload scanned PDF

Select the image-based or scanned PDF document

Choose language

Select the document language for accurate recognition

Configure OCR settings

Set quality options and layout preservation preferences

Download searchable PDF

Save the PDF with recognized, searchable text

Use Cases

Digitizing paper archives and old documents
Making scanned contracts and agreements searchable
Converting photographed receipts to editable text
Extracting text from screenshots and images
Creating searchable PDFs from book scans

Frequently Asked Questions

Which languages does PDF OCR support for text recognition?

The PDF OCR engine supports 100+ languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Russian, and many others.

How accurate is OCR text recognition on scanned PDFs?

Accuracy depends on scan quality. Clear, high-resolution (300+ DPI) scans yield 95%+ accuracy. Poor quality, faded, or skewed scans may need manual correction after OCR.

Can PDF OCR recognize handwritten text or signatures?

OCR works best with printed typefaces. Handwriting recognition is limited and may produce errors or miss text entirely. For best results, use printed documents.

Will the original scanned images be replaced by text?

No, the original scanned image remains visible. Recognized text is layered invisibly behind the image, making the PDF searchable while maintaining visual appearance.

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