Turn scanned PDFs into searchable text with OCR

A scanned PDF is often just images of pages. You cannot select text until optical character recognition (OCR) runs. PDF OCR and Scanned PDF to Searchable PDF aim to add a text layer so you can search, copy, and sometimes edit more easily.

Best inputs for OCR

Use straight, high-contrast scans. Avoid heavy shadows and skewed pages. PDF Scanner helps when you start from phone photos.

After OCR

Proofread critical numbers. OCR is helpful, not perfect—especially with handwriting or ornate fonts. Pair with Edit PDF only after you verify the text layer.