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convert scanned pdf to searchable text ocr online

Make Your Scans Searchable

Working with scanned contracts, invoices, or lecture notes can be frustrating when the text is locked inside an image. Our OCR PDF tool uses advanced Optical Character Recognition technology to unlock this content free and online. It analyzes the shapes of letters in your scanned document and adds an invisible text layer on top. This means you can finally use Ctrl+F to find keywords, select paragraphs, and copy/paste text into Word or email, all while keeping the original document's visual layout intact.

How to Use OCR on PDF:

Why Apply OCR?

FAQ: Using OCR to Make PDFs Searchable

Q: What affects OCR accuracy?

A: The quality of the original scan is key. Clear, high-resolution scans (300 DPI) with dark text on a light background yield the best results.

Q: Can it read handwriting?

A: OCR is optimized for printed text. Handwritten notes may not be recognized accurately due to variations in writing styles.

Q: Will the layout change?

A: No. We create a "Searchable PDF" which keeps the original page image as the background and places invisible text over it, preserving the exact look.