OCR a PDF

What is OCR?

Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that converts scanned images of text into machine-readable text that you can search, copy, edit, and highlight. The OCR meaning lies in its ability to recognize text in scanned documents, transforming static PDF content into text you can reuse.

How can I tell if my PDF document includes scanned text?

The quickest way to find out if text in a PDF document is scanned is to try to select or highlight text in it. If you are unable to select or highlight text, then you are likely dealing with a scanned PDF file. You can make text in a scanned PDF searchable by applying OCR software using the Acrobat online tool. After uploading a PDF into the tool, the OCR engine processes your document to text recognition in the file, replicating the font style of the scanned or static text as closely as possible for text consistency throughout the PDF document. Once the OCR workflow is complete, sign in to download and open your new PDF. You’ll be able to search your PDF document for words or phrases or share it with others by email.

Can I recognize text in files that aren’t PDFs?

The Acrobat OCR online tool lets you recognize text in a PDF document for free. To make text editable, searchable, and selectable in other documents, including image file formats like PNG, JPG, and TIFF files, you can start a seven-day free trial of Adobe Acrobat Pro.

With Acrobat Pro, you can also edit recognized text in documents on your Microsoft Windows, Mac, or Linux. By using OCR technology to create editable text, you can reuse existing content instead of starting from scratch, saving time and money.

In addition, the Acrobat Pro free trial gives you access to advanced PDF features to keep your business workflows moving. Edit PDF text and images, collect e-signatures, create fillable forms, and convert to and from PDF, including converting text files (TXT) and Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word docs.

What language does my PDF need to be in to use OCR software?

The Acrobat OCR PDF tool can be used on PDF documents in English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and more. See a full list of supported languages for our OCR tools online.

What types of documents can OCR handle?

OCR tools support scanned paper documents, image-only PDFs, photos with text, and even handwritten notes.

Does OCR preserve formatting?

Acrobat's advanced OCR tools retain original layout, fonts, and formatting, making the output look like the original document.

Can I edit the text after OCR is applied?

With a free 7-day trial of Acrobat Pro, you can edit recognized text, reuse content, and preserve formatting and layout in your PDF after OCR is applied.

How can OCR help visually impaired users?

OCR software can make text legible to be read aloud or converted to Braille, making scanned content accessible through adaptive technologies.

Why didn’t OCR recognize all the text?

Poor image quality, unusual fonts, or handwritten text can reduce accuracy. Improving scan resolution or using clearer fonts helps.

Can OCR work on multi-page PDFs?

Yes. OCR tools can process entire documents, including multi-page PDFs, and make all pages searchable.