OCR PDF

Turn scanned PDF documents into searchable, selectable text with optical character recognition (OCR) online. Extract and search text from image-based PDFs.

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or drop files here (Max 10MB)

Multi-language OCR

Searchable PDF output

Text extraction

High accuracy

How to use OCR PDF

Upload scanned PDF

Select language

Download searchable PDF

Frequently Asked Questions

What languages are supported?

The current OCR workflow supports English, Turkish, combined English and Turkish, German, French, and Spanish.

Will OCR change the appearance of my scan?

The goal is to add a searchable text layer while retaining the scanned page image. Review the output because recognition and layout can vary with source quality.

Why does OCR miss some words?

Blur, shadows, skewed pages, handwriting, decorative fonts, and low contrast can make characters difficult to recognize.

Can OCR recognize handwriting?

The workflow is intended primarily for printed text. Clear handwriting may produce partial results, but it should be checked carefully.

Should I compress a scan before OCR?

Avoid aggressive compression before recognition because damaged letter shapes can reduce accuracy. If size matters, compare OCR results before and after compression.

Do I need to review recognized text?

Yes. Check names, dates, reference numbers, tables, and uncommon terms before relying on the searchable text.

When to use this tool

Recognize text in scanned PDF pages so words can be searched or selected. OCR works best on straight, high-contrast scans and may require review when pages contain handwriting or complex layouts.

A scanned PDF looks readable but its text cannot be searched or copied.
Document text must be found quickly before review or conversion.
An image-based archive needs a searchable working copy.

Tips for best results

Use upright scans with clear contrast and minimal shadows around the page.
Check names, numbers, tables, and uncommon terms because recognition is not always exact.
Keep the source scan when the recognized text will support legal, financial, or archival work.

Privacy and file retention

OCR temporarily processes page images and recognized text to produce the requested result. Uploaded and generated files are scheduled for deletion within the normal 30-minute window; review the output before relying on recognized text.