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PDF OCR: Scanned PDF to Text

Recognise text on scanned PDF pages locally in your browser; your PDF is not uploaded.

Turn images into editable text Drop images or PDFs here, or paste an image anywhere on this page.

Your files stay in this browser. No uploads, accounts or saved document data.

Up to 50 queue items, including up to 50 PDF pages. Images above 40 megapixels are reduced before OCR. GIF: first frame only.

Printed text works best. Handwriting, blurred or very small text, tables and complex layouts may be read poorly or in a different order. Language files download on first use (one to a few MB each); your browser may cache them.

Recognition settings

Check the selected languages. The tool does not detect the document language automatically.

Adjust contrast and dark backgrounds; enlarge small images. Enlarging adds no detail. Your source image is kept for another attempt.

The PDF stores page images, so it can be large. It contains the recognised crop and rotation. All queue items must have a PDF result before downloading.

Set the page range and password before adding PDFs. Empty range means all pages; 8- means page 8 to the end. Settings apply to each added PDF. For a failed PDF, correct them and choose Recognise again. The password is cleared after opening.

How to run OCR on a PDF

  1. For scanned PDF to text, add your document and enter its password if it is protected.
  2. Enter page numbers such as 1–3, 5, or leave the range empty to select every page.
  3. Check the text-layer notice. If most selected pages already contain text, follow its PDF to text link for extraction without OCR.
  4. Choose the document language, an optional second language and a suitable layout. Adjust a page preview if its orientation or crop needs attention.
  5. Recognise the selected pages, correct the editable text and download TXT. Leave searchable PDF enabled if you also need that file.

When PDF OCR helps

  • Make the words in a scanned contract, letter or archive page available for copying.
  • Run recognition only on relevant pages instead of processing the entire document.
  • Inspect each page beside its result and correct names or numbers before saving.
  • Use a searchable PDF when you want to find words while retaining page images.
  • Change the crop or reading layout and recognise a difficult page again.

PDF OCR questions

Does a PDF with selectable text need OCR?

Usually no. The tool checks selected pages for a text layer and points you to PDF to text when most already have one. You may still continue with OCR.

What affects recognition on scanned pages?

Sharp printed pages tend to work better than handwriting, blurred scans or complicated tables. A scan around 300 DPI is a useful target; enlarging a poor scan cannot restore missing detail. Confidence is only the engine's estimate.

How many pages can I select?

You can process up to 50 PDF pages in one run, with no more than 50 queue items overall. Large documents may also be constrained by your device's memory.

Can the PDF contain more than one language?

Choose from 20 language models. One document language is required and a second is optional. Select the languages used on the pages because detection is not automatic.

Is the PDF uploaded for recognition?

The PDF is processed locally in your browser and is not uploaded. Language files download the first time they are needed and may remain cached. This site displays ads.

What does the searchable PDF contain?

It combines the recognised text with the original page images, which can make the download large. You can also copy corrected text or save it as TXT.

Other PDF text options

Image to Text PDF to text Compress PDF