PDF OCR
Extract text from scanned PDFs.
100% private Runs locally No sign-up
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Heavy libraries load on demand so the page shell stays fast.
About PDF OCR
PDF OCR reads text from scanned PDF pages in your browser. Use it when a ‘flat’ scan blocks copy/paste or search — without sending multi-page packets to a cloud OCR vendor.
How to use PDF OCR
- 1Drop a scanned PDF (clear pages work best).
- 2Start OCR and let each page process locally.
- 3Review extracted text for obvious misreads.
- 4Copy text or continue with Searchable PDF if you need an embedded text layer.
Frequently asked questions
Searchable PDF vs PDF OCR?
PDF OCR focuses on extracting text. Searchable PDF rebuilds a PDF with a text layer you can find-in-page.
Skewed scans?
Straighten pages when photographing. Heavy skew lowers accuracy more than mild compression.
Multi-column layouts?
Reading order can jumble. Split regions or accept manual reorder for complex magazines.
Private contracts?
Local OCR avoids upload. Still follow your organization’s document-handling policy.
Image-only vs born-digital PDF?
If text is already selectable, use Extract Text instead — OCR is for image-based pages.
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