OCR PDF – Make Scanned PDFs Searchable
FreeOptical Character Recognition (OCR) turns images of text into real, searchable text inside your PDF.
Key OCR features
Output options tailored to your workflow
Export plain text instantly for quotes, captions, or translation drafts. Create a searchable PDF with an invisible text layer that preserves layout fidelity. Save both outputs when you need transcripts for redaction or PDF/A conversion alongside the original formatting.
Auto-detect the right pages and languages
Default to auto-detect scanned pages so OCR only runs where it’s needed. Switch to all pages or enter a custom range before you split binders or organize long PDFs. Language auto-detect picks the best Tesseract model; lock it to English, Spanish, or German when you want leaner downloads.
Advanced tuning for specialists
Fine-tune DPI for archival scans and adjust page segmentation modes for columns, forms, or handwriting. Set minimum confidence thresholds, merge split tokens, and control character whitelists or blacklists for cleaner exports.
Why PDFJuggler wins for OCR
Compare privacy, pricing, setup, language handling, and controls in one view.
Privacy
- PDFJuggler
- Browser-based processing keeps PDFs on your device so sensitive data never leaves your desk.
- Other OCR services
- Most cloud OCR tools upload your file to remote servers before processing.
Price
- PDFJuggler
- Free OCR with no subscriptions, trials, or watermark surprises.
- Other OCR services
- Many services meter pages or lock exports behind paid tiers.
Installation
- PDFJuggler
- Runs instantly in the browser—no desktop download, no plugins, no admin approval.
- Other OCR services
- Native apps and cloud portals often require installers, sign-ups, or IT tickets.
Language handling
- PDFJuggler
- Auto-detects languages and ships tuned offline packs you can pin for consistent results.
- Other OCR services
- Limited language packs or manual toggles slow teams working across markets.
Advanced controls
- PDFJuggler
- Tune DPI, segmentation, and export both searchable PDF and plain text from one run.
- Other OCR services
- Power features and dual-output workflows usually cost extra or are missing entirely.
Follow these playbooks to prepare scans, handle languages, and deliver searchable packets without leaving your browser.
OCR PDF workflows for searchable archives and clean handoffs
Make scanned PDFs searchable before archiving
Pin languages for bilingual or global teams
Prep OCR text for editing and translation
Automate compliance-ready OCR handoffs
How to make a PDF searchable
Upload your scanned PDF. Drag and drop the scanned document or pick it from your device.
Choose the document language. Select the language so recognition matches characters accurately.
Decide which pages to process. Run OCR on every page, only pages detected as scans, or a custom page range.
Convert and download the results. Create a searchable PDF or export plain text once processing finishes.
OCR workflows: related tools and guides
Repair PDF
Fix corrupted PDFs so OCR can read every page.
Split PDF
Separate sections or remove blank scans before recognition.
Organize PDF
Reorder and rotate pages so text lines stay upright.
Compress PDF
Reduce searchable PDF size for faster sharing after OCR.
Guide: OCR scanned PDF online
Step-by-step workflow for turning scans into searchable text.
Guide: Unlocking Advanced PDF Tools
Understand advanced PDF tools with clear definitions, frameworks, methods, tools, FAQs, and downloadable resources.
Frequently asked questions
What is OCR?
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) turns images of text into searchable, machine-readable text inside your PDF.
Will my PDF look the same?
Yes. We keep the original page content and overlay an invisible text layer so appearance is unchanged but text is selectable and searchable.
Does this work on mobile?
Yes. The interface is touch-friendly and works in modern mobile browsers.
Is my file private?
Recognition runs in your browser. Files are not stored on our servers.
How long does OCR take for large PDFs?
OCR speed depends on page count and language. Processing a 100-page scan to make it searchable usually takes under a minute on a modern laptop.
Which languages are supported?
PDF Juggler bundles offline Tesseract models for English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian. Those packs are tuned for common document types such as point-of-sale receipts, cross-border contracts, and academic PDFs so totals, clauses, and citations stay accurate.
Can I OCR mixed-language PDFs?
Yes. Keep detection on Auto and we analyze each page, download the right language pack, and balance dictionaries before recognition. For bilingual receipts toggle English + Spanish, and for dual-column contracts or research PDFs lock in the languages that appear so paragraphs stay aligned when you export text.