How to make a scanned PDF searchable and copyable

A scanned PDF is just a stack of pictures, which is why you cannot search it or copy a line. OCR (optical character recognition) reads the text in those pictures and adds a text layer so the document behaves like a normal PDF.

Steps

Open OCR PDF. Upload the scanned PDF.
Let it process. Each page is recognised in Hindi and English by default. Long scans take longer.
Download the result. You get a PDF with the same look and a searchable text layer.
Test it. Use Ctrl+F for a word you know is on the page.

Open the tool: OCR PDF

Good to know

Clean, straight scans give far better accuracy than blurry or skewed ones.
Check important numbers and names yourself; OCR can misread poor scans.
After OCR you can convert to Word with PDF to Word or compress the file.

Frequently asked questions

Does it support Hindi?

Yes, Hindi and English are recognised by default.

Will the PDF look different afterwards?

No. The page images stay; a text layer is added.

Why is some text misread?

Low resolution, shadows or skewed pages reduce accuracy. A cleaner scan helps.

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