OCR PDF
Extract text from scanned PDF documents
How it works
Upload your file
We process it instantly in your browser
Download your result in one click
Your files stay private. All processing happens locally in your browser. Files are never uploaded to any server.
How to Use OCR PDF
Scanned PDFs are essentially photographs — you can see the text but you cannot search, copy, or edit it. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) solves this by reading the image and adding a hidden text layer to the PDF. PDF Mate's OCR tool uses Tesseract.js, an open-source engine, running entirely in your browser — your scanned documents never touch a server.
- 1
Upload your scanned PDF
Click "Select File" or drag your scanned PDF or image-based PDF into the upload area. The tool supports PDFs that are images (i.e., no selectable text).
- 2
Select the document language
Choose the language of the text in your document. OCR accuracy improves significantly when the language matches the actual content. Over 40 languages are supported.
- 3
Run OCR
Click "Run OCR." The tool uses Tesseract.js, an open-source OCR engine, running directly in your browser. Processing time depends on document length — a 10-page scan typically takes 15–30 seconds.
- 4
Download the searchable PDF
Download the output PDF. It looks identical to the original scan but now has a hidden text layer — you can search, select, copy, and highlight text.
Pro Tips
- ✓Scan quality matters. 300 DPI or higher gives the best OCR accuracy. Blurry or low-contrast scans yield worse results.
- ✓Straighten pages before scanning. Skewed text reduces accuracy significantly. Use the Deskew tool if pages are tilted.
- ✓If your document mixes two languages (e.g., English headings and French body), choose the language that appears most in the body text.
- ✓OCR is not perfect — always proofread the output, especially for numbers, punctuation, and names.
- ✓After OCR, use PDF to Word if you need to edit the text content directly.
After OCR, your PDF is fully searchable and compatible with all PDF viewers. The original scan quality is preserved — the only addition is the invisible text layer underneath.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OCR and why do I need it?
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) reads the text in an image or scanned document and creates a hidden searchable text layer. Without OCR, a scanned PDF is just a photograph — you cannot search, copy, or edit the text.
How accurate is the OCR?
For clean, high-resolution scans in supported languages, accuracy is typically 95–99%. Accuracy drops for poor-quality scans, unusual fonts, or handwriting.
Does OCR work on handwritten text?
Basic handwriting recognition is available but accuracy is lower than for printed text, especially for cursive. OCR works best on clearly printed, typed, or typeset content.
Which languages are supported?
Over 40 languages are supported, including English, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Russian, and more.
Will the OCR output look different from my original?
No. The output PDF looks identical to the original scan. OCR adds a hidden text layer beneath the image — the visual appearance is unchanged.
Is my scanned document uploaded to a server?
No. OCR runs entirely in your browser using Tesseract.js, an open-source library. Your document never leaves your device.
Can I OCR a multi-page document?
Yes. The tool processes all pages in the PDF and adds a text layer to each one. There is no page limit, though longer documents take more time.