To OCR a PDF, upload a scanned PDF to DIT ToolsKit's OCR PDF tool and click Run OCR. The tool reads the text on every page and adds an invisible, searchable text layer, so you can then select, copy, and search the content.
What is OCR PDF?
OCR PDF (Optical Character Recognition) scans the images in a PDF and recognizes the text within them, adding a hidden, selectable text layer on top. This turns a scanned document — where the "text" is really just a picture — into one where you can search, highlight, and copy text.
How to use OCR PDF
- Upload the scanned PDF you want to make searchable.
- Click "Run OCR".
- Wait while each page is read — this can take a little longer for longer documents.
- Download the searchable PDF.
Benefits of OCR PDF
- Makes scanned documents searchable and selectable
- Keeps the original scanned page images looking exactly the same
- Processes entirely in your browser
- No page limit — works on multi-page scans
Common use cases
- Making an old scanned contract searchable
- Allowing text to be copied out of a scanned form
- Preparing scanned research papers for keyword search
- Archiving paper records in a searchable digital format
Frequently asked questions
Does OCR change how the document looks?
No — the original page images stay exactly as they were. OCR only adds an invisible text layer behind them for searching and copying.
How accurate is the text recognition?
Accuracy depends on scan quality and font clarity — clean, well-scanned text recognizes very accurately, while blurry or handwritten text may have some errors.
Does OCR work on any language?
The current version is optimized for English text; other languages may recognize with lower accuracy.