PDF power tools
Recognize text in a scanned PDF
Recognize English, French, or Spanish text and add a searchable invisible text layer. Your document is processed locally and is never uploaded to Novus PDF Studio.
Recognize English, French, or Spanish text and add a searchable invisible text layer.
Drop PDF here
Files stay in this browser session. Maximum 200 MB each.
Loads a sample: 2 pages, 17 fillable fields — an application form with text boxes, checkboxes and a signature box.
This sample already has text; use an image-only scan to exercise OCR fully.
Samples contain invented data only and are read from this site, not uploaded.
Your document preview will appear here.
Choose a PDF to begin.
About this tool
A scanned PDF is usually a stack of page photographs. OCR reads those pixels and estimates words plus their page positions, then this tool overlays invisible text while preserving the original page image.
Recognition is probabilistic, not a guarantee. The export report shows the word count and average confidence, and the output should be searched and spot-checked before it is used for accessibility, evidence, or records work. Language data is downloaded on first use and cached by the browser; the document image itself is processed locally.
How to ocr step by step
- 1
Choose the scan
Load an image-only or partially searchable PDF.
- 2
Choose a language
Select English, French, or Spanish to improve recognition.
- 3
Choose resolution
Use 150 DPI for speed or 200 DPI for small print.
- 4
Recognize and verify
Wait for every page, download the searchable PDF, then search several known words and review the confidence report.
When to use it
- Making phone scans searchable
- Preparing a scan for local field detection
- Copying text from a printed form
Tips
- Rotate pages upright first.
- Use a clear 200 DPI source for small text.
- Search several known phrases after export.
Good to know
- Handwriting and complex layouts remain difficult.
- Only English, French and Spanish language packs are exposed.
OCR questions, answered
Does OCR change how the page looks?
No. The original page appearance stays in place; recognition adds a transparent text layer behind search and selection.
Does the scan get uploaded?
No. The OCR engine runs in a browser worker. Its language model may be downloaded on first use, but document pixels are not sent with that request.
Is OCR accurate enough for legal or medical data?
Treat it as a draft. Names, dates, identifiers and faint characters must be checked against the visible scan.
Privacy note: like every Novus PDF Studio tool, ocrruns entirely in your browser. Files, passwords, and settings stay in this tab's memory and are discarded when you close it — there is no upload, no queue, and no server-side copy. Read more on the privacy page.