Make a scanned PDF searchable for archiving
Your scanned contract is 30 pages of images â nobody can find clause 8.3, and DMS indexing ignores it entirely. You need a text layer under the exact same visuals.
Drop your file here â or click to choose
scanned PDF document ¡ up to 200MB each ¡ processing starts instantly, preview is free
No signup needed. Only pay if you want the clean file.
Frequently asked questions
Will the pages look different?
No. The original scan stays the visible layer; OCR adds invisible text underneath for search and copy. Pages are additionally deskewed (straightened) and de-noised â you can opt out by asking us for a no-deskew variant.
What if the PDF already has a text layer?
We detect it and stop with a clear message â OCR is for image-only scans, and running it on text PDFs would only add noise.
How accurate is recognition?
Clean printed scans typically recognize above 95% of words. Handwriting and heavy noise reduce accuracy â the free preview lets you spot-check searchability before paying.
Difference from Scanned PDF â Word?
This tool gives you a searchable PDF (visuals preserved). The Word tool gives you editable text. Pick by what happens after download.
When this tool is not the right choice
You need fully editable text in Word.
Use scan-pdf-word.yeezhan.com instead â same OCR engine, editable output.
Use scan-pdf-word.yeezhan.com instead â same OCR engine, editable output.
Your scan quality is terrible (folded fax, 150 DPI photos of screens).
Rescan at 300 DPI if possible â OCR accuracy is bounded by input quality.
Rescan at 300 DPI if possible â OCR accuracy is bounded by input quality.