OCR PDF
Make a scanned PDF searchable. Free, in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.
How it works
- Each page is drawn in this tab with pdf.js.
- The words are read by Tesseract.js, the open-source OCR engine, running in your browser.
- A hidden text layer is added under each page, lined up with the printed words.
- You download the searchable PDF. It looks the same as before, but search, highlight and copy now work.
Questions
How do I OCR a PDF for free?
Choose the PDF above and press Make searchable. Each page is read in your browser and you download the same PDF with a text layer, so search, highlight and copy work. There is no sign-up.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is opened, read and saved by your own browser. Nothing is sent to a server, so it works for private papers too.
How many pages can it do?
Up to 50 pages at a time, because the reading happens in your browser’s memory. For a whole book, FixMyScan does it on its servers, up to 1,000 pages.
Which languages does it read?
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and Latin. Pick the language before you start. See OCR languages.
Will the pages look different?
No. The text layer is invisible and sits under each page, so the PDF looks the same.
Why are some words wrong?
OCR reads what it sees. Grey paper, faint print and tilted pages cause most misreads. Cleaning the pages first helps; that is what FixMyScan adds.