If you have a scanned document (invoice, contract, textbook pages) saved as a PDF, you’ve probably noticed the problem:
- You can’t search inside it
- You can’t copy text reliably
- Screen readers and accessibility tools struggle
That’s exactly what OCR (Optical Character Recognition) fixes.
If you’re searching for:
- ocr pdf online
- make scanned pdf searchable
- convert scanned pdf to text
- searchable pdf free
- smallpdf ocr alternative
- ilovepdf ocr alternative
- ihatepdf ocr alternative
…this guide will help you get great results.
Quick solution: OCR your PDF with PDFhero
Use the tool here: OCR PDF
What is OCR (and when do you need it)?
OCR reads the pixels in a scanned image and reconstructs the text so your PDF becomes:
- searchable (Ctrl+F works)
- copyable (select + copy text)
- better for archiving and accessibility
You need OCR when the PDF is basically a set of images (common with scanner apps and photos).
How to OCR a PDF (step-by-step)
Step 1: Open the OCR tool
Go to: PDFhero OCR PDF
Step 2: Upload your scanned PDF
Step 3: Choose language (if available)
Picking the right language improves accuracy, especially for:
- accented characters
- mixed scripts
- technical documents
Step 4: Run OCR and download
After processing, download the searchable PDF.
Best practices to get accurate OCR results
Use a clean scan
OCR accuracy drops if pages are:
- blurry
- low-contrast
- shadowy (phone scans)
- heavily compressed
Fix rotation and skew
Even a small tilt can reduce accuracy. Deskew/rotate first if needed.
Keep a good DPI
- 300 DPI is a good target for text
- 150 DPI may be okay for large fonts
- very low DPI can cause missing characters
Don’t over-compress before OCR
Compression can smear characters. If you must compress, do it after OCR.
PDFhero vs Smallpdf / iLovePDF / iHatePDF-style OCR tools
People compare OCR tools based on:
Privacy
Many online OCR services upload your document to a server. That can be risky for:
- bank statements
- medical records
- legal documents
- invoices with customer details
PDFhero is designed for private, in-browser processing for typical workflows.
Output quality
A good OCR tool keeps:
- original layout (as much as possible)
- text selectable
- search working across pages
Limits and pricing
Some “free OCR” tools limit pages, add watermarks, or restrict downloads.
Common OCR problems (and fixes)
Problem: text is garbled
- try a higher quality scan
- try the correct language
- avoid aggressive compression
Problem: numbers are wrong (0 vs O, 1 vs I)
- check important fields manually
- use a clearer scan
Problem: OCR is slow
- large PDFs take longer
- split into smaller chunks if needed
FAQ: OCR PDF
Does OCR change my original PDF?
OCR usually generates a new, searchable version. Keep the original for backup.
Is OCR the same as “PDF to Word”?
Not exactly. OCR makes text selectable/searchable. Converting to Word is a different step that may reflow layout.
Can OCR work on handwriting?
Handwriting OCR is much harder and often unreliable unless the writing is very neat.
Try it now
Open: OCR PDF with PDFhero
If you want, tell me the next topic you want and I’ll write it (PDF to JPG, JPG to PDF, Sign PDF, Split PDF, Watermark PDF).
