OCR to Searchable PDF

Add an invisible, searchable text layer to scanned PDF pages.

Add a PDF to get started

Drag and drop files here, or choose from your device.

Choose PDFChoose a file to add it to this workspace.

A practical guide

How to use OCR to Searchable PDF

Choose a PDF up to 50 MB and 40 pages.
Choose the pages to recognize and select English, German or Romanian.
Run OCR and download the searchable PDF.

What does searchable OCR do?

OCR recognizes printed text on scanned pages and adds an invisible searchable text layer. The scanned page remains visible while recognized text can be searched and selected. Pages that already contain searchable text are skipped.

OCR accuracy

Recognition quality depends on scan clarity, resolution, orientation, contrast, language and typeface. Always check important text after OCR. Handwriting is not a supported use case and may produce poor results.

Languages and processing

OCR supports English, German and Romanian. Processing runs locally in your browser, so the PDF and OCR data stay on your device. Files can be up to 50 MB and 40 pages per job.

Frequently asked questions

Does OCR replace the scanned page?

No. The scanned page remains visible and searchable text is added over it.

Which languages are supported?

English, German and Romanian.

Can PDF64 recognize handwriting?

Handwriting is not a supported use case and results may be unreliable.

Does my PDF leave my device?

No. OCR processing runs locally in your browser.