The Complete Handbook to OCR’ing Scanned PDFs

PDFTools Editorial

OCR Accessibility Archiving

The Complete Handbook to OCR’ing Scanned PDFs feature image

Key takeaways

Pick the correct language pack to boost accuracy.

Contrast enhancement improves low-quality scans.

Batch mode handles up to 20 PDFs at once.

When to Use OCR

If you can't select text in your PDF, it is likely just an image. OCR recreates hidden text layers so search engines and screen readers can parse the file.

This is especially useful for contracts, receipts, and compliance documents that you need to store for years.

Improving Recognition Accuracy

Choose the closest language or multi-language pack for bilingual documents.

Enable "Deskew" and "Auto contrast" options in PDFTools before running OCR on skewed scans.

Automating OCR for Teams

Drag up to 20 files into the PDFTools OCR queue, then enable email notifications so teammates get a download link.

Store processed files inside the "converted" directory with timestamps to keep your document control tidy.

Conclusion

OCR is a powerful tool for converting scanned PDFs into searchable, highlightable documents. By understanding when to use OCR, picking the correct language pack, and improving recognition accuracy, you can ensure that your documents are accessible to everyone.