OCR PDF
Make scanned PDFs text-searchable using OCR technology.
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Accepts PDF, JPEG, PNG · Up to 15MB
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Encrypted upload · Auto-deleted after 1 hour · PDPA compliant
Scanned PDFs look like documents but behave like images — you cannot select, search, or copy any text. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) runs a text-recognition pass over each page and adds a searchable text layer, transforming a scanned image document into a functional, searchable PDF with no visible change to its appearance.
When OCR unlocks a scanned document
Old agreements, archived records, and documents received via fax or photocopier arrive as image-only PDFs. Law firms digitising decades of paper case files, government agencies archiving physical records, and businesses scanning supplier invoices all benefit from OCR that makes those documents keyword-searchable. In Malaysia, many older LHDN notices and SSM company documents were scanned and distributed as image PDFs — OCR makes them text-searchable and processable by accounting software. Pakistani NADRA documents and FBR tax notices provided as scanned PDFs similarly need OCR before they can be used in any digital workflow.
Common Use Cases
Searchable Legal Archives
Law firms digitising scanned case files, court orders, and correspondence apply OCR to make every document keyword-searchable, enabling lawyers to locate specific clauses and names in seconds.
LHDN Tax Notice Processing
Older LHDN tax assessment notices distributed as scanned image PDFs are OCR-processed so accountants can search for reference numbers, assessment years, and taxpayer IDs across their entire archive.
Academic Research Digitisation
Researchers working with scanned journal articles from university library archives apply OCR to extract quotable text, search citations, and copy statistical data, tasks impossible on raw image PDFs.
Business Invoice Processing
Accounts payable teams receiving scanned supplier invoices apply OCR so ERP and accounting software can automatically extract vendor names, amounts, and invoice reference numbers for processing.
How to use OCR PDF — step by step
Upload the scanned PDF
Drop the image-based PDF. Multi-page documents are processed page by page. Up to 15 MB is supported.
Select the document language
Choose the primary language of text in the document from the dropdown. This significantly improves character recognition accuracy for non-Latin scripts.
Download the searchable PDF
The output looks identical to the input but now has an invisible text layer beneath each page. Open it in a PDF reader and use Ctrl+F to confirm text is searchable.
Tips for best results
Select "Malay" for documents in Bahasa Malaysia, "Arabic" for Jawi script, and "English" for most international documents.
OCR accuracy improves dramatically when the source scan is at 200 DPI or higher. Blurry phone photos of documents produce poor results.
Straighten and clean your scans before uploading — rotated or coffee-stained pages reduce recognition accuracy significantly.
After OCR, run the result through Compress PDF to reduce the file size, since adding a text layer can increase it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What languages does OCR support?
English, Malay, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, and Arabic. Jawi script (Arabic characters used for Malay) is supported under the Arabic language option.
Why does OCR produce some incorrect characters?
OCR is pattern recognition — handwriting, unusual fonts, stains, folds, or low-resolution scans introduce errors. The output is a best estimate. Review and correct any critical text, especially names, numbers, and dates.
Does the OCR output look different from the original?
No. The visual appearance is completely unchanged — the text layer is invisible beneath the scanned page image. Images, stamps, and layout are unaffected.
Can OCR be run on a PDF that already has some searchable pages?
Yes. Pages that already have text layers are left unmodified; OCR is applied only to image-only pages within the same document.
After OCR, why does a search find text but highlight the wrong position?
This is a known artifact when OCR text coordinates do not align perfectly with the underlying scan. It usually occurs on documents with unusual text skew or decorative fonts. The text is still findable and copyable — just the highlight position may be offset.
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