Fix HP Scanner Creating Image-Only PDFs Instead of Text
Question details
The user is trying to scan documents to PDF using an HP OfficeJet Pro 8710, but the resulting files behave like JPG images without selectable text.
- Product
- HP OfficeJet Pro 8710
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Scanning physical documents to a digital PDF format using a flatbed or automatic document feeder.
- Observed behavior
- The scanned file is saved with a .pdf extension but lacks selectable text, appearing as an image-only document.
Verify the exact scanning application you are using (such as HP Smart, HP Scan, or Adobe Acrobat) and ensure your scanner is properly connected to your Lenovo computer.
Enable OCR Settings in Your Scanning Application
Most scanners default to capturing images unless Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is explicitly enabled to generate text.
If you are scanning directly through software like Adobe Acrobat or advanced HP Scan software, the output format determines if text is recognized.
An image-only PDF is created when the software simply places the scanned picture of the page inside a PDF wrapper.
Launch your primary scanning application on your computer and select the 'Scan a Document' option.
Look for the output file type settings and ensure 'PDF' is selected rather than 'JPEG' or 'PNG'.
Find the setting labeled 'Searchable PDF', 'Make Searchable (OCR)', or 'Recognize Text' and turn it on.
Scan a document with text and open the resulting PDF to verify that you can highlight and select the words.
Update HP Scanner Drivers and Software
Basic or outdated drivers may lack the advanced features required to process scanned text properly.
Convert Image-Only Scans to Searchable PDFs with WPS Office
If your scanner continues to output image-based PDFs, you can use the built-in OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature in WPS PDF to instantly extract text and make your documents fully searchable and editable.
- 1. Open the Scanned PDF: Launch WPS Office and open the image-only PDF file that your HP scanner created.
- 2. Access the OCR Tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon and click on the 'OCR' button.
- 3. Select OCR Output: Choose whether you want to extract the text directly or convert the entire document into an editable Word/PDF file.
- 4. Save Your File: Once the recognition process is complete, save the newly generated, fully searchable document to your computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my scanned PDF look like a picture?
Scanners essentially take a digital photograph of your physical document. Unless OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is applied during or after the scan, the resulting PDF merely acts as a container for that image, which is why you cannot highlight or edit the text.
Does the HP OfficeJet Pro 8710 support searchable PDFs natively?
Yes, but to create searchable PDFs directly from the scanner, you must use the full-featured HP scanning software or a compatible third-party application (like Adobe Acrobat or WPS PDF) with the OCR function enabled in the scan profile settings.
Can I extract text from a PDF that is already scanned as an image?
Yes. If you already have a PDF that behaves like a JPG, you can open it in a PDF editor equipped with OCR, such as WPS PDF. The OCR tool will analyze the image and convert the visual characters into real, editable text.
