Other PDF Issues

How to Copy Text from Image-Based PDFs Using OCR Tools

Jason Miller Oct 18, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to know how to extract or copy text from image-only or scanned PDFs where text is not normally selectable.

How to Copy Text from Image-Based PDFs Using Professional OCR Tools

Product: PDF Editors
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Trying to copy text from a scanned document or an image-based PDF for editing or pasting elsewhere.
Observed behavior: The text in the PDF behaves like an image and cannot be highlighted, selected, or copied directly.

Before you start

Verify that your desktop PDF editor includes a built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature, or ensure you have a reliable internet connection if you plan to use an online OCR service.

Solution 1Recommended

Extract Text Using Desktop PDF Editors with OCR

Use professional desktop tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro or ABBYY FineReader to convert image-based PDFs into selectable text.

Scanned PDFs lack a hidden text layer. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software analyzes the shapes of the letters in the image and converts them into editable text layers.

Open the PDF

Launch your professional PDF editor and open the image-based PDF file you want to copy text from.

Activate the OCR Tool

Navigate to the 'Tools' menu and select 'Scan & OCR' or 'Recognize Text'.

Run Recognition

Choose 'In This File' and click 'Recognize Text'. The software will scan the document and add a selectable text layer.

Copy the Text

Once the OCR process is complete, use the standard selection tool to highlight the sentences, right-click, and select 'Copy'.

Extract Text Using Desktop PDF Editors with OCR

Accuracy Tip: For the best OCR accuracy, ensure the original scanned PDF has a high resolution (at least 300 DPI) and clear contrast.

Solution 2

Extract Text Using Online OCR Converters

If you do not have professional desktop software installed, you can use free or paid online OCR services to extract text from your PDF.

Advanced PDF OCR Tool

Extract Text from Scanned PDFs with WPS Office

WPS Office includes a powerful built-in PDF toolkit with an advanced OCR feature. You can easily convert image-based or scanned PDFs into selectable, editable text and export it directly to Word formats.

1. Open PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your scanned or image-based PDF file.
2. Select OCR Feature: Go to the 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon and click on the 'OCR' button.
3. Extract Text: Choose whether you want to extract the text to a document or simply make it selectable, then click 'Start OCR'.
4. Copy or Save: Once the recognition is complete, you can effortlessly copy the text or save the newly generated editable document.

Highly accurate OCR engine for extracting text from images and scanned PDFs.Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats like DOCX and standard PDF.User-friendly interface for seamless conversion and copying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I highlight text in my PDF document?

If you cannot highlight text, the PDF is likely an image-based or scanned file. It does not contain an underlying text layer. You must use OCR software to recognize and create selectable text.

Does OCR work perfectly on handwritten PDFs?

OCR accuracy heavily depends on the clarity of the handwriting. While modern professional tools can recognize neat, block handwriting, cursive or messy handwriting often results in poor text extraction.

Can I copy text from a secure or password-protected PDF?

If the PDF has permissions restrictions preventing copying or content extraction, even OCR tools might be blocked. You will need to enter the permissions password to unlock the file before running OCR or copying text.

PDF Troubleshooting