How to Disable Automatic OCR in Acrobat XI Pro
Question details
The user needs to prevent the application from automatically performing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) when opening PDF files.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat XI Pro
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening a scanned PDF document in Acrobat XI Pro.
- Observed behavior
- The application automatically processes the document using OCR, which can cause delays and interrupt the user workflow.
Ensure you have saved any open documents, as you will need to completely restart the application for the accessibility preference changes to take effect.
Disable Assistive Technology Support in Preferences
Turning off assistive technology support prevents the software from attempting to automatically recognize text for screen readers upon opening a file.
Acrobat XI Pro is designed to automatically run OCR on scanned documents if it detects that assistive technology features are enabled. Disabling this specific setting stops the automatic background processing.
Launch Acrobat XI Pro, click on the 'Edit' menu at the top of the window, and select 'Preferences' from the dropdown list.
In the Preferences dialog box, locate and select 'Accessibility' from the Categories list on the left-hand panel.
Scroll down to the 'Other Accessibility Options' section and uncheck the box labeled 'Enable assistive technology support'.
Click 'OK' to apply the changes, then completely close and restart Acrobat XI Pro.
Try WPS Office for a Lightweight, Customizable PDF Experience
If you are tired of unwanted automatic processes or heavy software performance, WPS Office offers a fast, free, and highly compatible PDF reader and editor. It gives you full control over OCR tools without bogging down your system with mandatory background tasks.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free office suite.
- 2. Open Your PDF: Launch WPS PDF and seamlessly open your scanned documents without automatic background processing.
- 3. Use OCR Only When Needed: Navigate to the Tools tab and select OCR to manually convert images to text exactly when you need to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF software automatically start recognizing text when I open a file?
This typically occurs because the software is trying to make scanned documents accessible for screen readers. By default, some PDF editors turn on automatic OCR to assist visually impaired users.
Will disabling assistive technology affect my normal document viewing?
No, turning off assistive technology support will not impact your ability to view, print, or edit standard PDF documents. It only stops the automatic text recognition used for screen reading.
How can I manually run OCR after disabling the automatic feature?
You can still run OCR on demand by navigating to the software's 'Tools' menu, selecting 'Text Recognition', and choosing 'In This File' to convert your scanned pages into searchable text.
What if my scanner keeps forcing OCR even after I change my PDF preferences?
If OCR continues automatically, the issue may stem from your scanner's built-in software or custom scanning presets. Check the settings within your scanning utility to ensure automatic text recognition is toggled off before creating the PDF.
