How to Edit Text That Is Part of an Image in a PDF
Question details
The user needs to edit text that is embedded within a raster image inside a PDF, which prevents the text from being selected or edited directly.
- Product
- PDF Editor
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to modify text on a scanned document or an image placed inside a PDF file.
- Observed behavior
- The text behaves like a picture and cannot be highlighted, selected, or edited using standard PDF text editing tools.
Ensure that your PDF is not password-protected against editing, and determine whether the text is part of a scanned document or an embedded graphic.
Use OCR to Convert Image Text into Editable Text
Applying OCR (Optical Character Recognition) allows your PDF editor to recognize text within an image and convert it into a selectable, editable format.
OCR technology analyzes the pixels in a raster image and translates them into actual digital characters. This is the most efficient way to handle scanned documents or full-page image PDFs.
Launch your professional PDF editor and open the document containing the image-based text.
Navigate to the 'Tools' or 'Edit' menu and select the 'OCR' or 'Recognize Text' feature.
Choose the correct language that matches the text in the document and set the scan quality to the highest available setting.
Start the OCR process and select 'Convert to Editable Text'. Once the recognition is complete, click directly on the text with your editing tool to make modifications.
Extract and Edit the Image Using an External Editor
If OCR cannot accurately process complex image text, you can extract the image, modify it in a graphic editor, and replace it in the PDF.
Easily Edit Scanned PDFs and Images with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a built-in, highly accurate OCR tool that effortlessly converts scanned PDFs and image-based text into fully editable formats. You can quickly modify text, images, and pages all within one application.
- 1. Open PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your image-based or scanned PDF document.
- 2. Apply OCR: Click on the 'Tools' tab and select 'OCR' to initiate text recognition.
- 3. Edit Text: Choose 'Convert to Word' or 'Extract Text' to make your changes, or use the direct 'Edit PDF' mode once the text is recognized.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I select the text in my PDF file?
If you cannot select or highlight text, it is likely because the document was created from a scanner, or the text is part of a flattened image. You must run Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert the image pixels back into digital, selectable text.
Does OCR always recognize text perfectly?
No, OCR accuracy depends heavily on the quality, contrast, and font size of the original image. Low-resolution scans, handwritten notes, or texts over complex backgrounds may result in recognition errors or missed characters.
Can I edit an image directly inside the PDF without external tools?
While basic PDF editors allow you to resize, crop, or move an image, modifying the actual pixel content (like embedded text) within the image usually requires a dedicated graphic editor such as Photoshop before reinserting it into the PDF.
Is it possible to convert the image-based PDF to a Word document?
Yes, using PDF software equipped with OCR capabilities, you can convert a scanned or image-based PDF directly into a Microsoft Word document, making the layout and text entirely editable.
