How to Make Scanned PDFs Searchable Using OCR in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user wants to know how to convert scanned PDFs into machine-readable and searchable documents using OCR, and whether upgrading from Acrobat X Pro to Acrobat Pro DC is required to do so.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to make scanned PDF documents searchable or accessible to screen readers using optical character recognition.
- Observed behavior
- The user believes an upgrade to Acrobat Pro DC is necessary to utilize OCR features for making PDFs machine-readable.
Determine whether your current PDF is already a text-based document or a scanned image, as standard text PDFs are already machine-readable and do not require OCR processing.
Use Text Recognition (OCR) in Acrobat X Pro
Apply OCR using your existing Acrobat X Pro license without needing to purchase an upgrade to Acrobat Pro DC.
If your PDF was created from a scanner, it is saved as a flat image. To make the text searchable and accessible for screen readers, you must process it using Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Acrobat X Pro already includes this feature, so an upgrade to Acrobat DC is not strictly necessary for basic OCR tasks.
Launch Adobe Acrobat X Pro and open the scanned PDF document you want to make searchable.
Click on the 'Tools' pane located on the right side of the Acrobat interface.
Expand the 'Recognize Text' panel and choose the 'In This File' option.
Select the page range and appropriate language settings, then click 'OK' to run the OCR process. The text will now be searchable and machine-readable.
Use the Scan & OCR Tool in Acrobat Pro DC
If you have already upgraded or are currently using Acrobat Pro DC, you can use its updated OCR tools to make documents searchable.
Make PDFs Searchable Instantly with WPS PDF
Need a quick, reliable, and affordable way to apply OCR to your scanned PDFs? WPS Office includes a powerful built-in PDF editor that easily recognizes text in scanned images, making your documents fully searchable, accessible, and editable.
- 1. Open PDF in WPS: Launch WPS Office and open your scanned PDF document in the WPS PDF tool.
- 2. Select OCR Tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon and click on the 'OCR' button.
- 3. Extract or Convert: Choose whether to extract the text directly or convert the document into a searchable PDF or editable Word file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a readable and a searchable PDF?
A readable PDF can be interpreted by a computer or screen reader out of the box because it contains actual text data. A searchable PDF is often created from a scanned image where OCR has been applied to recognize the visual text, allowing you to use the 'Find' function to search for specific words.
Do I have to upgrade to Acrobat DC to get OCR?
No, older versions like Adobe Acrobat X Pro already include OCR capabilities under the 'Text Recognition' feature. An upgrade is only necessary if you require newer cloud features, advanced editing tools, or the updated Acrobat DC interface.
Why can't I search the text in my PDF document?
If your PDF was created by scanning a physical document, it is essentially a flat image of the page. You must apply Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert the visual image of the text into actual selectable and searchable text.
