How to Use OCR to Extract Text from PDFs Easily

Learn how to run text recognition on a PDF using OCR tools like Adobe Acrobat and OnlineOCR for efficient text extraction.

455 views

To run text recognition on a PDF, you can use software like Adobe Acrobat or online tools such as OnlineOCR. First, open your PDF in the software. Then, select the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) option, which is usually found under 'Tools' or 'Scan & OCR'. After processing, you can extract and edit the recognized text. These steps offer a straightforward way to convert the non-editable text in PDFs into editable formats, making your documents more accessible and convenient to manage.

FAQs & Answers

  1. What is OCR and why is it important for PDFs? OCR, or Optical Character Recognition, is a technology that converts different types of documents, such as scanned paper documents or PDFs, into editable and searchable data. It is important for PDFs because it allows users to transform non-editable text into formats that can be easily edited and searched, improving accessibility and document management.
  2. What tools are best for running text recognition on a PDF? Some of the best tools for running text recognition on a PDF include Adobe Acrobat, which offers advanced OCR capabilities, and online tools like OnlineOCR, which provide a user-friendly interface for quick conversions without the need for installation.
  3. Can I run OCR on scanned images or just on PDFs? You can run OCR on both scanned images and PDFs. Many OCR software options support various file formats, allowing you to convert scanned images (like JPEGs or PNGs) into editable text in addition to processing PDFs.
  4. Is text recognition on PDFs accurate? The accuracy of text recognition on PDFs depends on the quality of the original document, including factors like font type, text clarity, and layout. High-quality scans generally yield better results, but most modern OCR software provides fairly accurate text recognition for standard fonts and layouts.