How to OCR a PDF? 4 Simple Ways

If you are looking to make your PDF file searchable and editable, it is always a good option to OCR a PDF file. You can use any of the best OCR tools to scan through the PDF file and extract the information from it. If you have a non-editable PDF file, you can simply run the OCR tool into it and make it searchable.

A good OCR tool can help you convert the PDF file into Text and images. It also offers multiple language support, making it suitable for documents in various languages. Let’s explore the four best methods on how to OCR a PDF file.

How to OCR a PDF File on Windows Using PDFgear

PDFgear is a professional PDF editor available for free. It also comes with the built-in OCR feature as well. With the OCR feature, you can edit and search the scanned PDFs easily. You can simply scan the PDF through PDFgear and convert the image-based PDFs into other documents such as Word.

Step 1. Add the PDF file into PDFgear

Click on the Open File option and browse for the PDF file that you want to run through OCR.

Step 2. Select the OCR feature 

Access OCR from the Home tab. Now, hold the mouse button and select the Text you want to extract.

Step 3. Save or extract the selected section

Click on Done, and it should open a dialog box to copy or save the selected Text. You can either copy the Text to the clipboard or click on Save to save the file in the TXT format.

PDFgear offers you a free and simple option to extract Text from PDFs through easy steps.

How to OCR a PDF File on Mac Using PDF Expert

PDF Expert is an excellent tool for extracting PDFs on Mac. With support for multiple languages, PDF Expert lets you seamlessly work with the scanned PDF files and extract the Text and images from the document. Offering excellent PDF handling for Mac, PDF Expert is your one-stop solution for handling almost every PDF-related task on your Mac device.

The tool can not select a section of the document.

Step 1. Drag and drop your PDF file into the app. You can also use the select file option.

Step 2. Click on Scan and OCR at the top

Step 3. Next, click on Recognise Text. The software will run instantly and scan the document.

Select and copy the Text into any other document and edit or search for your relevant information.

PDF Expert is an excellent option on Mac to help you extract data from a PDF automatically.

How to OCR a PDF Online Using iLovePDF

iLovePDF is another excellent PDF editing tool with an OCR feature. Apart from the standalone application, ILovePDF also offers you an online tool. The best part is that the iLovePDF online version also comes with the OCR feature. Being a simple and web-based tool, you can easily use it on any device.

Step 1. Go to your preferred browser and visit the official iLovePDF online tool. You can add your files by clicking on Select PDF file and browsing for the file you want to extract. You may also drag and drop the files onto the tool.

Step 2. Select your language, and click on Apply OCR. Make sure that you have selected the actual language on the PDF file.

Step 3. Wait till the software recognizes the Text. It may take a while till all the Text is detected and extracted. Once the content is extracted, you can download the file for further editing and other tasks. Click on Download PDF to download the file. You can also save the file on Google Drive or Dropbox.

The only issue with the tool is that it does not let you select and extract a section of the document and extract it. It will extract the entire document and save it. This can be a huge concern if you want to extract only a part of a large document.

However, it can be the best choice to make your PDF searchable without the need for any standalone software.

How to OCR PDF File Using Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro is a powerful tool to help you extract data from a PDF. The OCR feature on the tool is known for its precision and efficiency. In addition to extracting the data from PDFs through the OCR feature, it can also convert PDF files into other editable formats.

However, the Adobe Acrobat tool is a little complex to use. Apart from that, it is also expensive and may not suit every user.

Step 1. Launch your Adobe Acrobat. Go to View All Tools, and from the list of tools, select OCR and scan. 

Step 2. Add your file. You can either scan a document or add a file from your computer. Click on Select a file and browse for the PDF file that you want to extract.

Step 3. Click on Start. The software will scan the document. You can now edit the Text, extract the data, or do any of these tasks with the extracted file.

The Concluding Thoughts

When it comes to scanning and extracting data from a non-editable PDF file, OCR tools or the OCR feature on PDF editors come in quite handy. No matter whether you are looking for a paid or free option, there are several tools that help you handle the task with ease.

Among the OCR tools that we covered above, we feel PDFgear offers you excellent functionality. Being a free tool, it provides affordability. Apart from that, it also offers you a host of other PDF editing options, making it a genuinely formidable option for any PDF handling needs that you may have.