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OCR a Scanned PDF Online

Render selected scanned pages and recognize visible text with Tesseract.js in the browser.

Quick answer

What does OCR PDF do?

Render selected scanned pages and recognize visible text with Tesseract.js in the browser. The selected PDF is processed locally in this browser without being sent to a backend conversion server. Accuracy depends on resolution, contrast, language, handwriting, page angle, and layout.

Use OCR PDF when you need to recognize text in scanned PDF pages. Common uses include extract words from scanned forms, create text from photographed documents, prepare recognized text for manual editing.

Input: PDF
Processing: In this browser
File upload: No
Price: Free

Designed around the task

Why use OCR PDF?

Focused controls, local processing, and clear limits help you finish the job without sending the document to a conversion server.

Focused results

Renders the selected pages into images for recognition.

Useful browser controls

Creates extracted text output; it does not rewrite the original PDF as a searchable PDF.

Desktop and mobile

Use OCR PDF in a current desktop or mobile browser without installing a separate app.

Simple local workflow

Create an output you can inspect before sharing.

Private by design

The selected PDF is processed by JavaScript running in this browser for OCR PDF. NoLogPDF does not send it to a backend conversion API, and file names, contents, form values, passwords, and output data are excluded from site analytics.

Automatic file recognition

NoLogPDF checks the selected file in your browser and shows the controls available for OCR PDF.

How to use OCR PDF

Choose a PDF file.
Enter the pages to recognize and the Tesseract language code.
Choose the OCR detail level.
Run OCR, review the text, and download the TXT output.

What OCR PDF changes

Renders the selected pages into images for recognition.
Creates extracted text output; it does not rewrite the original PDF as a searchable PDF.

Browser-only privacy

Limits to know before using OCR PDF

Accuracy depends on resolution, contrast, language, handwriting, page angle, and layout.
OCR is CPU-intensive and can be slow or memory-heavy for many high-resolution pages.

Practical guidance

Improve OCR results before relying on recognized text

OCR reads pixels, so scan quality matters more than the original font. Straight, high-contrast pages with clear characters produce better text than blurred photos, shadows, handwriting, or heavily compressed scans.

Recommended workflow

Rotate sideways pages and improve contrast before recognition.
Choose the language that matches the document when the OCR control offers it.
Process fewer pages at a time on phones or memory-limited devices.

Check the result

Proofread names, dates, totals, and similar-looking characters such as O and 0.
Search for a known phrase to confirm that the text layer is usable.
Keep the original scan whenever recognized text may be needed for legal or archival review.

Common uses for OCR PDF

Extract words from scanned forms.
Create text from photographed documents.
Prepare recognized text for manual editing.

Next step: Continue this workflow with PDF to Greyscale.

OCR PDF questions

How does OCR PDF work?

Render selected scanned pages and recognize visible text with Tesseract.js in the browser. Choose a PDF file. Enter the pages to recognize and the Tesseract language code. Choose the OCR detail level.

Does OCR PDF upload my PDF?

No. The selected PDF is read by code running in this browser for this operation. NoLogPDF does not send it to a backend conversion API or include document data in analytics.

What does OCR PDF change in the output?

Renders the selected pages into images for recognition. Creates extracted text output; it does not rewrite the original PDF as a searchable PDF.

What limits should I know before using OCR PDF?

Accuracy depends on resolution, contrast, language, handwriting, page angle, and layout. OCR is CPU-intensive and can be slow or memory-heavy for many high-resolution pages.

Published and maintained by NoLogPDF

How this tool page is checked

The instructions describe this browser implementation, its expected output, and its known limits. Core workflows are exercised with local fixtures, output files are validated where the format allows, and mobile behavior is checked at a narrow viewport.