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Add searchable/copyable OCR text layer to scanned PDF using Tesseract
Details
Run OCR on scanned PDFs and output a searchable PDF with text layer.
How it works:
Execution
Fill in the form, run the tool, and review the result in one place.
Samples
Related
Ready for a run
Tool usage guide
The PDF OCR Text Layer tool transforms scanned, image-based PDFs into fully searchable and copyable documents. By utilizing the Tesseract engine, it processes each page to recognize text and embeds a hidden, selectable text layer directly into your existing PDF file.
Background
Received a 50-page scanned report that is currently just a collection of images.
Problem
Cannot search for specific project names or copy text from the report.
How to use
Upload the PDF, set DPI to 300, and use the default OCR settings.
language: eng, dpi: 300, oem: 1, psm: 3Outcome
A searchable PDF where all text can be highlighted, copied, and indexed by search tools.
Background
Needs to process a large volume of scanned documents quickly for preliminary review.
Problem
High-resolution processing is too slow for the current workflow.
How to use
Upload the PDF and adjust the DPI and segmentation mode for faster output.
language: eng, dpi: 200, oem: 1, psm: 6This tool specifically supports PDF files.
Yes, you can specify language codes like 'eng' or 'eng+chi_sim' in the OCR Languages field.
A DPI of 300 is generally recommended for high-accuracy OCR results.
No, the tool adds a transparent text layer over your original document, so the visual layout remains unchanged.
The tool supports files up to 500MB.
Outcome
A searchable PDF generated in less time with a smaller file size, suitable for quick text extraction.