PDF OCR Text Layer

Add searchable/copyable OCR text layer to scanned PDF using Tesseract

Run OCR on scanned PDFs and output a searchable PDF with text layer.

How it works:

Rasterize each PDF page to image (pdftoppm or Ghostscript)
Run Tesseract per page to generate searchable page PDFs
Merge all OCR pages into one searchable PDF

Example Results

2 examples

Standard OCR Layer for Scanned Report

Adds searchable text layer using English OCR with 300 DPI and default segmentation

pdf-ocr-text-layer-example1.pdf View File

View input parameters

{ "sourceFile": "/Users/quyue/www/elysia-tools/public/samples/pdf/pdf-2026-02-19-source-4pages.pdf", "language": "eng", "dpi": 300, "oem": 1, "psm": 3 }

Fast OCR with Lower DPI

Uses 200 DPI and psm=6 for faster OCR processing with smaller output size

pdf-ocr-text-layer-example2.pdf View File

View input parameters

{ "sourceFile": "/Users/quyue/www/elysia-tools/public/samples/pdf/pdf-2026-02-19-source-4pages.pdf", "language": "eng", "dpi": 200, "oem": 1, "psm": 6 }

Source PDF File *

Click to upload file or drag and drop file here

Maximum file size: 500MB Supported formats: application/pdf

OCR Languages

Input DPI

OCR Engine Mode

Page Segmentation Mode

Key Facts

Category: PDF Tools
Input Types: file, text, number
Output Type: file
Sample Coverage: 4
API Ready: Yes

Overview

Run OCR on scanned PDFs and output a searchable PDF with text layer. **How it works:** - Rasterize each PDF page to image (pdftoppm or Ghostscript) - Run Tesseract per page to generate searchable page PDFs - Merge all OCR pages into one searchable PDF

When to Use

•Use it when you need to convert pdf, text content quickly in the browser.
•Helpful for pdf tools workflows that need repeatable inputs and fast results.
•A good fit when you want to test with real files before running the same workflow in code or API calls.

How It Works

•Provide Source PDF File, OCR Languages, Input DPI, OCR Engine Mode as input to the tool.
•The tool processes the request and returns a file result.
•For file workflows, start with representative samples such as pdf, text test files to verify edge cases and output quality.

Use Cases

Convert pdf, text data during debugging or QA.

Validate expected output before using the API or automation flows.

Test the workflow with representative sample files and edge cases.

Try with Samples

pdf, text, file

PDF Samples

Generated PDF samples from tools dated 2026-02-01 to 2026-02-10

title token pdf

pdf

Markdown Slide Deck Samples

Remark/Marp style Markdown slide decks for testing PDF export layouts

preferred input family pdf

pdf

Text Case Format Samples

Examples of different text case formats: camelCase, snake_case, kebab-case, PascalCase, and more

title token text

text

Chinese-English Mixed Text Samples

Sample text files with mixed Chinese and English content for testing automatic spacing tools

title token text

text

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FAQ

What does PDF OCR Text Layer do?

PDF OCR Text Layer helps you convert pdf, text content online without setting up a separate local script or app.

When should I use this tool?

Use it when you need a quick convert workflow, want to verify output, or need a browser-based utility for pdf tools tasks.

Can I try this tool with sample data?

Yes. This page can recommend related sample files so you can test the workflow immediately.

What inputs does PDF OCR Text Layer accept?

PDF OCR Text Layer accepts Source PDF File, OCR Languages, Input DPI, OCR Engine Mode and supports file uploads for 1 field.

Is there an API for PDF OCR Text Layer?

Yes. The tool page includes an API endpoint so you can move from manual testing to scripted usage.

API Documentation

Request Endpoint

POST /en/api/tools/pdf-ocr-text-layer

Request Parameters

Parameter Name	Type	Required	Description
sourceFile	file (Upload required)	Yes	-
language	text	No	-
dpi	number	No	-
oem	number	No	-
psm	number	No	-

File type parameters need to be uploaded first via POST /upload/pdf-ocr-text-layer to get filePath, then pass filePath to the corresponding file field.

Response Format

{
  "filePath": "/public/processing/randomid.ext",
  "fileName": "output.ext",
  "contentType": "application/octet-stream",
  "size": 1024,
  "metadata": {
    "key": "value"
  },
  "error": "Error message (optional)",
  "message": "Notification message (optional)"
}

File: File

AI MCP Documentation

Add this tool to your MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elysiatools-pdf-ocr-text-layer": {
      "name": "pdf-ocr-text-layer",
      "description": "Add searchable/copyable OCR text layer to scanned PDF using Tesseract",
      "baseUrl": "https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=pdf-ocr-text-layer",
      "command": "",
      "args": [],
      "env": {},
      "isActive": true,
      "type": "sse"
    }
  }
}

You can chain multiple tools, e.g.: `https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=png-to-webp,jpg-to-webp,gif-to-webp`, max 20 tools.

Supports URL file links or Base64 encoding for file parameters.

If you encounter any issues, please contact us at [email protected]

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