About the OCR PDF
A scanned PDF is a stack of photographs. It cannot be searched, its text cannot be copied, and a screen reader cannot read it aloud — which is why scanned documents fail accessibility requirements such as Section 508 in the US public sector and the UK public sector accessibility regulations. In litigation, unsearchable scans are also a serious obstacle during disclosure.
OCR analyses the page images, recognises the characters and adds an invisible text layer behind them, so the document looks unchanged but becomes searchable and selectable. This runs on the server because it needs a full OCR engine; your file is sent over HTTPS, processed under a random temporary filename, and deleted immediately after.
It's part of the PDF collection on Toolzy, a growing platform of 135+ free, privacy-first tools built for speed and a great experience on every device.
Also known as: ocr, searchable, scan, text, recognize.
Why use the OCR PDF?
- No watermarks on your output
- Handles multi-page and large PDFs
- Keeps your original formatting and quality
- Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone
When to use it
- Preparing documents for email or printing
- Combining scanned pages or invoices
- Reducing file size to meet upload limits
How to use the OCR PDF
- Open the OCR PDF. Open the OCR PDF on this page, there is nothing to install and no account needed.
- Add your input. Upload your file by clicking the upload area or dragging it in.
- Adjust options. Choose any options you need, the OCR PDF updates instantly.
- Get your result. Click the action button to download or copy your result. It is 100% free.