How to copy text from a scanned PDF

Updated: 03/10/2024 by Computer Hope
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When a document is scanned or photocopied to a PDF (Portable Document Format), it's essentially a digital photograph; any text in that PDF cannot be copied or changed. However, an OCR (optical character recognition) program or online service converts text in an image or PDF into text that can be copied and edited.

Online OCR PDF to text converters

Online OCR PDF services can sometimes be the easiest solution since they do not require you to install any software. They also allow users to convert a PDF document almost immediately with any operating system or computing device.

Warning

Always be cautious when transmitting documents online. If your PDF contains sensitive data (social security numbers, credit card information, etc.), consider using an editor on your computer rather than an online tool.

Google Drive

Google Drive, which comes with Google Docs, is a fantastic free online service provided by Google that supports multiple document formats, including PDF files. After uploading a PDF to your Google Drive account, open the file with Google Docs. The PDF is automatically converted to the Google Docs format and displayed when the conversion is complete.

Tip

For any PDF containing pages that need to be rotated, we suggest using Online OCR instead of Google Drive, as it automatically rotates all pages.

Other online services

  • Online OCR - Online OCR is a great free service that can convert scanned PDF files into text, Word documents, Excel, HTML (hypertext markup language), and other formats. The service can also rotate your PDF files if necessary and supports multiple languages. However, in guest mode, the program only converts one page of your PDF. If your PDF has multiple pages, you must register but the service is still free.
  • Free Online OCR - Another great free service that converts PDF and scanned images into text and other formats. The only restrictions are that the images must not be larger than 2 MB and no wider or higher than 5,000 pixels. There's also a limit of 10 image uploads per hour.

OCR PDF converter programs

Some programs can be installed on your computer to convert PDF files to text files. Unfortunately, we are unfamiliar with free PDF programs with OCR features, so the recommendations below are not free.

  • Adobe Acrobat Pro - The Pro edition of Adobe Acrobat is not free and is expensive. However, it has all the features anyone dealing with PDFs would ever need, including OCR conversion.
  • Abbyy FineReader PDF - A modestly priced PDF and OCR solution, FineReader PDF offers the most features anyone would need. Features include PDF editing, OCR conversion to multiple file types, digital signing, and more bundled together in a lightweight solution.
Tip

If you're more comfortable using your smartphone or tablet, there are also many available apps in the app store that support OCR features.