How do I make a scanned PDF searchable using Scan & OCR?

Open your scanned PDF in Acrobat. Go to 'All tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'In this file'. Select your page range and the correct language. Click 'Recognize Text' to create a searchable text layer.

If my scanned document is blurry, how can I improve OCR accuracy?

Rescan the document at a higher resolution, ideally 300 dpi, for clearer images. Ensure the document is flat and well-lit during scanning to avoid shadows. Clean the scanner glass to prevent smudges affecting image quality.

What is the difference between a regular PDF and an OCR'd PDF?

Feature Regular PDF (Image-based) OCR'd PDF (Searchable). Text Selectability Cannot select or copy text Can select and copy text Searchability Cannot search for words Can search for words File Type Image of a document Image with a hidden text layer Editing Limited to image editing Text can be edited (after conversion)

Digitize Complex Diary Urgently in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

CDecide — “help me choose”I’m responsible for converting a rare diary series into durable digital records for a grant…+

I’m responsible for converting a rare diary series into durable digital records for a grant report in [deadline=6 weeks]. The diaries have heavy marginalia and seals; volunteers will do the work but I don’t trust our current intake sheet. Decide whether to run a single comprehensive intake now or a two-step intake and QA process; tell me which missing fields will cost me the most later (provenance, folio numbers, marginalia description?) and draft the short intake instruction I can send to volunteers tonight so every file is identifiable for citation.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open your scanned PDF document in Adobe Acrobat.
2
Go to the Tools menu and select Recognize Text.
3
In the Recognize Text dialog, choose Recognize Text in This File.
4
Set the language and other OCR settings as needed.
CautionFor best OCR accuracy, source scans should be at least 300 dpi.
5
Click Recognize Text to start the OCR process.
6
To export as plain text, go to File > Export To > Text.
7
To export as an editable Word document, go to File > Export To > Microsoft Word.
8
Choose your save location and complete the export.
Best practiceReview the exported text or Word file for formatting or recognition errors, especially with complex layouts or handwriting.

In the appWith the API

After OCR, you can search, select, and copy text directly from your scanned PDF before exporting.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

OCROCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. It is technology that turns images of text into real text you can search and copy.ExampleAfter scanning a paper invoice, OCR allows you to copy the vendor's name from the image.

DPIDPI means dots per inch, and it tells you how clear an image is when it is scanned.ExampleA scanned photo saved at 300 DPI will usually contain more detail than the same photo at 72 DPI.

Searchable LayerA hidden layer of text added to an image-based PDF, allowing you to search for words within the document.ExampleThe hidden searchable layer in the scanned contract allowed us to find specific clauses.

The real tasks

the one, listed here

We must digitize a rare diary series with complex marginalia before a grant report due in six weeks

FAQ

about this task

Open your scanned PDF in Acrobat.
Go to 'All tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'In this file'.
Select your page range and the correct language.
Click 'Recognize Text' to create a searchable text layer.

Recognizing text in a scanned PDF converts images of text into actual, editable, and searchable text. This is important because it allows you to find specific words within the document, copy text, and make the document accessible for archiving and indexing purposes.

This error happens because Acrobat's OCR feature is designed to work only on pages that are pure images, without any existing text data. If a page already has renderable (real) text, even if it looks like an image, Acrobat will not try to recognize text on it. To fix this, ensure your document pages are entirely image-based before attempting OCR.

Rescan the document at a higher resolution, ideally 300 dpi, for clearer images.
Ensure the document is flat and well-lit during scanning to avoid shadows.
Clean the scanner glass to prevent smudges affecting image quality.

Feature	Regular PDF (Image-based)	OCR'd PDF (Searchable)
Text Selectability	Cannot select or copy text	Can select and copy text
Searchability	Cannot search for words	Can search for words
File Type	Image of a document	Image with a hidden text layer
Editing	Limited to image editing	Text can be edited (after conversion)

Digitize Complex Diary Urgently

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails