◆ Acrobat · convert

OCR Accession Paperwork

Convert the accession paperwork batch to searchable PDF so I can find donors and dates: scan all forms, run text recog…

2ready prompts
1real task
3roles
See the prompt↓More convert workflows

When to use it

real situations

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one
AExecute — “help me do it”Convert the accession paperwork batch to searchable PDF so I can find donors and dates: scan…+
Convert the accession paperwork batch to searchable PDF so I can find donors and dates: scan all forms, run text recognition on the folder of files, save searchable PDFs named by [donor surname], and place them in the [folder=accession index folder].
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.
BImprove — “do it better”Improve discoverability for colleagues who search donors and dates: standardize filenames to…+
Improve discoverability for colleagues who search donors and dates: standardize filenames to '[filepattern=YYYYMMDD_Surname_Given_accession.pdf]', run OCR with language set to English, correct any misread donor names in the first page text, and extract a quick index spreadsheet of donor and date fields alongside the PDFs.
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. 1

    Open the scanned PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.

  2. 2

    Go to the Tools menu.

  3. 3

    Select Scan & OCR from the tools list.

  4. 4

    Click Recognize Text and choose In This File.

  5. 5

    In the settings panel, ensure PDF Output Style is set to Searchable Image.

  6. 6

    Click Recognize to start the OCR process.

  7. 7

    Save the PDF after OCR is complete.

    Best practiceFor best OCR accuracy, scan your documents at 300 dpi and ensure the images are clear before running OCR.

After OCR completes, you can search, copy, and highlight text in your previously scanned PDF.

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.
searchable text layerA searchable text layer lets you find and copy words in a PDF, even if it started as a picture.
scanA scan is a picture of a paper document saved as a PDF.

The real tasks

the one, listed here
Convert a stack of accession paperwork into searchable text so I can find donors and dates quickly.

Who does this

3 roles
ArchivistResearch LibrarianRecords Manager

FAQ

about this task
  1. Open your scan in Adobe Acrobat.
  2. Go to 'All tools' and pick 'Scan & OCR'.
  3. Choose 'In this file', set language, and click 'Recognize Text'.
  4. Wait for the process to finish and check if you can search or copy text.

OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. It lets your computer find and read words in a scanned picture of paper. This is important because it changes your scan from just a photo into a file where you can search, copy, or use the text for other work.

  • The OCR may not read the words correctly.
  • You might get mistakes or missing text in the searchable layer.
  • Scanning at 300 dpi helps get better results.

OCR is made to find text in images, not in digital text. If your PDF already has real, selectable text, Acrobat will not run OCR because it is not needed. This stops errors and keeps your file clean.

Just ScanScan & OCR
Makes a picture of your paper.Makes a picture and finds real text inside.
You cannot search or copy words.You can search and copy words.
Only good for viewing.Good for searching, copying, and archiving.

Sources

where this comes from

Adobe help

When it fails

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