How do I make a scanned deposition transcript searchable using OCR?

Open the scanned transcript in Acrobat. Go to 'All tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'In this file'. Select the pages and language, then click 'Recognize Text'. Acrobat will create a searchable layer, letting you find words and copy text.

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

Feature Scanned PDF OCR'd PDF. Content Type Image of text Image with hidden, searchable text layer Searchable No Yes Selectable Text No Yes File Size Often larger (depending on scan settings) Can be slightly larger due to text layer

OCR Deposition Transcript in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Convert the scanned deposition transcript into editable text I can search: run OCR on the…+

Convert the scanned deposition transcript into editable text I can search: run OCR on the transcript file and export a selectable PDF or Word file preserving page breaks.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Make the deposition usable for quick review: run OCR on the scanned transcript, correct…+

Make the deposition usable for quick review: run OCR on the scanned transcript, correct low-confidence passages, export a searchable PDF and a Word copy, and flag timestamps or illegible lines for manual check.

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 the scanned PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
2
Go to the Tools menu.
3
Select Scan & OCR from the tools list.
4
Click Recognize Text and choose In This File.
5
In the settings panel, ensure PDF Output Style is set to Searchable Image.
6
Click Recognize to start the OCR process.
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.

In the appWith the API

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.

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.

Renderable textRenderable text is real, typed text in a PDF, not just a picture of words.

Who does this

3 roles

ArchivistResearch LibrarianRecords Manager

FAQ

about this task

Open the scanned transcript in Acrobat.
Go to 'All tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'In this file'.
Select the pages and language, then click 'Recognize Text'.
Acrobat will create a searchable layer, letting you find words and copy text.

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a technology that converts images of text into actual, editable text. It's important for scanned documents because most scanners create image-only PDFs. Without OCR, you cannot search for words, copy text, or edit the content. OCR makes these documents useful for archiving, indexing, and data extraction, turning a picture into usable information.

If your scanned document is blurry, OCR accuracy will likely be low. Acrobat needs clear text to recognize characters correctly. To improve results, try rescanning the document at a higher resolution, ideally 300 dpi or more. Ensure good lighting and a flat surface during scanning to get the sharpest image possible for OCR.

Acrobat shows 'page contains renderable text' because OCR is designed for image-only pages. If the page already has real text that a computer can read, Acrobat will not apply OCR. It expects to convert pictures of text, not to re-process text that is already there. This message means the page doesn't need OCR.

Feature	Scanned PDF	OCR'd PDF
Content Type	Image of text	Image with hidden, searchable text layer
Searchable	No	Yes
Selectable Text	No	Yes
File Size	Often larger (depending on scan settings)	Can be slightly larger due to text layer

OCR Deposition Transcript

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails