Run OCR on the scanned vendor invoice set, convert the output into an editable Excel or searchable PDF, and save it to…
Open the scanned PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
Go to the Tools menu.
Select Scan & OCR from the tools list.
Click Recognize Text and choose In This File.
In the settings panel, ensure PDF Output Style is set to Searchable Image.
Click Recognize to start the OCR process.
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.
Recognizing text in scanned invoices is important because it makes them searchable. Without OCR, your invoices are just pictures, and you cannot find specific words or numbers within them. This feature helps you organize and quickly locate information, saving you time and making your digital documents much more useful.
If Acrobat shows the error 'page contains renderable text', it means the page already has real text, not just an image. OCR is designed to work on image-only pages. You do not need to run OCR on this page because it is likely already searchable. Check if you can select text on the page; if you can, it's already recognized. If you cannot, the error might be wrong, or the text is not visible. This error usually means OCR is not needed for that specific page.
Scanning resolution, measured in DPI (dots per inch), greatly affects how well OCR works on your invoices. A higher DPI, like 300 dpi, captures more detail from the invoice image. This makes it easier for Acrobat to correctly identify and convert the text. If you scan at a low DPI, such as 72 dpi, the image will be less clear, and OCR will be less accurate, leading to more errors in the recognized text. Always aim for at least 300 dpi for the best results.
Selecting the correct language before performing OCR on an invoice is very important because it helps Acrobat understand the text. OCR software uses language-specific rules and dictionaries to recognize characters and words. If you choose the wrong language, Acrobat might misinterpret letters or fail to recognize common words, leading to many errors in the searchable text. Always pick the language that matches the text on your invoice for the most accurate results.