How do I fix errors in text recognized by Adobe Acrobat's OCR feature?

After running OCR, Acrobat highlights text that it thinks might be wrong. You can click on these highlighted words to correct them. Acrobat provides a 'Fix Text Recognition Errors' tool to help you review and correct the text easily.

What is the difference between scanning a document at 72 dpi versus 300 dpi for OCR?

DPI Setting Image Quality OCR Accuracy File Size. 72 dpi Lower quality, less detail Lower accuracy, more errors Smaller 300 dpi Higher quality, more detail Higher accuracy, fewer errors Larger

OCR Warranty Claim in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Convert the scanned warranty claim (scan dated [date=May 14]) into editable text, extract the…+

Convert the scanned warranty claim (scan dated [date=May 14]) into editable text, extract the service dates and part numbers, and place them in the claim notes so I can file the details quickly.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Before I extract details from the scanned warranty claim, improve accuracy — run text…+

Before I extract details from the scanned warranty claim, improve accuracy — run text recognition, compare extracted service dates and part numbers to the parts table in our system, flag low‑confidence OCR lines for manual check, and present a short list of parsed fields.

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.

Searchable Text LayerThis is an invisible layer of text added to an image-based PDF, allowing you to search for words.ExampleThe searchable text layer made it possible to find keywords within the scanned meeting minutes.

Who does this

3 roles

ArchivistResearch LibrarianRecords Manager

FAQ

about this task

OCR, or Optical Character Recognition, is a technology that converts images of text into actual, editable text. It matters because it makes your scanned documents searchable and selectable. Without OCR, a scanned document is just a picture, and you cannot copy text or find specific words within it. This is important for archiving and finding information quickly.

After running OCR, Acrobat highlights text that it thinks might be wrong.
You can click on these highlighted words to correct them.
Acrobat provides a 'Fix Text Recognition Errors' tool to help you review and correct the text easily.

If your scanned document has blurry text, the OCR accuracy will likely be low. OCR works best with clear, high-quality images. Blurry text makes it hard for the software to correctly identify characters, leading to many errors. To improve results, try rescanning the document at a higher resolution, like 300 dpi, and ensure the original document is flat and well-lit during scanning. This will give OCR a better chance to recognize the text accurately.

Acrobat shows 'page contains renderable text' because OCR is designed to work only on image-based pages. If a page already has real, selectable text, Acrobat will not perform OCR on it. This message means the page does not need OCR because it already has text that can be searched and copied. You only need OCR for pages that are pictures of text.

DPI Setting	Image Quality	OCR Accuracy	File Size
72 dpi	Lower quality, less detail	Lower accuracy, more errors	Smaller
300 dpi	Higher quality, more detail	Higher accuracy, fewer errors	Larger

OCR Warranty Claim

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails