How do I make sure my scanned document is searchable using Scan & OCR?

Scan your document into Acrobat. Go to 'All tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'In this file'. Set the page range and language. Click 'Recognize Text'. Acrobat will add a searchable text layer, making your document searchable.

What is the difference between an image-only PDF and a searchable PDF after using Scan & OCR?

Feature Image-Only PDF Searchable PDF (after Scan & OCR). Text Content Text is part of an image, cannot be selected or searched. Text is a hidden layer, can be selected, copied, and searched. File Size Generally smaller, but depends on image quality. Slightly larger due to the added text layer. Use Case Viewing a picture of a document. Archiving, indexing, copying text, accessibility.

If my scanned document is blurry, how can I improve the accuracy of text recognition with Scan & OCR?

Scan the document again at a higher quality, ideally 300 dpi. This provides clearer images for OCR. Make sure the document is flat and well-lit during scanning to avoid shadows or distortions. Choose the correct language in the Scan & OCR settings. This helps the tool use the right dictionary for recognition.

Reduce Scan Extraction Errors in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

DBecome — “help me grow”OCR errors on invoices cost me hours reconciling budgets. Propose a process or tool setting…+

OCR errors on invoices cost me hours reconciling budgets. Propose a process or tool setting that will make supplier scans reliably extractable 80–90% of the time, and one review habit I should teach the procurement coordinator so data flows into our budget spreadsheet without repeated manual fixes.

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 in Adobe Acrobat.
2
Check if the document is an image-only PDF by attempting to select or search for text.
NoteOCR cannot recognize text if the PDF does not contain images or if the text is already selectable.
3
Go to Tools and select Recognize Text.
4
Click Recognize Text and choose In This File.
5
Review the OCR output for errors or missed text by scrolling through the document.
6
If OCR accuracy is poor, check the scan quality: ensure the document is at least 300 dpi, not skewed, and has high contrast.
Best practiceLow-resolution, blurry, or skewed scans are the most common causes of OCR failure.
7
Rescan the original document at 300 dpi or higher, using RGB mode for discolored or older pages.
Best practiceFor best results, avoid scanning with excessive brightness and ensure pages are flat and unmarked.
8
Repeat the OCR process on the improved scan.
9
Manually correct any remaining OCR errors by clicking on suspect words to edit and accept corrections directly.
NoteYou can click on suspect words to edit and accept corrections directly.
10
Save the corrected PDF.

In the appWith the API

If OCR still fails, try rescanning your document at a higher resolution and check for skewed or blurry pages before running OCR again.

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 text that a computer can already read and select, not just a picture of text.ExampleYou can easily copy and paste text from a PDF because it contains renderable text.

The real tasks

the one, listed here

I want fewer manual corrections when extracting costs from vendor scans across projects.

FAQ

about this task

Scan your document into Acrobat.
Go to 'All tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'In this file'.
Set the page range and language.
Click 'Recognize Text'. Acrobat will add a searchable text layer, making your document searchable.

Acrobat's 'Recognize Text' feature is designed for pages that are only images. If a page already contains real, selectable text (called 'renderable text'), the OCR process will not work and you might see an error. This is because there's no image text for it to convert. Ensure your document is truly an image-only scan.

Feature	Image-Only PDF	Searchable PDF (after Scan & OCR)
Text Content	Text is part of an image, cannot be selected or searched.	Text is a hidden layer, can be selected, copied, and searched.
File Size	Generally smaller, but depends on image quality.	Slightly larger due to the added text layer.
Use Case	Viewing a picture of a document.	Archiving, indexing, copying text, accessibility.

Scan the document again at a higher quality, ideally 300 dpi. This provides clearer images for OCR.
Make sure the document is flat and well-lit during scanning to avoid shadows or distortions.
Choose the correct language in the Scan & OCR settings. This helps the tool use the right dictionary for recognition.

The main purpose of recognizing text in a scanned document is to convert image-based text into real, selectable text. This makes the document searchable, allows you to copy and paste text, and improves accessibility. It's essential for archiving, indexing, and making digital copies of paper documents useful.

Reduce Scan Extraction Errors

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails