How do I make sure the text recognition works well on my scanned document?

Scan your document at 300 DPI for the best accuracy. Choose the correct language for the text before starting the recognition process. Make sure the scanned page is clear and not blurry.

How is using the desktop Acrobat Scan & OCR different from using the Adobe PDF Services API for OCR?

Feature Desktop Acrobat Scan & OCR Adobe PDF Services API for OCR. Method Manual clicks within the Acrobat desktop application. Automated calls to a web service using code. Use Case For individual users working on a few documents directly. For developers to integrate OCR into apps or automate large batches. Process Open file, navigate menus, select options, click 'Recognize Text'. Send a POST request to an endpoint with the PDF, receive processed PDF.

Same-Day Searchable Scan in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

CDecide — “help me choose”I found a scanned operations report with KPI mentions I must pull for a meeting at [time=4pm].…+

I found a scanned operations report with KPI mentions I must pull for a meeting at [time=4pm]. OCR tools are in our stack but I’ve never run them myself and I can’t break the original. I don’t know if the scan quality will let me search reliably. Tell me the quick checklist to make a searchable copy without corrupting metadata, how to verify the KPI terms are findable, and one fallback if OCR fails so I still have something to present.

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.

Searchable text layerThis is an invisible layer of text added to an image-based PDF, allowing you to search for words in the document.

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.

Who does this

3 roles

ArchivistResearch LibrarianRecords Manager

FAQ

about this task

Scan your document at 300 DPI for the best accuracy.
Choose the correct language for the text before starting the recognition process.
Make sure the scanned page is clear and not blurry.

A searchable text layer is an invisible layer of actual text placed over the image of a scanned document. It's important because it lets you search for words within the document, copy text, and index your files. Without it, your scanned PDF is just a picture, and you cannot interact with the text.

If your scanned document is blurry, the text recognition (OCR) might not work well. Blurry images make it hard for the software to correctly identify letters and words. For better results, always try to scan documents clearly, ideally at 300 DPI.

Acrobat shows 'page contains renderable text' because the page you are trying to process already has real, selectable text. The 'Recognize Text' feature is only for pages that are images, meaning they do not have actual text yet. If you see this message, it means the page is already searchable, so you don't need to do anything.

Feature	Desktop Acrobat Scan & OCR	Adobe PDF Services API for OCR
Method	Manual clicks within the Acrobat desktop application.	Automated calls to a web service using code.
Use Case	For individual users working on a few documents directly.	For developers to integrate OCR into apps or automate large batches.
Process	Open file, navigate menus, select options, click 'Recognize Text'.	Send a POST request to an endpoint with the PDF, receive processed PDF.

Same-Day Searchable Scan

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails