How do I make a scanned PDF searchable using Scan & OCR?

Open your scanned PDF in Acrobat. Go to 'All tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'In this file'. Set the page range and language. Click 'Recognize Text' to add a searchable text layer.

How does the 'Scan & OCR' feature compare to just scanning a document without OCR?

Feature Scanning without OCR Scanning with OCR (Scan & OCR). Result An image-only PDF A searchable PDF with a text layer Text Interaction Cannot select, copy, or search text Can select, copy, and search text File Use Good for visual archives Good for indexing, data extraction, and accessibility

Inspect Scanned Proof in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Inspect the scanned proof against the intended layout and content and annotate any…+

Inspect the scanned proof against the intended layout and content and annotate any discrepancies—missing lines, misplaced art, or OCR errors—so production can correct them before printing.

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

BImprove — “do it better”Before we send to press, create a side-by-side list of every content mismatch between the scan…+

Before we send to press, create a side-by-side list of every content mismatch between the scan and source file, highlight any cropped captions or swapped images, and recommend whether re-scan or manual correction is faster for each issue.

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 LayerA hidden layer of text added to an image-based PDF, allowing you to search for words within the document.ExampleThe hidden searchable layer in the scanned contract allowed us to find specific clauses.

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

Open your scanned PDF in Acrobat.
Go to 'All tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'In this file'.
Set the page range and language.
Click 'Recognize Text' to add a searchable text layer.

OCR might fail if the page already contains renderable text, meaning it's not an image-only page. The feature is designed for converting image-based text into searchable text. If your document already has a text layer, Acrobat will not perform OCR. Always check that your scanned document is purely an image before trying to recognize text.

For the most accurate text recognition (OCR), it is best to scan your documents at 300 dpi (dots per inch). Scanning at a higher resolution provides clearer images, which helps Acrobat's OCR engine identify characters more precisely. While 72 dpi is the minimum, 300 dpi significantly improves the quality of the searchable text layer.

If your scanned proof has blurry text, OCR might struggle and produce errors. The quality of the original scan directly impacts OCR accuracy. To improve results, try rescanning the document at a higher DPI (like 300 dpi) and ensure the physical document is flat and well-lit during scanning. Clearer images lead to better text recognition.

Feature	Scanning without OCR	Scanning with OCR (Scan & OCR)
Result	An image-only PDF	A searchable PDF with a text layer
Text Interaction	Cannot select, copy, or search text	Can select, copy, and search text
File Use	Good for visual archives	Good for indexing, data extraction, and accessibility

Inspect Scanned Proof

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails