How do I make sure Acrobat recognizes all the text in my scanned document?

Scan your document at a high quality, like 300 dpi. This makes the text clearer for Acrobat to read. Choose the correct language for your document before starting the text recognition process. Review the document after recognition to fix any small errors Acrobat might have made.

What is the difference between a regular PDF and an OCR'd PDF for finding information?

Feature Regular PDF (image-only) OCR'd PDF (searchable). Text Search Cannot search for words Can search for any word Text Selection Cannot select text Can select and copy text File Type Picture of a document Document with a hidden text layer

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

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

CDecide — “help me choose”The consultant, [consultant=GreenStream], needs the site's tree and soil notes searchable for…+

The consultant, [consultant=GreenStream], needs the site's tree and soil notes searchable for tomorrow's compliance meeting. I have typed notes and dozens of JPEGs. I'm worried they'll miss critical details hidden in filenames. Tell me how to assemble a single searchable PDF tonight, how to tag or OCR the photos efficiently, and give a short email telling [consultant=GreenStream] where to find species, DBH, and photo references.

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

Scan your document at a high quality, like 300 dpi. This makes the text clearer for Acrobat to read.
Choose the correct language for your document before starting the text recognition process.
Review the document after recognition to fix any small errors Acrobat might have made.

Acrobat's text recognition (OCR) is made for pages that are only images. If a page already has real, selectable text, Acrobat will show this message. It means there is no need to recognize text because it's already there. You only need to use OCR on scanned pages that are pictures of text.

If your scanned inventory list is blurry, Acrobat's text recognition might struggle. Blurry images make it hard for the software to correctly identify letters and words. This can lead to many errors or even cause it to miss text. For the best results, always try to scan documents clearly, ideally at 300 dpi, so Acrobat can read the text accurately and make it fully searchable.

Feature	Regular PDF (image-only)	OCR'd PDF (searchable)
Text Search	Cannot search for words	Can search for any word
Text Selection	Cannot select text	Can select and copy text
File Type	Picture of a document	Document with a hidden text layer

Picking the correct language before text recognition is very important because it helps Acrobat understand the spelling and grammar rules of that language. This makes the text recognition much more accurate. If you choose the wrong language, Acrobat might make many mistakes, leading to incorrect words and a less searchable document. Always set the language to match your document for the best results.

Same-Day Searchable Inventory

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails