PDF OCR for scanned and image-based documents

PDF to Text Converter

Upload a scanned document, report, contract, or image-based PDF. Extract readable text page by page, correct it, and download one combined result.

For structured rows and columns, use PDF to Table or PDF to Excel instead.

Extract document text without losing page order

Use general PDF OCR for paragraphs, forms, reports, and archive documents; choose a focused table or handwriting tool when structure matters more.

Scanned PDF OCR

Extract text from scanned PDFs where the page is saved as an image and normal copy and paste does not work.

Multi-page PDF Processing

Process PDF files page by page, review extracted text, and work with longer documents when needed.

PDF to Table

Extract table-like content from PDF pages and prepare rows and columns for review.

PDF to Excel

Convert tables in PDF files into spreadsheet-ready output for Excel, Sheets, or manual cleanup.

Handwritten PDF to Text

Extract text from handwritten notes, scanned notebook pages, and handwritten PDF documents.

Image-based PDF OCR

Read PDF pages that are made from scanned images, photos, or document screenshots.

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PDF to text OCR examples

Original PDF page
Scanned page with printed paragraphs
Extracted text

NATO UNCLASSIFIED

13 August 2008
SUBJECT: in Report (U)
LOREM IPSUM
DOLOR SIT AMET

  1. CONSECTETUER ADIPISCING ELIT: Maecenas porttitor congue massa.
  2. FUSCE POSUERE: Magna sed pulvinar ultricies
  3. PURUS: Lectus malesuada libero; sit amet commodo.
  4. QUIS URNA NUNC VIVERRA IMPERDIET:
    Enim Fusce - Est Vivamus a tellus
    Pellentesque Habitant Morbi Tristique - Senectus et netus et malesuada
    Fames ac Turpis Egestas - Proin pharetra nonummy pede
    Mauris et Orci - Aenean nec Lorem
  5. IN PORTTITOR DONEC LAOREET: Nonummy Augue
  6. SUSPENDISSE DUI PURUS:
    a. scelerisque at, vulputate vitae, pretium mattis, nunc, Mauris eget neque at sem venenatis eleifend. Ut nonummy. Fusce aliquet pede non pede. Suspendisse dapibus lorem pellentesque magna. Integer nulla.

Donec blandit feugiat ligula. Donec hendrerit, felis et imperdiet euismod, purus ipsum pretium metus, in lacinia nulla nisl eget sapien. Donec ut est in lectus consequat consequat. Etiam eget dui. Aliquam erat volutpat. Sed at lorem in nunc porta tristique. Proin nec augue. Quisque aliquam tempor magna. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

Nunc ac magna. Maecenas odio dolor, vulputate vel, auctor ac, accumsan id, felis. Pellentesque cursus sagittis felis. Pellentesque porttitor, velit lacinia egestas auctor, diam eros tempus arcu, nec vulputate augue magna vel risus. Cras non magna vel ante adipiscing rhoncus. Vivamus a mi. Morbi neque. Aliquam erat volutpat. Integer ultrices lobortis eros. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Proin semper, ante vitae sollicitudin posuere, metus quam iaculis nibh, vitae

INTELLIGENCE BRIEF
18/1820-NOTREAL/2008

NATO UNCLASSIFIED

How it works

Upload a PDF, extract text page by page, and export the result.

Step 1

Upload your PDF

Add a PDF file, scanned PDF, image-based PDF, or multi-page document scan. The PDF can contain printed text, tables, forms, or handwritten pages.

Step 2

Extract text from pages

The OCR engine reads each page, detects visible text, and prepares recognized content for review, copying, or export.

Step 3

Copy or export

Review the extracted text, make corrections if needed, then copy it or export the combined result as TXT, DOCX, or Markdown.

Choose the right PDF converter

PDF to Text is the general document workflow; specialized tools preserve tables or focus on handwritten pages.

Use a focused toolUse PDF to Text
Tables that must retain rows and columnsScanned reports, contracts, and articles
Data that needs a multi-sheet XLSX fileImage-based PDFs with paragraphs
Documents that are mainly handwritingForms and archives requiring searchable text
A single JPG, PNG, WEBP, or HEIC imageMulti-page documents needing one transcription

Built for real-world PDF OCR tasks

Use PDF OCR when text is locked inside scanned pages, document packets, archives, reports, or image-based PDFs.

Digitizing scanned documents

Digitizing scanned documents

Extract text from scanned reports, contracts, letters, forms, records, and document packets saved as PDFs.

Searching archive files

Searching archive files

Make old PDF scans, archive pages, historical records, and stored documents easier to search, review, and reuse.

Reusing PDF table data

Reusing PDF table data

Extract rows and columns from PDF tables, statements, schedules, price lists, research tables, and scanned spreadsheets.

FAQ

Common questions about extracting text from PDF files.

What is PDF to text OCR?
PDF to text OCR extracts visible text from PDF files, including scanned PDFs and image-based PDF pages where normal text selection may not work.
Can I extract text from a scanned PDF?
Yes. Scanned PDFs can be processed page by page to recognize visible text and convert it into editable output.
How do I extract text from a scanned PDF?
Upload the scanned PDF, run OCR, and review the recognized text page by page. After correcting uncertain words, copy the text or download the combined result in a supported format.
What is the difference between PDF to text and image to text?
Image to text is best for single images, photos, screenshots, and scanned image files. PDF to text is designed for PDF documents, especially scanned or multi-page PDFs.
Can I process multi-page PDFs?
Yes. PDF files can be processed page by page. Page limits depend on your selected plan.
Can it extract tables from PDFs?
Yes. PDF table extraction can help read rows and columns from PDF pages. Complex tables, merged cells, or low-quality scans may still need manual review.
Can I copy text from a scanned PDF?
Yes. OCR recognizes text inside scanned page images so you can review, copy, and export it. The original PDF file is not modified.
What export formats are supported?
You can copy extracted text or download it as TXT, DOCX, or Markdown. Table results can also offer XLSX and CSV exports in the table-focused workflows.
How can I improve PDF OCR results?
Use clear scans with readable text, good contrast, correct page orientation, and minimal blur. For important documents, review the extracted text before using it.

Extract text from PDFs in seconds

Upload a PDF, scanned document, or image-based PDF and turn visible page content into editable text.

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