OCR guide
How to OCR a scanned PDF
By Waleed Sheeraz, independent operator of A2Z Edit · Updated 2026-08-25
If you cannot select text in a PDF, you are looking at page images.
Pick PDF to Text English or Arabic on A2Z Edit and run OCR on those pages in your browser.
Do this on A2Z Edit
Open the PDF to Text — English and follow the steps below.
Open PDF to Text — EnglishHow to OCR a scanned PDF
- Confirm the PDF has no selectable text.
- Choose English or Arabic PDF OCR based on the script.
- Upload the scanned PDF.
- Run OCR and review the output.
- Save the text and keep the scan as the visual record.
Why it matters
Scanned archives become usable only after OCR unlocks the words.
Tips
- Rotate pages before OCR if the scan is sideways.
- Split huge binders so you OCR one section at a time.
- Compress only for sharing—OCR prefers clearer page images.
Frequently asked questions
Will OCR change my PDF file?
You receive extracted text; your original upload remains your source scan.
Searchable PDF output?
Focus here is extracting text you can copy and reuse.
Empty results?
Check language choice and image quality first.
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