Using the tools
OCR: making a scanned PDF searchable
When OCR is worth running, what a text layer does and does not fix, and the page limits that apply.
Updated
What OCR actually adds
A scan is a picture of text. OCR adds an invisible text layer that sits behind the image, so search, selection and copy start working. The picture itself is unchanged — the page will still look like a scan.
That matters for conversion: converting a scanned PDF to Word without OCR gives you an empty document with an image in it. Choosing the OCR option is what produces editable text.
When the result will be imperfect
Handwriting, stamps, tables with merged cells and low-resolution phone captures are the usual troublemakers. OCR reads characters, not intent, so a faded receipt may come back with plausible-looking mistakes.
- Scan at 300 dpi if you control the scanner.
- Crop the page to the text area before OCR — black borders confuse recognition.
- Check numbers and names character by character; that is where OCR errors hide.
Limits
OCR runs as an advanced job: 50 pages per job on Free, 200 on Pro, against the daily advanced allowance. Files over the ceiling are rejected before processing rather than halfway through.
Tools mentioned
Still stuck?
Tell us the tool, the file size and the exact error text. That is usually enough to reproduce it.