FREE PDF OCR

OCR PDF

OCR PDF recognizes the printed text inside a scanned or image-only PDF and turns it into a searchable, copyable text layer — so you can finally select, search and extract every word. Free, in your browser, no watermark and no sign-up.

100% private — stays on your deviceFree foreverNo watermarkNo sign-upUp to 300 pages

How to OCR a PDF

Recognize the text in a scanned PDF and make it searchable in three steps.

Step 1

Open the OCR tool

Launch the free EZ PDF Editor OCR tool in any browser — nothing to download, no account to create.

Step 2

Upload your scanned PDF

Drag in or pick the scanned, faxed or image-only PDF. EZ PDF Editor recognizes the printed characters on every page.

Step 3

Download or copy the text

Save the new searchable PDF with its aligned text layer, or copy the recognized text out to paste into Word, email or notes.

Why OCR your PDF with EZ PDF Editor

Accurate text recognition

Reads printed text from scans, faxes and photos of documents, rebuilding the words so even old image-only PDFs become real, machine-readable text.

Searchable scans via in-browser OCR

OCR adds an invisible text layer over your scan so you can select, copy and search every word while the scan stays sharp — all in your browser with Tesseract.js, nothing uploaded.

Free, private, any device

No watermark, no sign-up and no email. Run OCR on iPhone, Android, Windows or Mac — your files are handled securely and never sold.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a scanned PDF searchable so I can select and copy the text?

Open your scanned PDF in EZ PDF Editor and run OCR — it reads the page and adds an invisible, searchable text layer over your scan, so you can select, copy and Ctrl+F search the text while the scan itself stays sharp and unchanged. It all runs in your browser with Tesseract.js, so nothing is uploaded, then you download the searchable PDF free.

Is this safe? Do you upload my files?

No upload, ever. EZ PDF Editor runs OCR 100% in your browser with Tesseract.js — your PDF is processed locally on your device and never sent to any server, so nothing is uploaded. That makes it genuinely private and safe for sensitive documents like contracts, IDs, tax forms and medical records — truly private OCR.

Will this reduce my document's quality?

No. The OCR renders and encodes at high resolution and adds a searchable text layer, so it keeps your scan sharp. The original file is never modified.

What does OCR do to a PDF?

OCR (optical character recognition) reads the printed characters inside a scanned or image-only PDF and rebuilds them as real, machine-readable text. EZ PDF Editor adds that recognized text as an invisible layer aligned over your scan, so the page looks identical but you can now search, select, copy and extract every word.

Is OCR PDF really free?

Yes. Running OCR on a PDF with EZ PDF Editor is completely free, with no watermark, no sign-up and no email required. You can recognize and unlock the text in your scanned PDFs as often as you need.

Will OCR make my PDF text selectable and copyable?

Yes. After OCR, the words on the page become a selectable, copyable text layer. You can highlight a paragraph, copy it into Word or email, run a Ctrl+F / search on the document, and paste the recognized text anywhere — even though the original scan image stays untouched.

How accurate is the OCR?

Accuracy depends mostly on your source quality. Clear, straight, high-resolution scans of printed text recognize very accurately, while faint faxes, handwriting or skewed photos may need a quick proofread. For best results, scan at 300 DPI, keep the page flat and well lit, and avoid heavy shadows.

Can I OCR a scanned PDF on my phone?

Yes. EZ PDF Editor runs in your browser, so you can OCR a scanned PDF on an iPhone, Android phone, tablet, Windows PC or Mac. There is nothing to install — just open the tool, upload your PDF and download the searchable version.

Is there a page or file-size limit, and are my files private?

You can OCR PDFs of up to 300 pages or 60 MB per file. Your documents are handled securely and are not shared or sold — they are only used to perform the recognition you asked for.

What is OCR and how does it make a PDF searchable?

OCR, or optical character recognition, reads the letters inside a scanned image and turns them into real text. EZ PDF Editor runs OCR in your browser to add a hidden text layer to your scan, so you can search, select and copy the words. It is free with no sign-up.

Can I OCR a scanned PDF for free without installing software?

Yes. EZ PDF Editor performs OCR entirely in your browser, so there is nothing to download and no account to create. Open your scanned PDF, run OCR, and download a searchable copy on iPhone, Android, Windows or Mac at no cost and with no watermark.

Does OCR change how my scanned pages look?

No. OCR adds an invisible text layer behind your existing scan, so the pages look exactly the same as before — your original images are untouched. You simply gain the ability to search, select and copy the text that was previously locked inside the image.

Which languages can the OCR recognise?

The built-in OCR reads standard Latin-alphabet text such as English, French, Spanish, German and other Western European languages, handling printed documents most accurately. It works best on clear, well-lit scans, and the whole process runs free and securely inside your browser.

Turn any scanned PDF into searchable text

Run free OCR on your PDF right now — recognize the text, make it copyable, and keep your page looking exactly the same. No watermark, no sign-up.

Run OCR →

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