How to use OCR & scanned PDFs
- Choose an OCR output: searchable PDF, Word or text. Add a supported scan or image.
- Confirm the upload to Dropshift and start text recognition.
- Save the output and proofread names, dates and numbers against the original.
A few useful details
OCR recognizes letter shapes in an image and estimates the text they represent. Clean, upright scans with good contrast usually produce the most useful result. Searchable PDF output adds recognized text so you can search the document.
What to know first
The current server includes English OCR. Handwriting, blur, skew and unusual fonts can reduce accuracy. Word output does not preserve the original page design.
Pro uploads are limited to 50 MB per file and 50 PDF pages. OCR, including automatic OCR during conversion, is limited to 20 pages. Each successful file uses one operation. Review the current plan allowance before processing a batch.
Answers for this task
How do I make a scanned PDF searchable?
Choose OCR to searchable PDF, add a supported scan, confirm the Pro upload and download the result. The OCR text layer lets you search for recognized words. Proofread important terms because recognition is not perfect.
Common questions
Can I search a scanned PDF after OCR?
Choose the searchable PDF output to add a recognized text layer to the document.
Is OCR text always accurate?
No. Always review important content, especially financial values, personal names and technical notation.