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OCR workflow

Extract Text From a Scanned PDF

Use OCR to read scanned PDF pages, check names and numbers against the source, and download the recognized text as a TXT file.

3 min read Updated Jul 13, 2026 Reviewed guide
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Quick answer

What you need to know

JPEGConvert OCR reads scanned PDF pages and downloads the recognized text as a TXT file. It does not add a searchable text layer to the PDF or create a new PDF.

Best for
Anyone who needs plain text from scanned forms, receipts, reports, letters, books, or records.
Start with
OCR PDF
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Do this first

Extract and Check the Text

Choose the right pages and language, then compare important text with the scan.

  1. 1

    Choose the pages to scan

    Upload the PDF and enter a page range when you do not need text from the whole document.

  2. 2

    Choose language and cleanup

    Select the document language and the cleanup level that best fits the scan.

  3. 3

    Review the OCR result

    Check low-confidence pages and compare names, dates, totals, and headings with the visible scan.

  4. 4

    Download the TXT file

    Choose whether to include page separators, save the text file, and keep the source PDF beside it.

01

Know What the OCR Tool Creates

The tool reads page images and builds a plain-text result that can be copied or downloaded as TXT.

  • It does not change the uploaded PDF.
  • It does not add a text layer or make a searchable PDF copy.
  • Page separators can be included in the TXT output to keep page boundaries visible.
02

Give OCR a Clearer Source

OCR accuracy depends on the page image and cannot restore letters that are missing from the scan.

  • Use upright pages with sharp text and strong contrast.
  • Shadows, folds, skew, handwriting, and marks across letters reduce accuracy.
  • Choose the language used in the document before running OCR.
Go deeper

Move a Selectable PDF Table Into Excel

Extract a table that contains selectable PDF text, draw a tight selection box, and check the spreadsheet for shifted or missing values.

Read the related guide Use PDF to Word
03

Check the Plain-Text Result

The TXT file does not keep the page layout, so columns, tables, and positioned text may appear in a different order.

  • Check names, dates, totals, account numbers, and legal terms against the scan.
  • Review pages marked with low OCR confidence before using the text.
  • Keep the original PDF as the source of record when accuracy matters.
Quick questions

FAQ: OCR and searchable PDFs

Does this tool make the PDF searchable?

No. It extracts recognized text and downloads a TXT file. The uploaded PDF is not changed, and no new PDF is created.

What file does OCR download?

It downloads a plain TXT file. You can include separators that mark where each source PDF page begins.

Can OCR read handwriting?

Handwriting recognition is less reliable than clear printed text, especially with cursive, faint ink, or crowded notes. Check every important result manually.

Why did the TXT file lose the table layout?

TXT stores plain text, not table cells or page positions. OCR also has to guess reading order, so columns and tables often need manual cleanup.

Remember this

The short version

  • JPEGConvert OCR downloads recognized text as a TXT file.
  • It does not make the source PDF searchable or create a new PDF.
  • Verify important text and keep the original scan beside the result.
Ready to work

Open the tool you need

Pick the step that matches your file. Each tool runs in your browser.

OCR PDF Recognize scanned PDF text and copy or download it as a plain TXT file. Open tool PDF to Word Use built-in OCR modes when scanned pages need editable DOCX output instead of TXT. Open tool Redact PDF Create a separate flattened PDF copy with solid blocks over private information. Open tool
Keep going

Related guides

3 min read

Move a Selectable PDF Table Into Excel

Extract a table that contains selectable PDF text, draw a tight selection box, and check the spreadsheet for shifted or missing values.

Read guide
3 min read

Redact Private Information From a PDF

Use solid redaction blocks for private information, understand how the PDF pages are flattened, and check the saved copy before sharing it.

Read guide
Reviewed by JPEGConvert workflow team Updated Jul 13, 2026

Compared with the current controls and output behavior of the linked JPEGConvert tools.

(function() { const title = document.querySelector('h1'); const actionRegion = document.querySelector('.action-container, .action-body'); if (!title || !actionRegion || title.querySelector('.tool-hero-mark')) return; const path = window.location.pathname.replace(/\/$/, ''); if (!path || path === '/' || path.startsWith('/converters') || path === '/about' || path === '/contact' || path === '/support' || path === '/privacy-policy') { return; } const lowerKey = path.replace(/^\/(video|audio)\//, '').replace(/^\//, '').toLowerCase(); if (!lowerKey) return; let category = 'image'; if (path.startsWith('/video/')) category = 'video'; if (path.startsWith('/audio/')) category = 'audio'; const isUtility = lowerKey.includes('ascii') || lowerKey === 'check-my-file' || lowerKey.includes('resizer') || lowerKey.includes('metadata') || lowerKey.includes('compress') || lowerKey.includes('base64') || lowerKey.includes('background') || lowerKey.includes('crop') || lowerKey.includes('watermark') || lowerKey.includes('remove-pages') || lowerKey.includes('unlock') || lowerKey.includes('protect') || lowerKey.includes('editor') || lowerKey.includes('excel') || lowerKey.includes('upscale') || lowerKey.includes('merge') || lowerKey.includes('split') || lowerKey.includes('ocr') || lowerKey.includes('sign') || lowerKey.includes('trim') || lowerKey.includes('favicon'); if (category === 'image' && isUtility) category = 'tool'; const labelMap = { jpg: 'JPG', jpeg: 'JPEG', png: 'PNG', gif: 'GIF', svg: 'SVG', pdf: 'PDF', heic: 'HEIC', jfif: 'JFIF', webp: 'WEBP', bmp: 'BMP', ico: 'ICO', word: 'DOCX', docx: 'DOCX', excel: 'Excel', xls: 'XLS', xlsx: 'Excel', mp4: 'MP4', mov: 'MOV', avi: 'AVI', mp3: 'MP3', aac: 'AAC', flac: 'FLAC', wav: 'WAV', webm: 'WEBM', cr2: 'CR2', arw: 'ARW', nef: 'NEF', raf: 'RAF' }; const formatLabel = (value) => labelMap[value] || value.toUpperCase(); function getFormatMeta(key) { if (key === 'check-my-file') { return {primary: 'Check', secondary: 'File', connector: 'dot'}; } const directMatch = key.match(/^([a-z0-9]+)-to-([a-z0-9]+)$/); const convertMatch = key.match(/^convert-([a-z0-9]+)-to-([a-z0-9]+)$/); const convertToMatch = key.match(/^convert-to-([a-z0-9]+)$/); if (directMatch) { return {primary: formatLabel(directMatch[1]), secondary: formatLabel(directMatch[2]), connector: 'arrow'}; } if (convertMatch) { return {primary: formatLabel(convertMatch[1]), secondary: formatLabel(convertMatch[2]), connector: 'arrow'}; } if (convertToMatch) { return {primary: 'Any', secondary: formatLabel(convertToMatch[1]), connector: 'arrow'}; } if (key.startsWith('compress-')) { return {primary: 'Compress', secondary: formatLabel(key.replace('compress-', '')), connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('base64') && key.includes('decode')) { return {primary: 'Base64', secondary: 'Decode', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.startsWith('base64-to-')) { return {primary: 'Base64', secondary: formatLabel(key.replace('base64-to-', '')), connector: 'arrow'}; } if (key.includes('-to-base64')) { const from = key.replace('convert-', '').replace('-to-base64', ''); return {primary: formatLabel(from), secondary: 'Base64', connector: 'arrow'}; } if (key.includes('base64')) { return {primary: 'Base64', secondary: 'Encode', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('ascii')) { return {primary: 'ASCII', secondary: 'Art', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('resizer')) { return {primary: 'Resize', secondary: 'Pixels', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('remove-pages')) { return {primary: 'Remove', secondary: 'Pages', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('crop') && key.includes('pdf')) { return {primary: 'Crop', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('pdf-editor')) { return {primary: 'Edit', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('unlock')) { return {primary: 'Unlock', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('protect')) { return {primary: 'Protect', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('pdf') && key.includes('metadata')) { return {primary: 'Clean', secondary: 'Metadata', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('metadata')) { return {primary: 'EXIF', secondary: 'Clean', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('background')) { return {primary: 'Remove', secondary: 'Background', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('crop')) { return {primary: 'Crop', secondary: 'Image', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('watermark')) { return {primary: 'Watermark', secondary: 'Image', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('upscale')) { return {primary: 'Upscale', secondary: 'Image', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('merge')) { return {primary: 'Merge', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('split')) { return {primary: 'Split', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('ocr')) { return {primary: 'OCR', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('sign')) { return {primary: 'Sign', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('trim')) { return {primary: 'Trim', secondary: 'Video', connector: 'dot'}; } return {primary: 'Tool', secondary: '', connector: 'dot'}; } function getIconClass(key, categoryName) { const toFormat = key.split('-to-')[1]; if (key === 'check-my-file') return 'bi-file-earmark-check'; if (key.includes('ascii')) return 'bi-textarea-t'; if (key.includes('resizer')) return 'bi-aspect-ratio'; if (key.includes('metadata')) return 'bi-shield-slash'; if (key.includes('compress')) return 'bi-file-earmark-zip'; if (key.includes('base64')) return 'bi-journal-code'; if (key.includes('background')) return 'bi-scissors'; if (key.includes('crop')) return 'bi-crop'; if (key.includes('watermark')) return 'bi-type'; if (key.includes('remove-pages')) return 'bi-trash'; if (key.includes('unlock')) return 'bi-unlock'; if (key.includes('protect')) return 'bi-lock'; if (key.includes('editor')) return 'bi-pencil-square'; if (key.includes('excel')) return 'bi-file-earmark-spreadsheet'; if (key.includes('upscale')) return 'bi-arrows-angle-expand'; if (key.includes('merge')) return 'bi-files'; if (key.includes('split')) return 'bi-scissors'; if (key.includes('ocr')) return 'bi-file-earmark-text'; if (key.includes('sign')) return 'bi-pen'; if (key.includes('trim')) return 'bi-scissors'; if (toFormat) { switch (toFormat) { case 'jpg': case 'jpeg': return 'bi-filetype-jpg'; case 'png': return 'bi-filetype-png'; case 'gif': return 'bi-filetype-gif'; case 'svg': return 'bi-filetype-svg'; case 'pdf': return 'bi-filetype-pdf'; case 'word': case 'docx': return 'bi-file-earmark-word'; case 'xls': case 'xlsx': case 'excel': return 'bi-file-earmark-spreadsheet'; case 'heic': return 'bi-filetype-heic'; case 'webp': return 'bi-filetype-webp'; case 'bmp': return 'bi-filetype-bmp'; case 'ico': return 'bi-file-image'; case 'mp4': return 'bi-filetype-mp4'; case 'mov': return 'bi-filetype-mov'; case 'mp3': return 'bi-filetype-mp3'; case 'wav': return 'bi-filetype-wav'; case 'avi': return 'bi-filetype-avi'; default: return 'bi-file-earmark-image'; } } if (categoryName === 'video') return 'bi-film'; if (categoryName === 'audio') return 'bi-music-note-beamed'; if (categoryName === 'image') return 'bi-file-earmark-image'; return 'bi-gear'; } const formatMeta = getFormatMeta(lowerKey); const connectorIcon = formatMeta.connector === 'arrow' ? 'bi-arrow-right-short' : 'bi-dot'; const iconClass = getIconClass(lowerKey, category); const mark = document.createElement('span'); mark.className = `tool-hero-mark converter-mark converter-mark--${category}`; const iconWrap = document.createElement('span'); iconWrap.className = 'converter-mark__icon'; const icon = document.createElement('i'); icon.className = iconClass; iconWrap.appendChild(icon); mark.appendChild(iconWrap); const formatWrap = document.createElement('span'); formatWrap.className = 'converter-format'; const primary = document.createElement('span'); primary.className = 'format-pill'; primary.textContent = formatMeta.primary; formatWrap.appendChild(primary); if (formatMeta.secondary) { const connector = document.createElement('span'); connector.className = 'format-connector'; const connectorIconEl = document.createElement('i'); connectorIconEl.className = connectorIcon; connector.appendChild(connectorIconEl); formatWrap.appendChild(connector); const secondary = document.createElement('span'); secondary.className = 'format-pill format-pill--secondary'; secondary.textContent = formatMeta.secondary; formatWrap.appendChild(secondary); } mark.appendChild(formatWrap); title.classList.add('tool-hero-title'); title.prepend(mark); })();