Make scanned PDFs searchable with OCR
To your computer a scan is a picture. With OCR, Atlas PDF Reader recognises the text in it so you can search, select and copy.
Part of the Pro plan.
How to use OCR
- 1
Open the scanned PDF
Open the file like any other PDF.
- 2
Start OCR
If the document has no text, Atlas shows a button in the AI panel to run OCR.
- 3
Select and search
After recognition you can select text and search in it.
- 4
Edit or use AI
You can edit the recognised text and, with the AI plan, have it summarised.
Good to know
Quality depends on the scan
Resolution, language and layout decide how well the text is recognised.
Only where needed
PDFs with real text are searchable straight away; OCR is only for pages that are an image.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the recognition?
It depends on the scan: a sharp scan with a clear layout gives the best result.
Do I need OCR for every PDF?
No, only for pages without real text.