Plicum Tools OCR

Make a scanned PDF searchable with OCR

A scan is a photograph: you can see the words but the computer cannot, so you can neither search nor copy them. OCR recognises that text and adds it to the document, which still looks identical but becomes searchable.

In your browser
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In three steps

Load the scan

The PDF is opened on your device.

Choose the language

You state the language of the document: recognition takes it into account.

Get the searchable PDF

The document still looks identical, but now the text can be searched and copied.

What happens to your file

In your browser

The file does not leave your device. Thirty-two tools out of thirty-eight.

OCR: frequently asked questions

No, and it should be said: it depends on the quality of the scan, the typeface and the condition of the document. On a clean scan the result is very good; on a faded fax or a handwritten page it is partial. Recognised text should be reread if you are going to rely on it.

No: the OCR engine is loaded into the browser and works on your device. The scan is not uploaded to Plicum servers — which matters, since these are often documents you would rather not send anywhere.

No: the recognised text is placed under the image, invisible. You see the original scan, but you can search inside it.

Tools often used together with this one

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Try it now

It opens in your browser, nothing to install. Five operations a day are free, with no payment details.