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Text recognition (OCR)

Turn scans into searchable PDFs with OCR: how a hidden text layer works, how to check a file, and how to search, select and copy text from paper on iPhone.

All · 30Document scanning · 19PDF editing on iPhone · 10Signing PDFs on iPhone · 5Text recognition (OCR) · 5App comparisons · 6Going paperless · 8
An iPhone with a dark screen held above a printed page of faint grey bars, a thin cyan light line crossing the page as if scanning, on a light desk by a window
Text recognition (OCR)· 10 min read

What is OCR and what does it do to a scanned PDF?

OCR stands for optical character recognition. Here is what it does to a scan, how the software reads letters, how accurate it is and when you need it.
An iPhone with a dark screen resting on a long printed document on a light desk by a window
Text recognition (OCR)· 10 min read

How to search a PDF on iPhone: Safari, Chrome, Books and scans

One clause in a long lease, one word in a manual. How to search a PDF on iPhone in Books, Safari and Chrome, and why a scanned PDF finds nothing until it has a text layer.
An open hardcover book with a red ribbon bookmark on a light desk by a window, an iPhone with a dark screen beside it
Document scanning· 10 min read

How to scan a book to PDF with your iPhone, page by page

Turn a textbook, workbook, recipe book or notebook into a searchable PDF on your iPhone: the setup, the page-by-page routine and the fixes for curved pages and glare.
A hand holds an iPhone with a dark screen above a printed page on a light desk by a window
Text recognition (OCR)· 9 min read

How to copy text from an image on iPhone with Live Text and OCR

The words you need are in a photo, a screenshot or a letter on your desk. How to copy them on iPhone with Live Text, and how to keep paper pages searchable with OCR.
Hands hold an iPhone over a printed page on a light desk while a thin cyan light line crosses the paper
Text recognition (OCR)· 9 min read

How to make a PDF searchable: OCR, text layers and your iPhone

Search finds nothing in your scanned PDF because the page is an image. Here is what OCR does, how to test a file, and three ways to add the text layer.