FROM Scanned PDF → TO Searchable PDF
How to use it
01
Choose a scanned PDF.
02
Pick English, Arabic, or both, then wait — pages are rendered then OCR'd locally in order.
03
Download the searchable copy once done.
FILE MAKTAB / Scanned PDF → Searchable PDF
OCR PDF: Make Scanned Files Searchable
Render each page locally, run OCR in English, Arabic, or both inside your browser, and overlay invisible text so scanned PDFs become searchable and selectable.
Read the guide Get help with this toolABOUT THIS TOOL
How OCR turns a scanned PDF into searchable text
A scanned PDF is just a collection of images — search, copy, and select fail because there is no text layer. This tool renders each page to an image, runs OCR in English, Arabic, or both in your browser, and then writes a fresh PDF whose pages still show the original image but carry invisible text in their exact positions. The resulting PDF is searchable; the original stays untouched.
OCR is probabilistic: handwriting, tiny fonts, and rotated or skewed scans reduce accuracy. The preview shows the source PDF only; the searchable result downloads as soon as processing finishes, so open that downloaded file to review the OCR text. PDFs over 50 pages are rejected rather than partially processed; split larger documents first to keep the interaction responsive, including on mobile hardware.
WHY THIS TOOL
The selected PDF is rendered, recognized, and assembled in this browser workflow; OCR output is created locally.
English and Arabic OCR models are served from this site and load only when selected, so even recognition does not rely on outside services.
The generated searchable file preserves page images while the overlay enables search/select.
PRACTICAL TIPS
Before you start
- Review the recognized text visually; OCR accuracy varies with scan quality, language, and page alignment.
- If the document has more than 50 pages, split it with the Split PDF tool first.
- For mixed-language scans, choose the combined Arabic + English option before running.
FAQ / OCR-PDF
Frequently asked questions
Is original text preserved?
The invisible overlay provides selectable text on top of the rendered page image.
Language?
English, Arabic, or a combined Arabic + English pass; the selected language data loads on demand in your browser.
Why does scanning cap at 50 pages?
A bound page limit prevents runaway memory on long documents; contact support for an exception.