How to Perform OCR to Extract Texts from PDF [Ultimate Guide]
Last Updated on September 27, 2022 by Tina Clark
Just take some pictures for a presentation and want to extract the texts from it easily, what should you do? OCR an image-based PDF is a simple choice to get the desired files. When you need to turn a PDF file into a searchable and editable file, what is the most difficult to apply the OCR algorithm to the PDF files? The database of the languages should be the right answer. You might find the OCR feature works for one language, but not for another. Just learn more about the 6 frequently used OCR PDF solutions and choose the suitable one according to your requirement.
Part 1: Easy Method to Convert PDF to Text with PDF OCR
PDFelement is the all-in-one PDF editor to perform the OCR algorithm, which supports 23 different languages with advanced technologies. It performs the OCR PDF solution to keep the same layout as your original content, and the text will be searchable and selectable. It also provides literally thousands of features that make PDF-related ideas easy to understand and apply to a wide range of situations.
1. Apply OCR algorithms to both scanned PDFs and image-based PDFs.
2. Extract the desired texts from PDF files in more than 20 languages.
3. Convert image-based PDF to Word, Excel, PPT, and other file formats.
4. Keep the original PDF content to make the PDF searchable and editable.
Step 1: Import the image-based PDF or scanned PDF into the PDFelement, you can also use the PDFelement iOS to capture PDF files with the camera of your iPhone or iPad. There are various strategies that may be used to ensure that the image gets displayed.
Step 2: Once you have imported the desired PDF, you can find the Perform OCR button to extract the desired texts. Moreover, click the OCR button to choose an OCR mode and click the Change Language button to choose a different language for the image's content.
Step 3: The OCR PDF solution will recognize the text in your image, allowing you to change the text. Moreover, it keeps the same layout as your original PDF content and the text will be searchable and selectable. After that, you can make some changes to the texts of the PDF.
Step 4: Once you have converted the image-based PDF with the OCR algorithm, it will freshly generate a PDF file totally editable. To make instant changes to the text, select the Edit button from the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner of the screen before saving.
Part 2: 5 OCR PDF Solutions to Extract Words from PDF
Sejda – Online OCR PDF Solution
Sejda is an online OCR PDF solution to extract text from PDFs. It comes with a desktop client for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as a browser-based OCR program for use on the web. You can get a searchable PDF document, where the invisible text should be overlayed on the original images at the correct locations.
Pros
1. Provide an easy and quick method to apply some basic OCR functions.
2. Free service for PDFs up to 10 pages or 50 MB and 3 tasks per hour.
3. Support unregulated services and are free to do what you want to edit.
Cons
1. Limited tasks during the day, and limited file size of a maximum of 50MB.
2. Need to optimize the PDF brightness and contrast before OCR PDF.
Omni Page – OCR PDF with 120 Languages
Omni Page enables you to exploit the OCR capabilities fast and effectively. The OCR PDF algorithm not only works with PDF but also BMP and GIF image files easily for more than 120 languages. Moreover, it also provides an advanced algorithm to maintain the original content, including columns, tables, bullets, graphics, etc.
Pros
1. Provide the original layout retention and overall resulting formatting.
2. Improved OCR engines deliver superior accuracy for PDF conversion.
3. Include the advanced Nuance Cloud Connector powered by Gladinet.
Cons
1. Adware gets loaded on the system when you use the OCR feature.
2. The program's UI is not as intuitive as that of the other programs.
Microsoft Word – Built-in OCR PDF for Office
It is not necessary to download and install a separate OCR program if you have already subscribed to Microsoft Office. To convert PDFs and photos into text, the PDF OCR technology has been integrated into Microsoft, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and OneNote. All you have to do is open the PDF file in Word to convert it into an editable file.
Pros
1. Convert the text in a scanned image-based PDF to a Word document.
2. Copy text from pictures and file printouts using OCR in OneNote.
3. Add text directly to your notes after extracting tables into Excel/Word.
Cons
1. Require subscribing to Office 365 for table extraction on the online edition.
2. Cannot maintain the original PDF tables, bullets, graphics, and others.
Tesseract – Powerful OCR PDF Engine
Tesseract is another professional and open-source OCR PDF package. It has a high level of respect among business professionals. You can use it to convert scanned paper documents, in the form of PDF files or images, to searchable, editable data. It usually involves a scanner that converts the document to lots of different colors, known as a raster image.
Pros
1. Provide free OCR PDF solution to Windows, Mac, and Linux for free.
2. Make some basic changes to the program to make it more multilingual.
3. Perform on a section of a document rather than the complete document.
Cons
1. Use a command-line interface, it is not a straightforward piece of software.
2. The optical character recognition is less accurate than its developers think.
Fine Reader – AI-Powered OCR PDF Solution
Fine Reader is one of the most experienced PDF OCR services available. It is widely regarded as one of the AI-based applications that have contributed to the overall improvement of the user's quality of life. It provides both online and offline OCR features to quickly extract text from scans into TXT format on your device without an Internet connection.
Pros
1. Support an astonishing 192 different languages and spelling check for 47.
2. Define doc size in AR for non-standard documents and further printing.
3. Convert to another format and preserve the original document formatting.
Cons
1. Unable to work efficiently because of the program's slowness.
2. Cannot do OCR on TXT documents with this program directly.
Conclusion
Here are some popular OCR PDF solutions available in the market. When you need to convert some image-based or scanned PDF into a searchable and editable PDF, you can learn more of the special features about the OCR PDF solutions, especially the supported languages. PDFelement is one of the best methods for guaranteeing that the best-handwritten OCR software is used when scanning and digitizing documents.