OCR PDF Generator

Convert scanned images or scanned PDFs into a searchable PDF — the original page plus an invisible, selectable text layer from OCR. Upload multiple pages, and everything runs in your browser with Tesseract.js and jsPDF. No uploads.

Quick Answer: How do I make a scanned PDF searchable?

Upload scanned images of invoices, shipping bills or bank statements and this free OCR PDF generator builds a searchable PDF — the original scan stays the visible page while Tesseract.js adds an invisible, selectable text layer underneath. Nothing is uploaded; everything runs in your browser. Scanned PDFs are accepted directly, and recognition is tuned for English — the language of official export-import paperwork. Rotate sideways scans first, then generate and press Ctrl+F to find any word, number or IEC code.

1
Upload Your Scans

Drop JPG, PNG or WebP images — or a whole scanned PDF — in page order; multiple allowed. Files never leave your device.

2
Generate Searchable PDF

Tesseract OCR runs on your CPU, one page at a time, and jsPDF embeds the text invisibly.

3
Search & Download

Save the PDF and press Ctrl+F — every word, IEC code and invoice number is now findable.

Build PDF

Add scan images in page order.

Optimised for English — the language of official export-import documents. For best accuracy use a 300 DPI scan, straight text lines and even lighting.

Note: the first run downloads the language model (~10 MB English). Each page is processed one at a time — a 5-page set takes about a minute on a typical laptop. Scanned PDFs are accepted directly: every PDF page is rendered and read in order.

Result

Your searchable PDF download appears here.

What makes it "searchable": the PDF keeps the original scan as the visual page, while OCR text is embedded invisibly underneath — so you can search, select and copy text while the document still looks exactly like your scan.
Perfect for
  • ● Making old invoices and shipping bills searchable
  • ● Building searchable archives for audits and compliance
  • ● Sharing scans that reviewers can search and annotate
  • ● Preparing records for documentation submissions

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Turn Paper Archives Into Searchable Files

Scanned PDFs are just pictures — you can't search them. This tool runs OCR with Tesseract.js in your browser and layers the recognised text invisibly onto each page with jsPDF. The result looks like your scan but behaves like a typed document: searchable, selectable and copyable.

For plain text extraction use the OCR Text Extractor, and for combining or splitting the output PDF use PDF Tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pages can I process?

As many as you like — pages are processed one at a time in order, and scanned PDFs are accepted directly (every PDF page is OCR'd). For very large sets, allow a minute or two; keep the tab in the foreground while it runs.

Will Ctrl+F find my IEC codes and invoice numbers?

Yes. The invisible text layer is searchable — IEC codes, invoice amounts, shipping bill references and HS codes all become findable text. If the scan is sideways or blurry the layer can be wrong, so rotate the image with the buttons under the preview and use a clear 300 DPI scan for best results.

Is the text layer editable after export?

The text layer is selectable and copyable in any PDF reader. To fix recognition errors, extract the text first, correct it, then rebuild — or use our digitisation service for large clean-ups.

Are my scans uploaded?

No. OCR and PDF building run entirely in your browser. Your documents never leave your device.

Can I OCR scanned PDFs?

Yes — drop a scanned PDF and every page is OCR'd in order, then the invisible text layer is added so the whole file becomes searchable.

Is the OCR PDF Generator free to use?

Yes. The OCR PDF Generator is 100% free for personal and commercial use — no registration, login or payment required.

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