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What OCR Actually Does – Plain Language Overview
Scanning vs. Recognizing Text
A scanner creates an image of each page; OCR reads that image and identifies the letters inside. The process adds a hidden text layer while keeping the original picture intact.
How OCR extracts characters
OCR software compares tiny patterns of black and white pixels to a built‑in library of glyph shapes. When a match is found, it records the corresponding character and its position on the page.
Why the output becomes searchable
The recognized characters are stored as selectable text, enabling keyword search, copy‑paste, and indexing by browsers or document managers. The underlying image remains, so the visual layout is unchanged.
Using the free PDF OCR tool
Visit the PDF OCR page at /pdf-ocr/, upload a scanned PDF or image, and click Convert. In seconds the service returns a file where you can search, highlight, or extract text without any technical steps.
Further reading: Wikipedia.
Try PDF OCR →Frequently asked questions
Do I need an internet connection for OCR?
Yes, the free tool runs in the browser and sends the file to the server for processing.
Can OCR handle handwritten notes?
Basic printed text works well; handwriting is often inaccurate unless the script is very clear.
Is my uploaded document kept private?
Files are deleted from the server shortly after conversion, and no personal data is stored.
What file formats are supported?
PDF, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF are accepted for OCR conversion.
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