What Is PDF OCR?

OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. It is the technology that converts images of text — like scanned documents, photographed pages, or image-based PDFs — into actual machine-readable text. Once OCR is applied, you can search, select, copy, and edit the text in what was previously just a picture of a document.

Scanned PDFs are one of the most common document types in business. When you scan a paper document, the scanner creates an image of each page. Without OCR, that image is just a picture — you cannot search it, copy text from it, or run it through automated workflows. OCR bridges this gap by recognizing the characters in the image and creating an invisible text layer that sits on top of the original image.

PhantomEtch runs OCR entirely in your browser using WebAssembly-based recognition engines. Your scanned documents — whether they contain medical records, legal filings, financial statements, or personal correspondence — never leave your device. No server ever sees your content.

How to OCR a PDF in 3 Steps

1

Open Your Scanned PDF

Go to phantometch.nullagency.io and open your scanned PDF or image-based document. Your file stays on your device throughout the process.

2

Run OCR

Select the OCR tool from the toolbar. Choose your document language for best accuracy. Click "Run OCR" and wait a few seconds while the recognition engine processes each page.

3

Download the Searchable PDF

Download the result — a PDF that looks identical to the original but now has a searchable text layer. You can select text, use Ctrl+F to search, and copy content to other applications.

Make Your Scanned PDFs Searchable

Free. No account. No uploads. Process any number of pages.

Open PhantomEtch

When to Use PDF OCR

Frequently Asked Questions

What is OCR and how does it work on PDFs?
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) analyzes images of text in scanned PDFs and converts them to actual searchable, selectable, and copyable text. PhantomEtch runs OCR directly in your browser.
Can I OCR a PDF for free?
Yes. PhantomEtch includes a free OCR tool that processes scanned PDFs in your browser. No account required, no file uploads.
What languages does OCR support?
PhantomEtch OCR supports English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, and many more languages.
Does OCR work on handwritten text?
OCR works best on printed text. Handwritten text recognition accuracy varies depending on legibility. Clearly written block letters have higher recognition rates.