What is OCR PDF Reader?
Run OCR on image files and prepare searchable text workflows. It accepts PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG files and gives you a TXT result you can download straight away. The work happens in your browser tab, so the file you choose is not uploaded to our servers.
How to use OCR PDF Reader
- Choose an image (JPG or PNG) or a PDF that contains text.
- Click Convert now. Recognition runs in your browser; PDFs are read page by page, up to ten pages.
- Read the recognised text in the preview.
- Download the text file and proofread it, because OCR can misread unclear characters.
Format notes
- PDF: A fixed-layout document format. Pages keep the same appearance on every device, which makes PDFs ideal for sharing and printing.
- PNG: A lossless format that keeps sharp edges and supports transparency, which makes it a good choice for logos, screenshots and graphics. Photos saved as PNG are often much larger than JPG.
- JPG: A lossy format that suits photographs and produces small files. It does not support transparency.
- JPEG: The same format as JPG (the two extensions are interchangeable). Best for photos, not for logos or screenshots with sharp text.
Tips for better results
Clear scans at 300 DPI or higher with straight text give the best accuracy. The reader works with English text. Always proofread names, numbers and technical terms.
A worked example
Photograph a printed page flat and in even light, upload the image and read the recognised English text in the preview. For a scanned PDF, the first ten pages are read and labelled by page number. Always proofread names and figures.
If something goes wrong
- The text contains many mistakes. Use a sharper, straight, well-lit scan at around 300 dpi. Handwriting and curved pages are recognised poorly.
- It is slow. Recognition runs on your device and the first run downloads language data. Large pages take longer, especially on phones.
Privacy and limits
Because processing happens locally, very large files depend on your device's memory and may be slow on older phones. If a conversion fails, try a smaller file or a different browser. See our privacy policy for details on how the site handles data.
Related tools
- JPG to PNG - Convert JPG photos into clean PNG files with transparency-friendly output.
- PNG to JPG - Convert PNG images into optimized JPG files for web publishing.
- JPG to WEBP - Create lightweight WEBP images from JPG files for faster websites.
- PNG to WEBP - Compress PNG graphics into modern WEBP files while keeping crisp quality.