OCR PDF — make scans searchable
A scanned PDF is really just a picture of a page, so you cannot select the text, search it, or copy from it. DMI's OCR tool fixes that: it reads the text in your scan and writes an invisible text layer over the original pages, turning the scan into a searchable PDF that still looks exactly the same. The recognition engine runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly, downloading once (and caching afterwards), so your document is never uploaded to a server. Choose your language and whether you want a searchable PDF, a plain text file, or both. It works best on clear printed scans; handwriting is out of scope. It is a private, no-signup way to make old contracts, receipts, and book pages searchable before you archive or share them.
How it works
- Upload the scanned PDF you want to make searchable.
- Pick the document language and your output format.
- Click OCR to download your searchable PDF (or text) instantly.
Frequently asked questions
Is the OCR tool free?
Yes, making scanned PDFs searchable with DMI is completely free, with no signup and no watermark. The recognition engine runs in your browser, so there are no per-page charges or server limits to hit for normal use.
Are my files private and safe?
Yes. OCR runs entirely in your browser using a WebAssembly engine, so your PDF is never uploaded to a server. We log usage metadata, including your IP address, tool name, filename, and file size, for up to 12 months to help prevent abuse, but the file contents are never stored or seen by us.
What output formats can I get?
You can save a searchable PDF that keeps the original page appearance with an invisible, selectable text layer on top, a plain text (.txt) file of the recognised text, or both at once. The searchable PDF is best for archiving and sharing; the text file is handy for copy-paste or opening in a word processor such as Google Docs.
How accurate is it, and does it handle handwriting?
On clear printed scans the text layer is accurate enough to search and copy reliably. Faint scans, unusual fonts, complex tables, and handwriting are much harder and may come out wrong, so this tool is aimed at ordinary printed documents rather than handwritten notes.