Not all PDFs are created equal. A scanned or photocopied PDF is really just a picture of text, and pictures can't be searched, copied, or read aloud. In this video, you'll learn how Optical Character Recognition (OCR) changes that and why it's the critical first step in making any scanned document work for all users.
Six Questions to Assess Your Scan
Before running OCR, check your file against these questions. If a scan has quality issues, OCR may not pull enough readable text to make the file usable.
- Is the full page captured with no cut-off edges or multiple pages scanned together?
- Is the text straight and correctly oriented?
- Is the text sharp and clear, with no blurriness or marks?
- Is the contrast strong, with no shadows or faded areas?
- Are images, charts, and tables clear and readable?
- Is the content typed (not handwritten)?
If you answered No to any of these, OCR may struggle to pull enough readable text from the file. A partially OCR'd document can actually create more problems than it solves. In that case, try to get a better-quality copy before proceeding or be prepared to recreate the document from scratch.
If you answered Yes to all of these questions, you are ready to apply OCR. Use the video below that matches the tool you have access to.
OCR in Canvas Ally
If you have access to Canvas, Ally offers a quick way to apply OCR to a scanned PDF. In this video, we will walk through how to use Ally to make your scanned file searchable and readable for all users.
OCR in Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat also has a built-in Scan and OCR tool that allows you to apply OCR and verify the results before moving forward. In this video, we will walk through how to apply OCR in Adobe Acrobat and export your file to check for any errors before continuing with remediation.
Resources for PDF Remediation
For more, review these additional resources:
Support for PDF Remediation
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