Add searchable text with OCR
Convert text visible in document images into a machine-readable text layer in the resulting searchable PDF.
OCR for image-based documents
Convert images to searchable PDF with OCR
Turn document photos, scans and other image-based pages into a PDF with searchable text while keeping the page images in the PDF.
Private server-side processing · estimated credits before processing · files are not stored permanently
From page image to searchable document
Make image-based documents easier to search and use
OCR adds machine-readable text to image-based document content so the resulting PDF can be searched while preserving the page image.
Keep the document as a PDF
Use this workflow when you want a searchable PDF rather than a plain text file or an editable Word document.
Source quality still matters
OCR quality depends on the source image. Blur, poor contrast, rotation, shadows and small text can make recognition less accurate.
Know the processing cost first
FilexFlow shows the estimated credit use before processing and is designed to return reserved credits when a conversion fails.
How it works
Create a searchable PDF from images in three steps
The OCR workflow reads text from image-based pages and creates a searchable PDF result.
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1
Upload the image-based document
Choose the scanned or photographed document you want to turn into a searchable PDF.
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2
Run image-to-searchable-PDF OCR
Select Images to Searchable PDF, review the estimated credit use and start the OCR conversion.
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3
Download the searchable PDF
When processing finishes, download the generated PDF with searchable OCR text.
Common OCR situations
When images need to become a searchable PDF
Choose this workflow when the page image should remain part of the document but its visible text also needs to become searchable.
Document photos
Turn photographed pages into one searchable document
Use OCR when letters, forms, receipts or other document pages exist as photos and you want to keep them together as a searchable PDF.
Turn document photos into searchable PDFMultiple photos
OCR several photographed pages into one searchable PDF
Page order, orientation and crop can affect a multi-page OCR result. Prepare the photos before combining them into one searchable document.
Prepare multiple photos for OCROCR problems
The text in a photo is difficult for OCR to recognize
If recognition is poor, inspect the source image before repeating the conversion. Image quality can be the limiting factor.
Troubleshoot photo OCRPrivacy and security
Your files should remain under your control
FilexFlow uses server-side processing and is designed to avoid permanent file retention.
- Private server-side processing.
- No permanent storage of uploaded or converted files.
- Encrypted transport through HTTPS.
- Clear credit estimates before processing.
Frequently asked questions
Image to searchable PDF OCR questions
What OCR changes, what affects recognition and when another output format may be more useful.
What does Image to Searchable PDF do?
It uses OCR on image-based document content and creates a PDF with machine-readable text so recognized words can be searched.
Does OCR change the original image into plain text?
This workflow creates a searchable PDF rather than a plain text output. If your goal is to extract text from an image as text, use the dedicated Image to Text workflow instead.
Why can OCR miss or misread words in a photo?
Recognition depends on the source. Blur, skew, low contrast, shadows, compression artifacts, unusual fonts and very small text can reduce OCR accuracy.
Can I combine multiple document photos into one searchable PDF?
This workflow is intended for image-based document processing. For multiple photographed pages, page order, orientation and crop should be checked before OCR so one poor image does not weaken the document.
Does FilexFlow permanently store my files?
FilexFlow is designed to avoid permanent storage of uploaded and converted files after processing.
Choose the right OCR result
Need a searchable PDF, extracted text or an editable document?
Keep image-based pages in a searchable PDF here, extract their text with Image to Text, or move to Image to Word when an editable document is the better next step.