A scanned page is just a picture to your computer — you can read it, but you can't search it, select it, or copy a line out of it. OCR reads the shapes and works out the words, so the document finally behaves like text. Your pages come back looking exactly as they did; the words are added invisibly behind the image.
How to ocr pdf
Upload your scanDrop in a scanned or photographed PDF. We'll tell you which pages actually need OCR and which already have text.
Pick what you want backA searchable PDF that looks identical to your original, or just the plain text on its own as a .txt file.
Read itWe work through the pages and read the words off them. A typical few-page scan takes seconds.
DownloadYour file is handled and gone the instant your download is ready — nothing is kept.
What you can do
- Search a scanned contract or lease for one clause instead of reading all 40 pages
- Copy an address or reference number out of a scanned letter
- Make photographed receipts searchable before filing them
- Turn an old scanned report into something you can quote from
- Prepare a scan so you can redact a name off it — redaction can only find text that exists
What happens to your file
Your files are never stored. Nothing is parked, queued, or kept — the moment your download is ready, it's gone, and no one ever sees it.
Plenty of online tools store your file on their servers and delete it later. PDF Cubby doesn't keep it at all — there's nothing left behind to clean up afterward.
Features
- Your pages are untouched — the text layer goes behind the image, so the scan looks exactly as it did
- Skips pages that already have text, so nothing is degraded that was already fine
- Searchable PDF or plain text — whichever you need
- 5 free a day — unlimited with Pro ($4.99/mo, cancel anytime)
- Never stored — files are gone the moment you're done
Tips
- Once it's searchable you can Secure Redact it — redaction searches for text, so it can't touch a scan until OCR has read it.
- Scan grown large? Run it through Compress PDF afterward.
- Pages sideways? Rotate them first — OCR reads upright text far more reliably.
- Photos of pages rather than a PDF? Turn them into one with Convert, then OCR the result.
Frequently asked questions
- What does OCR actually do?
- It reads the words in a picture. A scanned page is an image to your computer, so the text can't be searched or selected. OCR works out which letters the shapes are and adds them to the file as real text, hidden behind the image so the page still looks the same.
- Will my scan look different afterwards?
- No. Your original pages are left exactly as they are — the text is added invisibly behind them. The file grows very slightly because that text is genuinely new data, but the image itself is untouched and not re-compressed.
- How accurate is it?
- On clear, straight scans of printed text it is very accurate. Accuracy drops on faint print, handwriting, unusual fonts, and pages photographed at an angle. Numbers and codes are the least reliable part — a zero and a letter O, or a five and an S, can be confused — so check anything you're going to rely on.
- Can it read handwriting?
- Generally no. This reads printed text. Handwritten notes will usually come back as nothing or as nonsense.
- What languages does it read?
- English at the moment.
- Why did I get strange characters in the text?
- Logos, stamps, lines and decorative patterns can look like letters to OCR, so they sometimes turn into a short run of gibberish. It's harmless — the real text around it is unaffected.
- Do I need an account?
- You get 5 free uses a day with no account. For unlimited OCR, sign in and upgrade to Pro — $4.99/month, cancel anytime.
- Are my files kept anywhere?
- No. Your scan is read and then discarded the instant your download is ready — never stored, never queued, and never seen by anyone.