How to Extract Text From a Scanned PDF for Free

To extract text from a scanned PDF, turn its pages into images with ToolistHub's free PDF to JPG tool, then add those images to Image to Text, which reads printed English text, and copy the result. Both tools work in your browser, so neither the PDF nor the images are uploaded.

Why you can't select the text in a scan

A scanned PDF holds pictures of pages, not text. Your PDF reader shows the words, but to the computer they are pixels, so there is nothing to select or search. Text recognition, also called OCR, reads the pixels and turns them back into text.

How to extract text from a scanned PDF

1. Open PDF to JPG and add the PDF with Choose a PDF file. It takes one PDF of up to 50 MB.
2. Choose PNG and High (300 ppi) if the print is small; Standard (150 ppi) is enough for normal text.
3. Choose the pages, all of them or a range such as 1-5, then select Convert to PNG and download the images.
4. Open Image to Text and add the images, up to 10 at a time.
5. Check and correct the text under each image, then select Copy text or Download .txt.

Tips for better results

• Long PDFs: PDF to JPG converts up to 100 pages at a time, and Image to Text reads up to 10 images per run, so work through a long scan in batches.
• Sideways pages: if a page reads sideways, rotate the image and add it again, or fix the PDF first with Rotate PDF.
• Check numbers carefully. Recognition mistakes in figures, such as amounts and dates, are easy to miss.

What to expect

Clear, printed English text reads well. Handwriting, faint or crooked scans and complex layouts give poor results, and the layout itself isn't kept: you get the words, not the columns or tables.

If you need an editable Word document rather than plain text, our guide to converting a scanned PDF to editable Word compares the options. ToolistHub's own PDF to Word needs PDFs with selectable text, so it refuses scans.

Frequently asked questions

Can I copy text from a scanned PDF for free?

Yes. Save the pages as images with PDF to JPG, read them with Image to Text and copy the text. Both are free and need no account.

Why can't I highlight text in my PDF?

The PDF is most likely a scan or a photo of pages, so it holds images instead of text. Text recognition is needed to turn them into text.

Does it work with handwritten notes?

Not well. Image to Text is made for printed English text, and handwriting usually comes out with many mistakes.

Is my PDF uploaded?

No. PDF to JPG and Image to Text both run in your browser, so the PDF and the images stay on your device.

Conclusion

Convert the scan's pages with PDF to JPG, read the images with Image to Text, and check the result before you use it.