SCAN TO PLAIN TEXT

Convert a scanned PDF to text

Turn a scanned PDF into searchable text, then export a UTF-8 TXT file. Follow two steps with OCR PDF and PDF to Text; review recognition before reuse.

Step 1: Open OCR PDF

By PDF Universe · Reviewed 24 October 2026

Two steps: recognize, then extract

Open OCR PDF, upload your scanned PDF, select the languages on the pages and choose recognition quality. Process and download the searchable PDF.
Open PDF to Text and upload that downloaded result. Export a UTF-8 TXT file and review the words and reading order.

These are separate jobs. Your document is not passed to the next tool automatically. If the PDF already has usable selectable text, skip recognition and go straight to PDF to Text.

Choose the output you need

Keep the OCR PDF if you want to search or copy text while viewing the page. Export TXT if you need words in a text editor. Neither route reconstructs an editable Word document, spreadsheet formulas or the original table layout.

Mixed scans and text that copies as symbols

Automatic OCR can recognize scanned pages alongside existing digital pages. If visible words still paste as symbols or recognition misses content, try Forced OCR on a copy: it renders every page to an image and recognizes a fresh text layer. It flattens interactive content and can change image detail. Read the copy-and-paste troubleshooting guide before using it.

Languages, files and processing limits

Input: PDF. Intermediate output: searchable PDF. Final output: UTF-8 TXT. OCR supports English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Arabic and Hebrew; choose up to four languages actually present. OCR does not translate. Hindi OCR is not available.

Each tool accepts up to 100 MB per file and 500 pages per job, subject to shared quotas. No account is required. Documents are uploaded over HTTPS to the hosted service; processing is not entirely inside your browser. Temporary results expire within 24 hours and may disappear sooner after restart.

Check before reusing the text

Search a sentence from the beginning, middle and end of the result. Check names, totals, dates and small print against the scan. Columns may export in the wrong order. Blurred, handwritten or cropped text may need manual correction; no OCR preset guarantees every line.

If the text file is empty

Make sure the second upload is the OCR result, not the original scan. Select the correct recognition language and test a clear excerpt. For a protected PDF, use only documents you are authorized to process and supply the opening password when required. See how to copy text from a scanned PDF.