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How to Edit a Scanned PDF Document: Without Lossing Format

You scanned a paper into one scanned PDF and want to find a way to edit it. Tried a lot of ways, but only found out that they destroyed your original format. No worry, we know your case. This article will provide efficient solutions on how to edit a scanned PDF document without losing the primary format of the file.

Part 1. How to Edit a Scanned PDF Without Lossing Format with UPDF

UPDF is a powerful PDF editor that can help you edit scanned PDFs without losing format with its OCR feature. When trying to use its OCR features to make your scanned PDF editable, you have different options like text and pictures only, text over the page image, and text under the page image to get the perfect result you need. It also supports 38 document languages. After you make your scanned PDFs editable, you can use its editing features to edit the text and images. Or if you prefer editing the scanned PDF in other formats like Word, you can use its converting feature to do that. To know how to use UPDF to edit scanned PDFs without losing format, you can download UPDF via the below button and follow the below guides.

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Way 1. How to Edit a Scanned PDF with OCR and Editing

If you only want to edit the contents in scanned PDF, you can follow the below guide.

Step 1: Launch Tool and Select OCR Function

Open the scanned PDF document on UPDF and direct to the "Recognize Text Using OCR" button to open a menu. Afterward, select the "Searchable PDF" option in the "Document Type" section.

Step 2: Define Layout Settings

Next, you can specify the "Layout" of the OCR tool that it is bound to follow. From the range of options available, select "Text and pictures only" or "Text over the page image" and define the advanced layout settings using the "Gear" icon.

how to edit a pdf

Step 3: Set Language and Image Resolution

On setting the layout options, you may select the "Document Language" out of the 38 languages from the available list. In the "Image Resolution" section, specify the resolution with the available options or click the "Detect Optimal Resolution" button for automated analysis.

how can i edit a pdf

Step 4: Execute the Process of Editing a Scanned PDF

Select how many pages have to be covered in the process with the "Page Range" settings. Once done, click "Perform OCR" and execute the process. You will have to set a location for saving the converted PDF document.

Step 5. Edit the OCRed PDF

Once the OCRed PDF saved, it is be opened automatically in the UPDF. Click the "Edit PDF" icon, and click on the contents that you want to edit.

Way 2. How to Edit a Scanned PDF with OCR and Converting

If you want to edit the scanned PDF in other formats like Word, then, you can follow the below guide. If you still do not have UPDF on your computer, you can click the below button to download.

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Step 1: Import Scanned PDF on UPDF

Launch UPDF, and import a scanned PDF by clicking on the "Open File" option to browse the scanned PDF on your computer.

how can i edit a pdf in updf

Step 2: Select Output Format

Now tap on the "Export PDF" icon from the right panel. After clicking on the "Export PDF" option, a small window will appear on your screen. Now, select the output format of the scanned PDF as Word.

how to edit a pdf

Step 3: Convert PDF to Word

After choosing the desired output format and switching on the "Text Recognition Settings", click on "Export" to convert the scanned PDF to Word.

The above steps are to convert PDF to Word using UPDF. It looks so easy, right? Do you want to try it? Just click the download button below to get this useful editing tool!

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how to edit a scanned pdf with updf

Step 4: Edit the Scanned PDF in Word

After clicking on the "Export" option, you can open the converted file in Word. Now you can easily edit text, including its size, font, italicization, and boldness of letters and words.

Being the most innovative and powerful PDF editor and organizer, UPDF provides more features than OCR to its users, some of which are mentioned below:

  • Seamless Management of PDF Files: UPDF provides on-hand management of your PDF files, from organizing to adding and removing various pages. All the features are easy to follow with a quick and simple step process.
  • UPDF AI: With AI features, you can summarize PDF, Translate PDF, Explain PDF, write PDF, rewrite PDF, and more.
  • Protect PDF: With redacting, password, watermarks, and stamp features, UPDF can meet all your PDF-protecting requirements.
  • Annotate PDF: You can add comments, sticker notes, highlights, striking, stickers, and more to take notes or design your PDF files.

It is not possible to explain all features here, so we recommend you click the below button to download the free trial to test all features, read this review article from Howtogeek, or watch the below UPDF review video.

Part 2. How to Edit a Scanned PDF with Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is an alternative tool for editing a scanned document. Besides being a tool to edit scanned PDFs, users can also create, export, sign, and annotate PDF files. Adobe Acrobat also offers its users the ability to share files across different devices to get quick feedback on an important document.

The steps mentioned below will provide you with a pathway on how to edit a scanned PDF document using Adobe Acrobat:

Step 1: Open the Adobe Acrobat application and after launching it on your computer, click on the "File" tab from the toolbar. Tap the "Open" button to browse scanned PDF files from your computer and import it on Adobe Acrobat.

Step 2: Navigate to "Tools" and follow it up by clicking on the "Edit PDF" option. As soon as you click on "Edit PDF", Acrobat automatically applies the OCR feature on the scanned PDF document and converts it into an editable file.

use adobe acrobat edit pdf tool

Step 3: After the OCR feature is enabled on your document, click on the text you want to edit from the scanned document. Next, click on the "File" tab and tap on the "Save As" option. Now, rename the edited file, select the file's destination, and save it on your computer.

Part 3. How to Edit a Scanned PDF Online With PDF24 Tools

PDF24 Tools is an online tool for editing a scanned PDF. It offers various features, from merging and compressing files to editing, signing, and protecting PDF files without installing the software on your computer. PDF 24 Tools also offers its users a feature to edit a scanned PDF document using the PDF Converter tool.

Follow the mentioned below simple and easy steps to edit scanned PDF online for free and to convert it into an editable PDF document:

Step 1: Access the PDF OCR tool from the official website of PDF24 Tools and click on the "Choose Files" button to browse and import the scanned PDF file from your computer. You can also import scanned documents from Google Drive or Dropbox from the arrow on the right corner of the dotted box.

Step 2: After importing the scanned document, select the language and format of the file, along with other customization. Next, click on "Start OCR" to apply the OCR feature to your PDF.

tap on start ocr button

Step 3: As soon as OCR is applied to the PDF document, your file will be enabled for the edits to be made. Click on "Edit PDF" at the bottom of the display. Now, edit the document accordingly on PDF24 Tools Editor and download the file on your computer.

Part 4. FAQs on How to Edit Scanned PDF

1. Can Scanned PDF Documents be Edited?

UPDF offers the solution to edit PDF scanned files by using the option of the OCR feature, which allows you to edit in PDF format and convert scanned PDF documents in Word editable format.

2. Why Can't I Edit a Scanned PDF?

The scanned PDF document is an image file and not a text file. That is why you cannot edit a scanned PDF unless and until you use the OCR feature, which turns the image file into an editable text format.

3. How to Edit a PDF Scanned Document in Word

To edit a scanned PDF document in Word, you need right click on the Scanned PDF document, choose "Open With", select "Word" to make the PDF editable.

4. How to Edit a Scanned PDF Document on Mac?

You can use UPDF to edit a scanned PDF document on Mac. The steps are to open scanned PDF with UPDF on Mac, then, click "Recognize Text Using OCR" to perform OCR on this scanned PDF, then, click "Edit PDF" to edit the contents in the OCRed PDF.

Conclusion

This article explored various methods on how to edit a scanned PDF document. However, some methods are complex, while others require an expensive monthly subscription. In that regard, UPDF is a cheap and authentic solution to conveniently edit a scanned PDF using the OCR and editing features. And if you need to convert them into other formats like Word for editing, UPDF can also do that for you. Just download UPDF to experience the OCR feature now and if you like it, you can upgrade to pro version via clicking here.

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