OCR PDF on Mac

OCR feature in UPDF for Mac allows you to convert the scanned or image only PDF documents into searchable and editable. Moreover, it allows you to convert your searchable and editable PDF to image only. You can click the below button to download UPDF on Mac and follow the below steps to learn how to use it.

Now, we'll guide you through using UPDF's OCR feature on Mac. Alternatively, you can watch this comprehensive video guide to learn:

Step 1. Download and Install OCR (For New User Only)

If you are the first user to use this tool, you need to download OCR plugin in UPDF. Here is how.

When you open the PDF document with UPDF for Mac, navigate to the "Recognize Text Using OCR" button on the right toolbar.

Continue the process by clicking the "Install" button in the pop-up window.

You will be automatically redirected to the next window, which will display the installation progress of the feature. Let the feature install successfully on your Mac device before using it.

Step 2. OCR PDF with UPDF for Mac

After installation, close the window and navigate to the same button "Recognize Text Using OCR" to access the OCR tool via UPDF on Mac. When it opens, it will give you two different document type options, including "Searchable PDF" and "Image-only PDF".

• Searchable PDF: By selecting this option, it converts scanned PDF documents into searchable and editable documents.
• Image-only PDF: When this option is selected, it will convert your searchable and editable document into an image-based PDF document, which is neither searchable nor editable.

We will show these two scenarios with detailed guide here.

1. Convert Scanned/Image Only PDF to Searchable and Editable PDF

If you need to convert scanned/image only PDF to searchable and editable, go for "Searchable PDF". After selecting, you will see some settings in the window. To know which one to choose, you need to understand what they mean first. We will explain them here one by one.

1) Layout

There are three different options to choose from:

• Text and pictures only: This mode saves recognized text and pictures. A PDF file of this type has a relatively small size. Visually, this document may differ from the original. You can check the below picture to understand it.

• Text over the page Image: This mode keeps the background image and illustrations of the source document and overlays the recognized text. Usually, such PDF files are larger than those created using the Text and pictures only mode. Visually, this document may differ slightly from the original.

• Text under the page image: In this mode, the page image is retained, while the recognized text is placed into an invisible layer underneath the image. Visually, this document is nearly identical to the original. In this mode, the content may not be editable and it is only searchable.

In general, you do not need to make changes as the text over the page image is selected. You can use this mode directly.

And after choosing the mode, you can do some other settings. Click the "Gear" icon to access more layout settings, you can specify whether you want to "Keep Pictures" with "Low", "Balanced" or "High" quality, whether you want to keep the page numbers, headers, footers, and text and background colors, and whether you want to compress images using MRC.

2) Document Language, Image Resolution, and Page Range:

You can tell UPDF's OCR to know what languages your PDF document is using. It has 38 languages for you to select. It gives UPDF a better basis to accurately identify text in PDF documents.

You can also use the Image Resolution option to specify an appropriate resolution setting for the image and which pages you need when performing OCR.

When you finished setting, you can click on the "Perform OCR" to select where you want to save the OCRed PDF. Once the process is done, the OCRed PDF will open automatically in UPDF. Now you can click on the "Edit PDF" to make changes or click on the "Export PDF" to convert it to any other editable format.

2. Convert PDF to Image-only PDF

If you want convert your searchable and editable documents into image-based PDF documents that are neither searchable nor editable, you can select "Image-only PDF" in the Document Type part. Then, follow the below steps.

• Set the image quality under the "Keep Picture" section by selecting any of the available options for "Low", "Balanced" or "High".

• Decide if you wish to compress your images using MRC.

• Provide the appropriate "Page Range" and click "Perform OCR" to perform the action on the document. Select the folder and you will get the image only PDF document immediately.

You can experience the OCR in the free trial version. And if you are satisfied with it, you can upgrade to the pro version by clicking here with a big discount.