A searchable PDF is a PDF with real text in it: you can find a word, select it and copy it. A scanned PDF without text recognition looks the same on screen, but each page is only a picture.
Three kinds of PDF
| Kind | How it was made | Select text? |
|---|---|---|
| Text PDF | Saved from a program, such as online banking | Yes |
| Scan with OCR | Scanned, then text recognition added a text layer | Yes, may contain errors |
| Image-only scan | Scanned or photographed, no text layer | No |
The middle kind is why the page and the text can differ: the picture stays, and OCR adds a searchable text layer on top of it. If recognition misread a digit, the picture still looks right.
How to tell which one you have
- Open the PDF and try to select one word.
- If only that word highlights, the file has text.
- If nothing highlights, or a box covers the whole page, it is an image.
- Search for a word you can see. No match on an image page means there is no text layer.
Why it matters for tables
A text PDF gives an extractor exact characters and their positions on the page. A scan gives it pixels, so recognition has to come first, and a 3 can turn into an 8. For a table of amounts, that difference counts.
Extract Table from PDF handles both kinds: it runs OCR when a PDF has no text. Bank statements get the cleanest result from a text PDF, as the bank statement converter explains. If you have a choice, download the original PDF from online banking instead of scanning a printout.
Upload a PDF and download its tables as Excel or CSV.
Extract tables from your PDFExtract tables from your Chrome toolbar
Click the extension icon, pick a PDF and get the tables without opening this site.
Questions and answers
What is a searchable PDF?+
It is a PDF with real text in it, so you can search for a word, select it and copy it. It either came from a program, or a scan got a hidden text layer through OCR.
How can I tell if a PDF is scanned?+
Try to select a word. If you can only draw a box around the page, or nothing highlights, the page is an image. You can also search for a word you can see on the page.
What does OCR do to a PDF?+
OCR (optical character recognition) reads the letters in the page image and adds them as text. The page looks the same, but it can now be searched. Blurry or skewed pages give more errors.
Does the type of PDF matter for table extraction?+
Yes. With real text, the extractor reads exact characters and positions. With a scan, it first has to recognize the text, which can add mistakes.