Scan and Edit PDFs

Once you have your scanned PDFs (with Scanner app, we hope!), you’ll want to edit them. This is where choosing the right tool matters. If you used the app to scan your papers, you can edit them right there. If you used desktop software, you can edit in the software.

Either way, you’ll likely need to use OCR (optical character recognition) to edit your scans. OCR turns your scans into editable files by recognizing the text and reformatting it to be machine-readable. This is important because it makes your documents searchable and editable. In this article we’ll discuss all the ways you can edit your PDFs online after scanning them. 

OCR Software

If you need to edit your scans frequently, you’ll want to choose a tool with great OCR. Microsoft Office Lens has great OCR and integrates well with Microsoft products. You can also export to Word or RTF.

How Does OCR Work?

OCR (optical character recognition) is the technology behind editable scanned documents. It recognizes text in images by analyzing light and dark patterns. Here’s how it works:

OCR uses two main algorithms to recognize text: pattern recognition and feature recognition. Pattern recognition compares scanned characters to stored patterns, while feature recognition identifies characters by unique features.

When choosing a scanner app, look for high OCR accuracy. This way, you won’t need to edit text often. If you need to edit frequently, choose apps with great editing features, such as Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word. Both have great tools for editing scanned PDFs.

You can also choose file formats that are OCR-friendly to improve OCR results when you need to edit. TIFF and PNG are better formats to use when you need to edit because they capture more colors. JPEG is a compressed format that can lose detail. If you plan on editing large scans, consider using a PDF editor with OCR. You can save your scans in TIFF or PNG and convert to text when needed.

Best OCR Software for Scanning

How to Edit Scanned PDFs Online

Online PDF editors are a great way to edit scanned PDFs. You can edit in your browser and don’t need to install any software. Here are a few options:

• pdfFiller: This online editor has a great text editor and is easy to use. You can upload your scanned PDF and edit text by highlighting it and using the toolbar above.

Many online editors have basic editing tools and OCR. You can extract text and images from your scan and edit in an editable word document or online. Here are a few options:

• SmallPDF: This online editor has a split screen and allows you to drag and drop pages from your scanned PDF to reorganize.

• Sejda PDF Editor: This online editor has a basic text editor and allows you to add text, highlight, and underline. You can also add stamps and watermarks.

• PDF Online Editor: This online editor has a basic text editor and allows you to add images and annotate. You can also add text, highlight, and underline.

Mobile Apps for Editing Scanned PDFs

Mobile apps are a great way to edit scanned PDFs on the go. You can annotate and edit text using your smartphone or tablet. Here are a few options:

• Scanner App by Municorn: This app allows you to edit and manage your documents on-the-fly. You can add text, e-sign, and annotate. It’s a great app for filling out forms, signing and editing scanned PDFs.

Other mobile apps, such as Adobe’s mobile scanner app, allow you to edit PDFs, fill forms, and protect documents with passwords. You can also add e-signatures and watermarks. These apps are great for converting formats and resizing pages. Here are a few features:

• Sign documents: Add your digital signature to contracts and agreements.
• Annotate: Add comments and notes to pages for collaboration.
• Convert formats: Resize pages, change format, and convert to JPEG, TIFF, and more.
• Fill out forms: Edit and fill out PDF forms, including tax forms and benefit papers.

Here’s our TOP-12 for all Scanner apps.

Desktop Software 

Adobe Acrobat is great desktop software for editing scanned PDFs. You can add OCR for editable text and export entire PDFs or extract text and images to other file formats.

You can export a PDF to various file types by using the export feature in your PDF editor. This way, you can use your documents in other programs. Here are a few options:

• Adobe Acrobat: Export to PDF, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP, and GIF

• pdfFiller: Export to PDF, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, and PNG

• SmallPDF: Export to PDF, JPEG, TIFF, and PNG

When exporting images from a PDF, you can choose settings for file type, color management, and extraction. Here are a few options:

• File type: Choose the file type you need, such as JPEG or TIFF.

• Color management: This setting allows you to adjust color and brightness.

• Extraction: You can choose to extract pages, images, or text.

Saving Edited Scanned PDFs

Saving edited scanned PDFs is important for making your documents usable. You can export to various file formats and save to cloud storage.

Exporting File Formats

Edited scanned PDFs can be exported to various file formats, such as Word, PowerPoint, JPEG, and more. Many editors allow you to export scanned PDFs to editable Word documents and PowerPoint presentations.

Here are a few options:

• Word: Export to editable Word documents

• PowerPoint: Export to editable PowerPoint presentations

• Image: Export to JPEG, TIFF, PNG, and BMP

• PDF: Export to PDF and compress files

You can also extract text and images from your scanned PDF and export to other file formats.

Cloud Storage

Many cloud storage services allow you to save and share edited documents. You can collaborate with others and access your files from any device. Here are a few options:

• Google Drive: You can save and share edited documents by right-clicking and choosing “open with” or “print”. You can also add collaborators and choose permissions.

• Dropbox: You can save edited documents to your Dropbox account and share links with others. You can also choose permissions and share with collaborators.

• iCloud: You can save edited documents to your iCloud account and share links with others. You can also choose permissions and share with collaborators.

Cloud storage is important for backing up your files and accessing them from any device. You can edit documents on your iPhone and iPad and have your files synced. Many cloud storage services have apps that allow you to edit documents and save to your account.

Scanned PDF Management Tips

Managing scanned PDFs is important for making your documents usable. Scanned PDFs take up less physical storage space and are easier to organize. You can automate file naming and folder organization to save time and reduce errors.

Here are a few tips for managing scanned PDFs:

• Automate file naming: Choose a naming convention and automate file naming when scanning.

• Organize in folders: Create folders and subfolders to organize your files.

• Password protect: Add password protection to scanned PDFs to secure sensitive information.

• Encrypt: Many cloud services encrypt files during upload and storage.

You can also add watermarks, headers, and footers to scanned PDFs for additional security and identification. Here are a few options:

• Watermark: Add a logo or text to scanned PDFs.

• Header and footer: Add text and page numbers to scanned PDFs.

Scanning Multiple Documents

Batch scanning is a great way to digitize multiple documents at once. It’s a great time-saver if you have a lot of documents to scan.

Resolving Common Issues

Scanning and editing PDFs is a great way to make your documents usable, but you may encounter a few common issues. Here are a few and how to fix them.

Text Recognition Errors

Text recognition errors are common and can be frustrating. Adobe Acrobat has a great tool for checking OCR text layer quality. You can make the layer visible and check for errors. If you notice mistakes, you can highlight and retype text for accurate results.

Large PDF Files

Large PDF files are cumbersome and difficult to email. You can optimize your PDFs to reduce file size and make them easier to share. PDF optimizers allow you to choose settings to strip file size by removing embedded fonts and compressing images.

You can also extract large PDF files to manageable sizes by splitting files into smaller sections. Here are a few options:

• Page extraction: Extract pages to create a new PDF with only the pages you need.

• File splitting: Split large files into smaller PDFs by page or file size.

Downsampling Images

Downsampling images is an important setting to reduce file size. You can downsample by lowering image resolution. Most PDFs do not need high resolution images, so it’s a great setting to play with to reduce file size.

Optimizing large PDFs is important for making your documents manageable. You can also add passwords and permissions to restrict access and editing.