
Step 3: Click on the Convert to Searchable PDF. Step 2: Upon launching the program, open a PDF document and navigate to the Convert tab on the menu bar Step 1: Download and install SwifDoo PDF on your PC With its help, users can create a searchable PDF in a few clicks. Some users have asked this question: how do I make PDF text searchable without Adobe Acrobat? Is there something that can help? Yes, SwifDoo PDF is the one dedicated searchable PDF converter on Windows 7-11. When we mention PDF documents in this article, it refers to scanned or image-only PDF files.
#SEARCHABLE PDF CONVERTER HOW TO#
How to Mak e a PDF Searchable on Windowsįirst, we need to clarify this concept: standard PDF documents are searchable, and only scanned PDFs cannot be searched or copied.

Contrary to scanned PDFs, these documents add readable and searchable text layers beneath the original image layers to create searchable PDFs.īy making PDF text searchable, users can search for a word, copy, highlight, and annotate scanned PDFs. Now, we will elaborate on several methods to make scanned PDFs searchable using online and desktop PDF products. That being said, searchable PDFs are the outcomes of performing OCR technology to image-only or scanned PDFs. Under this circumstance, OCR is put into operation to recognize the identifiable text and convert the scanned PDF into a copiable and searchable PDF (still non-editable). That explains why a scanned PDF is non-editable or unsearchable. There is no editable or searchable content within the layers. Here comes the problem: how to make a PDF searchable? What Exactly Is a Searchable PDF?īefore we lay out all the details of converting a scanned PDF to a searchable PDF, an important concept should be explained: what is a searchable PDF?Ī scanned PDF is to add a flat image to the bottom layer. Why? All the PDF text in the newly created PDF document is locked, and thus cannot be edited or copied, nor can it be searched. We may frequently need to create a searchable PDF from existing files, especially when the source file happens to be an image or a scanned copy.
