What is OCR, and why do you need it?
A scanned PDF is really just a picture of a page — you can see the text, but you can't select it, search it, or copy it. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) reads those pixels and rebuilds the actual text underneath the image. The result is a PDF that looks identical but is now searchable and copyable, and works with screen readers.
Why do it in your browser?
Most online OCR services upload your document to their servers — a problem when it's a contract, an ID, or anything private. iWorkPDF runs the OCR engine (the open-source tesseract.js) locally in your browser. Your file never leaves your device. Only the recognition engine and language model are downloaded, exactly like any other web app.
Step-by-step guide
Drop your scanned PDF or image
Open the OCR tool and drop a scanned PDF, or a photo (JPG/PNG) of a document.
Pick the language
Choose the document language — Auto (English + French), English, or French. The right language gives much better accuracy.
Run and download
Click Run OCR. The first time, a small language model downloads; then it takes a few seconds per page. You get a searchable PDF and a reading-confidence score.
Tips for better results
- Use the highest-quality scan you have — sharp, well-lit, straight pages recognize best.
- Select the correct language rather than Auto when you know it.
- Very stylised fonts or handwriting are harder to recognize than printed text.
FAQ
Is my document uploaded anywhere?
No. The OCR runs 100% in your browser. Only the open-source engine and language model are fetched from a CDN — your file stays on your device.
What languages are supported?
English and French, plus an Auto mode that handles both at once.
Why does the first run take longer?
The first time, your browser downloads the language model (a few MB). After that it's cached, so subsequent OCR is faster.