OCR PDF | pdfRest

OCR PDF is an advanced API tool designed to convert scanned documents and images within PDFs into searchable and extractable text using state-of-the-art Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. By leveraging OCR PDF, developers can transform static PDF documents into dynamic, searchable text PDFs, significantly enhancing document management processes.

Process PDF to OCR seamlessly, ensuring that all text within scanned images is accurately recognized and extracted.
Utilize PDF and OCR capabilities to integrate text recognition directly into workflows for faster, more efficient document processing.
Take advantage of OCR from PDF to extract text from existing PDF files, enabling easy editing and modification.
Convert OCR PDF to Word to facilitate editing and formatting in a convenient environment.
Implement OCR PDF Document solutions to manage large volumes of scanned files effectively.

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Request

POST

Headers

Api-Key

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Response-Type

Poll for the status of a request by ID. Request IDs can be found in the JSON response of POST requests sent to any pdfRest endpoint.

Required Parameters

file

File to be uploaded and processed

Alphanumeric ID (UUID) of existing file on server to be processed

Optional Parameters

output

Name of the generated output file, without extension

languages

Comma-separated list specifying the languages the OCR engine should recognize within the document. Including many languages may effect performance, particularly CJK languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean).

Code

curl -X POST "https://api.pdfrest.com/pdf-with-ocr-text" \ 
  -H "Accept: application/json" \ 
  -H "Content-Type: multipart/form-data" \
  -H "Api-Key: xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx" \

Response

The response for your API Call will display here.

Once you've sent your POST request and received a valid response, you can download your output file using the output URL.

Build Your Solution

You have document processing problems, we have Solutions. Explore the many ways pdfRest can align your documents with your business objectives.

Browse all solutions

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Why is pdfRest the best API to OCR PDF Documents?

pdfRest offers the best solution for applying OCR to PDF documents, because it generates searchable PDF files, supports image-based text extraction, and integrates easily with all projects.

Enhance Searchability and Accessibility with PDF to OCR Technology

Traditional text extraction methods struggle with scanned documents or PDFs containing embedded images. pdfRest addresses this challenge by leveraging Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. OCR PDF API Tool accurately detects text within images and strategically places the recognized text behind the image in the PDF document. This enables developers to:

Transform Non-searchable PDFs: Previously inaccessible image-based text becomes selectable and searchable within the PDF.
Boost Efficiency: Eliminate the need for manual data entry, saving development time and resources.
Improved User Experience: Enhance user workflows by enabling them to easily highlight, copy, and search for text within images directly within the PDF.

Extract Text Easily with OCR from PDF Technology

pdfRest offers a comprehensive approach to PDF text extraction. OCR PDF API Tool can be used to make the text within images extractable. This serves as an ideal pre-processing step by adding image text directly to the PDF before applying the Extract Text API Tool. The effect of this combined approach ensures developers can reliably extract all text, including rasterized content, from PDFs.

pdfRest OCR + Text Extraction functionality supports a wide range of applications, including document archival, content search, and data analysis, empowering developers to unlock the full potential of their PDF data.

Seamless PDF and OCR Integration

OCR PDF API Tool empowers you to leverage the power of OCR without sacrificing development efficiency. Focus on core functionalities and streamline your workflows with a solution designed to integrate effortlessly into any development project, regardless of programming language or technology stack.

Unlike traditional methods that require complex setup and configuration, the pdfRest API offers a frictionless integration experience. With well-documented references and readily available code samples, developers can implement workflows to OCR PDF files within their applications with minimal code and effort.

Check out other videos

Start from Code Examples

See more code examples in our GitHub repository

Need more help?

Start with a Tutorial for step-by-step guidance

How to Use OCR to Extract Text from PDF Images in .NET with C#

How to Use OCR to Extract Text from PDF Images with cURL

How to Use OCR to Extract Text from PDF Images with JavaScript in NodeJS

How to Use OCR to Extract Text from PDF Images with PHP

How to Use OCR to Extract Text from PDF Images with Python

How to Use OCR to Make PDF Image Text Searchable in .NET with C#

How to Use OCR to Make PDF Image Text Searchable with cURL

How to Use OCR to Make PDF Image Text Searchable with JavaScript in NodeJS

10 items

Customize Your Solution

Learn about the parameters for this tool to create your custom solution.

File

The file parameter allows you to select a local file to be uploaded to pdfRest’s processing server.

See Documentation

The id parameter allows you to submit a resource ID generated by one of our API Tools. Each of our API Tools assigns a unique resource ID to your output file(s), allowing you to chain requests together without having to download intermediate files between requests.

See Documentation

Output

The output parameter lets you set a filename (without extension) for your OCR-processed PDF.

See Documentation

Languages

The languages parameter allows you to specify the languages that the OCR engine should recognize within your PDF document. This is particularly useful when dealing with multilingual documents or documents containing text in languages other than English.

Supported Languages:

ChineseSimplified
ChineseTraditional
Dutch
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Portuguese
Spanish

How to Use:

Identify Languages: Determine the primary languages present in your PDF document. Query PDF can be used in many cases to detect the metadata value for the document's language.
Specify Languages: Provide a comma-separated list of language codes in the languages parameter of your API request.

Example:

English,German,French

Important Considerations:

Performance Impact: Including multiple languages, especially CJK languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean), can affect OCR processing time. Carefully consider the languages present in your document and balance accuracy with performance.
Default Language: If the languages parameter is not specified, the OCR engine will default to English.

By effectively utilizing the languages parameter, you can optimize the OCR performance and accuracy for your multilingual PDF documents.

See Documentation