How to Extract Text from a PDF That Contains Images

Extract text from a scanned PDF or a PDF image with free OCR, or copy selectable text directly — then convert the scanned PDF to Word. 14+ languages, no upload.

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If you can select the words in a PDF, use PDF to Text to copy them instantly. If you cannot — because the page is a scan or the text is inside an image — use OCR: pick the document language, click Scan & extract text, and edit, copy or download the recognised text.

First check: is the text selectable?

Open the PDF and try to highlight a sentence. If it highlights, the PDF has a text layer and extraction is exact and instant. If the cursor draws a box over the whole page, the page is an image and needs optical character recognition (OCR).

Extract text from a scanned PDF with OCR

  1. Open OCR and add the scanned PDF, JPG or PNG.
  2. Choose the language — English, Hindi, Arabic, Bengali and more, or English + Hindi for mixed documents.
  3. Click Scan & extract text. The first run downloads that language's data once.
  4. Correct any misread words in the text box.
  5. Copy the text or download it as .txt.

Convert a scanned PDF to Word

Paste the OCR text into Word or Google Docs and save as .docx — headings and tables need a quick manual tidy. If you want to edit the scan in place, open it in the PDF editor, run OCR on the page and edit the recognised lines; you can also keep an invisible text layer so the scan becomes searchable.

Getting accurate results

  • Scan at 300 DPI, or photograph the page straight on in good light.
  • Choosing the right language is the single biggest accuracy factor.
  • Rotate upside-down pages first with Rotate PDF.
  • Handwriting and decorative fonts are recognised poorly; check numbers and names carefully.

Scan your document now: Open OCR →

Frequently asked questions

How do I extract text from a PDF that contains an image?

Use OCR: it reads the image and turns the words into editable text you can copy or save as TXT.

How do I convert a scanned PDF to Word online free?

Run OCR on the scan, then paste the text into Word and save as DOCX, or edit the scan directly with the editor's OCR option.

Why does PDF to Text return nothing?

The PDF has no text layer — it is a picture of text. OCR is the right tool for it.

Is OCR free and private?

Yes. LyfPDF OCR uses the open-source Tesseract engine in your browser; the document is not uploaded.

More in this topic cluster

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PDF Conversions and File Formats

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How to Edit a PDF Online Free

Edit text, images and pages in the browser.

Keep an untouched source and verify the downloaded copy. This guide is educational, not legal, compliance or professional certification. Read the LyfPDF Disclaimer.