ocr pdf for journalists →
OCR PDF for journalists
Updated July 2026
Arthize lets journalists and newsrooms OCR a scanned PDF in a private workspace — free, with no watermark. OCR adds a searchable text layer to a scanned PDF, turning a picture of text into words you can select, search, copy and convert.
Why journalists OCR a scanned PDF
A journalist OCRs a scanned document dump so it's searchable, extracts key tables into a spreadsheet, and redacts a source's identifying details plus metadata before publishing.
Built for FOIA releases. Whether it's FOIA releases, leaked documents, reports, Arthize's ocr pdf keeps the work inside your private workspace. Source protection is paramount; documents must be handled privately and metadata stripped before publishing.
What matters when you OCR a scanned PDF
OCR adds an invisible, selectable text layer over the scanned image.
Without OCR, a scanned PDF is just a picture and can't be searched.
Running OCR first is what makes a scan convert cleanly to Word or Excel.
How to OCR a scanned PDF
- 1
Open the OCR tool
Sign in and open the OCR tool.
- 2
Add your scan
Upload the scanned or image-only PDF.
- 3
Run OCR
Arthize recognises the text and adds it as an invisible, selectable layer.
- 4
Download
Get a searchable PDF whose text you can copy and convert.
Common questions
- How do journalists OCR a scanned PDF for free?
- OCR adds a searchable text layer to a scanned PDF, turning a picture of text into words you can select, search, copy and convert. On Arthize it's free with no watermark, and the file is deleted after the job — which is why journalists and newsrooms can use it for FOIA releases without a confidentiality risk.
- Is it private to OCR a scanned PDF sensitive FOIA releases?
- Yes. Source protection is paramount; documents must be handled privately and metadata stripped before publishing. Files are processed inside your private Arthize workspace and deleted after the job.
- How do I make a scanned PDF searchable?
- OCR adds a searchable text layer to a scanned PDF, turning a picture of text into words you can select, search, copy and convert. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.
- What is OCR and why does my scan need it?
- OCR adds a searchable text layer to a scanned PDF, turning a picture of text into words you can select, search, copy and convert. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.
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