Make a scanned PDF searchable in a LibreOffice PDF
Add an invisible text layer to scanned pages so you can search and copy them. This works on the PDF LibreOffice exported, so you do not need the original file.
How to do it
- 1.Open the PDF exported from LibreOffice in MythosPDF.
- 2.Add the scanned PDF.
- 3.Download the searchable PDF.
How LibreOffice writes PDFs
- • Export embeds subset fonts, often Liberation or DejaVu.
- • Paragraphs are written line by line.
What that means when you make a scanned PDF searchable
- • LibreOffice's default fonts are open, and Liberation fonts have the same widths as Arial, Times New Roman and Courier New, so edits match exactly.
What happens to the rest of the page
- • The scan image is kept as it is; the text layer is added on top.
- • Accuracy depends on scan quality.
Questions people ask
+Does OCR change how the page looks?
No. The text layer is invisible.
+Is it better to edit in LibreOffice?
If you have the original LibreOffice file and a lot to change, yes. For quick changes to the PDF itself, editing the PDF is faster and keeps it exactly as sent.
Other edits in LibreOffice PDFs
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