Make a scanned PDF searchable in a Microsoft Word PDF
Add an invisible text layer to scanned pages so you can search and copy them. This works on the PDF Microsoft Word exported, so you do not need the original file.
How to do it
- 1.Open the PDF exported from Microsoft Word in MythosPDF.
- 2.Add the scanned PDF.
- 3.Download the searchable PDF.
How Microsoft Word writes PDFs
- • Save as PDF embeds only the letters used, as subset TrueType fonts.
- • Each run of formatting is written as its own piece of text, and justified paragraphs stretch word gaps.
- • Tables are drawn as lines around positioned text.
What that means when you make a scanned PDF searchable
- • Word PDFs edit cleanly: runs, bold and italic are recognised, and justified paragraphs rewrap with even spacing. Calibri, Cambria and Aptos are not open fonts; Calibri and Cambria have open clones with identical widths, and Aptos gets the closest open font only with your permission.
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 Microsoft Word?
If you have the original Microsoft Word 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 Microsoft Word PDFs
Make a scanned PDF searchable in PDFs from
Ready to fix your PDF?
Free, in your browser, and it takes about a minute. No account needed.