Make a scanned PDF searchable in a Thunderbird printout
Add an invisible text layer to scanned pages so you can search and copy them. This works on the PDF Thunderbird printed, even when its letters are only drawn shapes.
How to do it
- 1.Drop your Microsoft Print to PDF file into MythosPDF. Drawn letters are turned back into text in a few seconds.
- 2.Add the scanned PDF.
- 3.Download the searchable PDF.
How Thunderbird prints
- • A printed message starts with its subject, sender, date and recipients.
- • Plain text messages print in a fixed width font.
- • Pictures in the message print with it.
What that means when you make a scanned PDF searchable
- • Page tools work on the printout as it is; no text recovery is needed.
- • For a Microsoft Print to PDF file with drawn letters, opening it in the editor already recovers real text. OCR PDF instead adds an invisible layer and leaves the pages untouched.
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.
+Why can't I select text in my Microsoft Print to PDF file?
The driver often draws every letter as a shape instead of writing text. MythosPDF reads those shapes and turns them back into real text before you edit.
+Is it better to reprint from Thunderbird?
If you still have the Thunderbird file and a lot to change, yes. For a quick fix to the PDF you already have, editing it is faster.
Other edits in Thunderbird printouts
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