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Participant
August 3, 2022
Answered

transfer OCR/textual data into a scanned PDF

  • August 3, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 955 views
I often print out PDF documents to make hand-written notes on, which I then scan into new PDFs for archiving. The original PDFs are searchable, and I would like to be able to transfer that OCR/textual data over to the scanned PDF so that I end up with a PDF that has my own notes AND in which the original text is searchable. Is that possible?

 

Many thanks for your help!

    Correct answer gary_sc

    Try 67 is correct; you cannot "transfer" over the OCR data.

     

    However, if you try to run OCR over the same document, every place where your drawing overlaps text, it will foul up any OCR attempt. 

     

    You do not detail what kind of notes you are doing, but if you were to do those notes on the computer, either adding text or drawing your notes with the pencil tool (from comments) you could have both: the original searchable text and your notes.

    1 reply

    try67
    Community Expert
    try67Community Expert
    Community Expert
    August 3, 2022

    No. You have to run OCR again on the file.

    gary_sc
    Community Expert
    gary_scCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    August 3, 2022

    Try 67 is correct; you cannot "transfer" over the OCR data.

     

    However, if you try to run OCR over the same document, every place where your drawing overlaps text, it will foul up any OCR attempt. 

     

    You do not detail what kind of notes you are doing, but if you were to do those notes on the computer, either adding text or drawing your notes with the pencil tool (from comments) you could have both: the original searchable text and your notes.

    E
    esc..Author
    Participant
    August 4, 2022

    thanks @try67 and @gary_sc for your help. As gary_sc points out, the OCR will be messed up as my notes (text notes and underlining/highlighting) overlap the original text in places. Your suggestion is probably the most practical solution from here on. Time to think about getting a tablet…

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