Adobe Acrobat Pro Reduces Images Quality after OCR!!

Report · May 24, 2023

I have a PDF file combining multiple hi-res JPEG-2000 images. The PDF is already optimized but lacks OCR. When I choose "Recognize Text in this file" from Acrobat Tools, the text is successfully recognized. Now, when I save the file, Acrobat does not allow me to choose my own settings (I want to turn off the image compression because the images are already optimised). Acrobat doesn't allow me to do that, and it saves the file using its default settings, which result in sever image quality degradation! For example, the original hi-res PDF made of JPEG-2000 images has the size of 24mb, while the file Acrobat produces after saving is a 2.8mb PDF made of low quality normal JPEGs!

I went to Preferences->Documents->Save Settings and turned off the "Save As optimizer for Fast Web View". This enhances the quality of the saved file a bit, but still the program process the original images and converts them to normal JPEGs, while I don't want that to happen!

I think the Acrobat Pro program should allow the user to choose the settings when saving and stops forcing its own!

Report · May 24, 2023

I use a different tool to OCR my files: In Acrobat's tool search field type "Optimize Scanned" and that should come up with "Optimize Scaned PDF". When you select this option, you should have control over the quality of your saved image, and you can click on the "Edit" button in the "Text Recognition Options" and select to store the output as "Searchable Image"