How to turn off Automatic OCR in PDF Edit 2023

[danbergerink]

Hello,

This topic has arisen before, but the solutions I found aren't working for me with the current version of Acrobat Pro.

I assemble graphic novels - the latest one I'm working on has a problem with OCR as the cover page is being tilted when I don't want it to be (image 1 - red outlines indicate where the image has been tilted, creating a white edges that should not be there)

I went into the "Scan & OCR/Enhance scanned file" setting and unchecked "Recognize Text" - but the page is still being tilted. (image 2)

I saw advice that I can turn off "Recognize Text" via the right side panel using the "Scanned Documents" tab - but I don't have a "Scanned Documents" tab (image 3)

Final image is the version I'm using for reference.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Amal. · Accepted solution]

Hi @danbergerink 

Hope you are doing well and thanks for reaching out.

The OCR process is turned on by default. When you open a scanned document for editing, the current page is converted to editable text. As you scroll, the page in focus becomes editable. You can disable the automatic OCR option if you don't want to convert your scanned documents to editable text.

1. Choose Edit > Text.

2. To turn off automatic OCR, deselect the Recognize text option in the right pane. Acrobat won't automatically run OCR the next time you open the document for editing.

   For more information, please go through the help page https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/edit-scanned-pdfs.html?screen=modern#

   Regards

   Amal

[Rhied · Accepted solution]

In the "Screenshot 2024-03-01 at 1.12.44 PM.png" image, there's a little settings gear just above and to the right "FORMAT TEXT".  Should be that button that takes you to the text recognition settings.

[36577288bfsi · Accepted solution]

The only solution I found is 1st create any pdf file from images with text. then you can disable the "recognized scan text"

 

 

 

[gudguy1a]

Sorry for that li'l soliloquiy but many, MANY of us are frustrated beyond belief and wasted many hours - well, at least a fair number of us have....

[Mike_Abbott]

Thanks Adobe for:
1. For making me look stupid in the eyes of my client by auto rotating elements in my image based pdf without even telling me.

2. Making this feature almost impossible to turn off.

3. Wasting hours of my time in trying to find a solution.

Genius.

[StoliCat]

I have been trying to turn off the OCR because it is ruining court documents I have scanned! I think I've finally found a workaround!!!!! I went to preferences > Content Editing then selected the Image Editor button and directed it Photoshop (you could choose anything really), then selected the Page/Object Editor button and directed that to Illustrator.

I've been trying to make it run that OCR ever since and it's not doing it.

[What_Tom]

Replying a year later because the "correct" answer is incomplete. Click the Edit menu, then click the settings icon at the top (looks like a gear). Uncheck the "recognize scanned text" box, save file, and you're good to go. If the option to uncheck that box is greyed out, close the current PDF and open a PDF that contains images only (no text). You should be able to access the "recognize scanned text" box now. Uncheck it and save the file. It should be unchecked now for all PDFs.  

[librarylibbo]

Thank you so much! This has been driving me crazy and really slowing me down at my job, this is the only thing that worked for me out of all these other "solutions." 

Dear Adobe, fix your overpriced glitchy products please. 

[AIF89]

This did not work for me. Any other suggestions? Appreciate the help!

[stephenpink]

I am having the same problem. It is no good being able to turn the option off post-edit, because by then the PDF has already been damaged. This is an absolute deal killer.  

[stephenpink]

OK, so you can then select 'undo' to undo the damage, leaving the auto ocr
setting off. but still, very messy. Why not just put this option back under
preferences?