OCR returns messy code

[hengz81820164]

Hi, I am using Adobe Acrobat to OCR a pdf file. But after the OCR operation, what returned are just messy codes rather than normal English text.

This is a screenshot of the pdf file. From the shadow besides letters I can infer that it is an image (right?).

But this is what OCR returns:

This is a page of the pdf I am working on (I don't know how to attach a file with a question, so I have to use DropBox): Dropbox - Pages from Ray Tracing From The Ground Up - Copy.pdf

So how to fix it? Thank you for your help.

Some info:

- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

- Windows 10 64 bit

[Bernd Alheit]

When I perform OCR on a image of this page I get this:

Adobe Document Cloud

[hengz81820164]

Hi, Bernd Alheit, so OCR works for you. What software did you use?

[Bernd Alheit]

I use Adobe Acrobat DC. Acrobat Reader can't perform OCR.

[hengz81820164]

I am using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, not Acrobat Reader, which is mentioned in my original post.

So is it a bug of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC? Any method to work around it?

[Bernd Alheit]

Why did you use the forum for Acrobat Reader?

[hengz81820164]

I have no idea, this is the only forum I can see that contains Adobe Acrobat.

[jane-e]

hengz80545720  wrote

I have no idea, this is the only forum I can see that contains Adobe Acrobat.

Hi,

Don’t worry about posting to the Reader forum. Any moderator can move a post to the correct forum, so as long as you post somewhere, you’ll be okay. You can’t OCR with Reader, but that’s not what you have. I just moved your post.

Discussion moved from Acrobat Reader to Scanning & OCR

[jane-e]

Hi

Please give all of your steps with the settings you used. The settings make a difference, as does the quality of the original scan. Screen shots of your settings would be helpful.

~ Jane

[hengz81820164]

I did not make any settings.

[jane-e]

hengz80545720  wrote

I did not make any settings.

Then how did you OCR the PDF?

[hengz81820164]

Can I use default settings?

[jane-e]

hengz80545720  wrote

Can I use default settings?

Hi

Try this:

• Open the Enhance Scans toolbar:
  
• Click Recognize Text > In This File > which opens a second toolbar. Note the blue button, but don't click it yet.
  
• Click Settings. What do you have? My output is for editable text, because that's what you appear to need. Click okay.
  
• Now click that blue button that says Recognize Text.
  
  
• In the Enhance Scans toolbar, click Correct Recognized Text. Mine had no suspects, but fix any words that it got wrong, then close all toolbars.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Use the Selection tool (Black arrow) to copy the text. Does it work now?
  

[hengz81820164]

Have you tried yourself?

[jane-e]

Yes, as I was doing those steps. I did see something else, though when I found that you had posted a link to your file.

and

I am using Acrobat DC Pro. What are you using? Version 9?

Your PDF is already text, and it created a font Fd2705, which means it was created before DC. The current version creates real fonts.

The older versions did not work as well, but I can give you different directions if you are on 9. I am about to leave the office for a few hours (we are volunteers), but will be back unless someone else chimes in.

Can you start with a version that is not text already? That is an image, scanned at a high resolution?

~ Jane

[jane-e]

Checking in to see if it’s working yet?

[hengz81820164]

"I am using Acrobat DC Pro. What are you using? Version 9?" -- have you ever read my post before responding?

Can you try on your side as Bernd Alheit did?

Again, read my question before answering, ok? That won't kill you.