With optical character recognition (OCR) technology, OCR software automatically extracts text from any scanned PDF or image file and OCR converts it to a searchable PDF file. With OCR software, you can transform a scanned PDF of a paper document into a text-searchable PDF document. This new OCR searchable PDF is like an image containing text data, that you will be able to search for a specific keyword. When we read a document, our brain recognizes a character by analyzing the patterns and compare them against the pre-learned alphabet set. An OCR software application is trying to do the exact same. An OCR software reads the text pixels from a scanned image and compares it against a pre-trained dataset. Once the text is recognized, it is added as a hidden layer in the scanned PDF. This new "sandwiched PDF" file is popularly known as a searchable PDF.
Optical Character Recognition is the digital conversion of scanned and other image-based documents to searchable PDFs. The insurance industry deals with lots of paper documents, especially in claims management. Without an OCR converter application, insurance companies have to scan paper documents into PDF format and then do manual indexing. This is not a very efficient way of dealing with scanned documents. In the OCR process, OCR software detects the text content of a scanned document and adds this text data as an invisible text layer. OCR conversion of scanned PDFs to text-searchable PDFs is beneficial for an insurance company in improving productivity and cost-efficiency. OCR enables the organization to search and index the text content of scanned files with a quick keyword search. It eliminates the mistakes and significantly reduces the total time in searching for a piece of information.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is used in the medical and health care sector to convert printed patient records to searchable PDFs. Digitization of health records and OCR conversion of medical reports, laboratory test results, and other medical records enhance the searchability of these documents. OCR application can help a health care organization to go paperless and improve the way they digitally store patient records for future use. Searchable PDFs are text-searchable and can be indexed in the patient management system. OCR software can help you to get rid of lots of manual processes for patient data retrieval. After scanned PDF to searchable PDF conversion, information in these records can be easily accessed at any time via search keywords. It is a good practice in the health care sector to add OCR functionality and link OCR converted files to the patient’s electronic health record (EHRs).
What are the benefits of a searchable PDF over a scanned PDF? It is easier for an end-user to search for a piece of information if you convert scanned PDF to a searchable PDF. A searchable PDF enhances the value of your scanned PDF by adding an invisible OCR text layer on top of the scanned image content. Normally it is created by an OCR converter software application. This text layer can be searched using the search button of your PDF reader software. You can copy text from a searchable PDF and paste it into another program like notepad or word. A scanned PDF is inaccessible for a disabled person because the "text" is just an image of a document. When you OCR convert a scanned PDF, it enhances the readability of the document and it can be used by applications like windows narrator. A searchable PDF helps an organization in the digital transformation of the company into a paperless office.