pdfFiller Launches OCR Feature for Scanned PDFs

BOSTON, Oct. 05, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- pdfFiller, an online PDF editing and document management platform owned by airSlate, has introduced a new optical character recognition (OCR) feature that significantly enhances the usability of scanned and photographed PDFs. This feature, now available to all users, allows pdfFiller’s editor to directly work with text within these documents, eliminating the need for separate conversion steps. The feature is particularly beneficial for industries such as healthcare, legal, and real estate, where scanned contracts, intake forms, and leases are common.

Previously, scanned PDFs were essentially static images, and users could only erase fragments and manually retype over them. The introduction of the OCR feature transforms this by providing a text layer for editing, addressing several common pain points. For instance, if a source Word or Google Docs file for a contract, agreement, or invoice is lost, users can now edit the scan itself to update a date, name, or payment terms. Similarly, phone photos of documents can be corrected and sent without the need to retyping the entire page. This feature also enables the correction of errors on scanned forms, such as misspelled names, outdated addresses, or wrong dates, all of which can be corrected in a matter of minutes.

The OCR feature is especially useful for documents that exist only as printouts, such as letterheads, price lists, menus, and application forms. It also addresses the issue of "searchable" PDFs from free scanner apps that produce garbled or doubled text when edited. The feature is designed to work automatically across desktop, tablet, and mobile web platforms, with core capabilities including automatic, per-page recognition, one-click paragraph conversion from static image text to editable text boxes, and background-matched patches that cover the original printed text, ensuring edits blend seamlessly into the page.

The feature is now live for 100% of pdfFiller users on web, desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms, with no additional cost. On desktop and tablet devices, users can open any scanned PDF in the editor and flip the Fill Out / Edit PDF switcher to Edit PDF. On mobile web, users simply open the document and tap the Edit text tool. The OCR feature is designed to work automatically the moment a user attempts to edit a scanned page.

Recognition quality depends on the scan quality, with clearly printed text working best. Currently, font matching (three families plus bold detection) and background patching (matched by color, not texture) are still improving, with better font fidelity being the next area of focus. Recognition succeeds in approximately 98% of runs, with the feature supporting mixed documents, recognizing scanned pages individually while leaving already-editable pages untouched.

pdfFiller, which offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing documents, including editing, conversion, and creating forms, has integrated this feature to help streamline document workflows and boost productivity. The company is committed to ensuring data protection, complying with major standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO/IEC 27001.

The OCR feature is now live for 100% of pdfFiller users on web, desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms, with no additional cost. Users can open any scanned PDF in the editor and flip the Fill Out / Edit PDF switcher to Edit PDF. On mobile web, users open the document and tap the Edit text tool. The feature is designed to work automatically the moment a user attempts to edit a scanned page. Recognition quality depends on the scan quality, with clearly printed text working best. Currently, font matching (three families plus bold detection) and background patching (matched by color, not texture) are still improving, with better font fidelity being the next area of focus. Recognition succeeds in approximately 98% of runs, with the feature supporting mixed documents, recognizing scanned pages individually while leaving already-editable pages untouched.