How do I edit a scanned document?

You can edit a scanned document by using software that supports Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Here's how to do it:

Steps to Edit a Scanned Document

Open your Scanned PDF:
- Begin by opening the scanned PDF file using a program like Adobe Acrobat.
Select the Edit Tool:
- Navigate to the "Tools" menu within Acrobat.
- Choose the "Edit PDF" option.
Automatic OCR Application:
- When you select the "Edit PDF" tool, the software will automatically apply OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
- OCR analyzes the text within the scanned image, converting it into editable text.
- This process creates a fully editable copy of your PDF, where you can change the text, adjust formatting, and add content.

Scanned documents are essentially images, and computers cannot directly recognize the text within an image. OCR bridges this gap by:

Analyzing the image: OCR software examines the visual patterns in the image.
Identifying characters: It then identifies and interprets these patterns as letters, numbers, and symbols.
Converting to editable text: Finally, OCR transforms the identified characters into editable text, allowing you to modify the document.

Imagine you scanned a contract that has a small typo. By following the steps above, you can:

Open the scanned contract in Adobe Acrobat.
Select "Edit PDF" from the "Tools" menu.
Once OCR is applied, you can click on the text and correct the typo directly within the document.

Tool	Description
Adobe Acrobat	Professional PDF editing tool with strong OCR capabilities.
Other PDF Editors	Many other PDF editors offer similar OCR features.
Online Tools	Several online tools allow you to perform OCR and edit documents, though these are often less robust than paid software options.

Using a tool like Adobe Acrobat simplifies the process, making scanned documents as editable as regular text documents.