How to search a scanned pdf document

[highstream]

Current free version, with OCR module. Where are the instructions for how to search a scanned pdf located? I received some documents that were scanned into pdf files, but don't see how to search them. Unfortunately, the help text is not up to date and I haven't found anything specific searching these forums. Thanks,

[John - Tracker Supp]

Hi,

Please see this KB article;

https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowled ... a-document

[highstream]

Oh, so that's what that box is for. Thanks! It worked excellently.

This is one of those (very frequent) cases where the Help or FAQ text assumes what needs to be stated explicitly, in this case that to search a scanned or imaged document it has to be converted first. The title of the FAQ "How do I OCR a document?" is an example of that.

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hi highstream,

Glad to hear it worked!
I can see your point - but the topic is describing the OCR process our Viewer offers and how to use it so we are trying to hold to that in the title. Then in the body of the ticket it is clear that this makes a PDF file searchable, and in fact if you ask the KB for "searchable" the OCR topic is the first one, of two, that pops out.

Best,
Stefan

[highstream]

If you look up "search" or "search PDF" in the knowledge base, for example, shouldn't there be an entry about searching scanned documents or one about searching in general that includes scanned documents? Right now, this thread is the only relevant one on the first page of Relevant Results and related Forum ones. Using the former list, the first relevant entry is on page 2, "How do I find a word or a phrase in a PDF document?," and that one predates the release of this new OCR/searchable feature (red 'sorry' text at the bottom). I suppose what I'm reporting also points to a weakness or limitation of the site's search facility.

I would suggest a separate help entry title along the lines of this topic: "How do I search [find a word or phrase in] a scanned or imaged PDF document." Thanks,

[Paul - Tracker Supp]

Hi highstream,

when I did a search of the Knowledgebase the second hit I got was this: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowled ... F-document which does have a large red notice at the bottom about requiring OCR and a link to the How do I OCR a document that John pointed you to.

I also added search and search PDF to the tags for that OCR article so it now returs as the third hit when searching the word 'search'.

hth