From Scanned to Editable: A Guide to Converting Documents

Shifting from manual working to digitization is a challenging task for businesses, especially when they have to convert bulk scanned documents into editable text. Manual typing can take a bundle of time and require more labor. The best solution is to convert those scanned documents into editable forms by utilizing technology. This will save both, time and effort while providing accurate output. In this guide, we are going to describe ways businesses can adapt to convert documents from scanned to editable text.

How to Convert Scanned Documents into Editable?

There are various ways that businesses can use to convert scanned documents into editable text. Below we have discussed the four methods that can help businesses in achieving this task.

1. Online OCR Tools

Many online image-to-text converters are available that use advanced technology i.e., OCR (Optical Character Recognition) that businesses can use to convert documents from scanned to editable. They are mostly free to use and support multiple image formats. Plus, besides copying they allow you to download the text file. Using AI most of these tools provide fast and accurate results saving a bundle of time and labor.

Below we have demonstrated such a reliable image to text converter that automatically converts text from scanned documents into editable form using tesseract-ocr software. Besides being free to use this tool also enables businesses to process scanned documents in bulk. Here is how.

1. Upload your scanned document. You can do this by browsing, link insertion, dragging, and pasting the document inside the box.
2. Press convert and wait for output.
3. Copy the text or download the (.txt) file.

2. Google Drive & Google Docs

Using Google Drive along collectively with Google Docs also converts scanned documents into editable text. But there’s a flaw here, only one document can be converted at once. So, if a business needs to convert scanned documents in bulk this is going to take a very long time.

Below is the process of how one can convert scanned documents to editable using Google Drive and Docs.

• Upload document to Google Drive.
• Right-click on the document and hover to open with.
• Choose Google Docs.
• Copy the text or download the doc file as needed.

3. MS Word

Microsoft Word is another free option to convert scanned documents into editable text. Most of the professionals and students use Microsoft Word regularly.

Let’s dive into the procedure.

1. Open a new MS Word document.
2. Add your scanned image to it.
3. Save the file as PDF.
4. Now open that PDF file in MS Word, a popup will appear.
5. Click ok.
6. Edit or Copy the text as needed.

But there is a flaw here. Microsoft Word does not use OCR and creates disorganized results for distorted or titled images. Plus, adding multiple images into a single file also creates a problem.

4. Google Lens

Google Lens can also convert scanned documents into editable but with some limitations. It only supports formats like jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp, .tif, or webp. Otherwise, one has to scan each image using the camera again. Below are the steps to convert a scanned document into an editable using Google Lens.

1. Go to google.com.
2. In the search bar click on the camera icon.
3. Upload your document image or drag it into the box.
4. Choose “select all text.”
5. Copy the text.

5. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Software

Various online OCR-based software are available that can convert scanned documents into machine-readable text i.e. Adobe Acrobat. But here you have to provide document in PDF format for faster conversion. For medical imaging, you need to convert DICOM to PDF format, while other fields may require converting various file types such as technical drawings to PDFs in engineering and architecture. Besides conversion, they provide advanced editing features and high-accuracy output. First, you need to install the software and then follow the steps below.

1. Upload the document and click convert.
2. Some tools automatically start conversion, in some you must choose the conversion option.
3. Save the file as a document.

Besides software, many apps are available that can convert scanned documents to editable documents. But they are only limited to phones and are often paid. Plus, they do place a watermark on the output document.

Commonly Asked Questions

1. Is it possible to convert handwritten scanned documents to editable documents?

Yes, it is possible. Multiple options are available, one common among them is online OCR tools.

2. Are there any free tools available to convert scanned documents into editable text?

Yes, there are various online tools available for free that can convert a scanned document into editable text.

3. How to convert scanned documents into editable text on a mobile?

There are many ways one can adopt for the conversion of scanned documents. Some common ways are using online OCR tools, OCR Apps, and Google Lens.

4. Is it necessary to install software to convert scanned documents to editable?

No, installation of software is not necessary. Many online photo-to-text converters are available that can accurately convert scanned documents to editable text.

Wrapping Up

Converting scanned documents to editable seems to be tough for businesses going to digitization. It involves a lot of time, labor, and expense. But not now. If you are a business in need of converting multiple scanned documents try out the methods discussed in this guide above. We hope that this guide has made the process simple for you.