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BookkeepKit

PDF Text Scanner

Scanned PDFs are pictures: you can't search, select or copy their text. Text recognition adds an invisible text layer over each page, so the document looks exactly the same but behaves like a digital PDF.

Drop a scanned PDF

The pages stay as they are; an invisible text layer is added so you can search, select and copy.

Processed in your browser. Your files never leave your computer.

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How it works

  1. 1

    Drop the scanned PDF

    Scans, phone-camera PDFs, faxes.

  2. 2

    Let it read the pages

    Text recognition runs on your device, about 10–20 seconds a page.

  3. 3

    Download the searchable PDF

    Same pages, now searchable and copyable.

What a searchable PDF lets you do

  • Find a check number or an amount in a 40-page scan with Ctrl+F.
  • Copy an address or an account reference without retyping it.
  • Let document management systems index the file.
  • Extract tables afterwards with PDF to Excel.

Scanned bank statements

If the scan is a bank or card statement, the statement converter runs the same text recognition and goes further: it reads the transactions, checks them against the balances and exports QBO, CSV or Excel.

Better scans, better results

  • Scan at 300 DPI in grayscale.
  • Straighten pages first with Organize PDF pages if they're sideways.

Frequently asked questions

Is this OCR?

Yes. Reading the text in a picture is often called OCR (optical character recognition). The PDF Text Scanner does it in your browser and keeps the pages exactly as they were, with the recognized text hidden underneath.

Is the scan changed?

No. The page images are kept exactly as they were; only an invisible text layer is added on top. File size grows a little.

Which languages are recognized?

English. Numbers, dates and amounts are recognized too.

How accurate is it?

Very good on clean scans at 300 DPI, less so on faint, skewed or handwritten pages. Search may miss a word here and there; check important figures against the image.

Why is it a Pro feature?

Text recognition is the heaviest work the site does. It's included in Pro and Business, along with reading scanned bank statements. Every other PDF tool here is free.

Is my document uploaded?

No. Recognition runs in your browser with an engine loaded from this site; the PDF never leaves your computer.

Guides

    Statements from a specific bank: Chase statement converter · Bank of America statement converter

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