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FREE PDF & IMAGE TO TEXT CONVERTER (OCR)

PDF to Text Converter & Image OCR Online Free

Extract text from PDF documents, scanned pages, JPG, PNG and other images using our free online OCR tool. Convert printed content into editable text directly in your browser. No signup or software installation required.

FREE OCR TOOL

No registration required.

PDF + IMAGE SUPPORT

Extract text from PDFs and popular image formats.

MULTI-PAGE PDF OCR

Process PDF pages sequentially.

PRIVATE PROCESSING

Files are processed locally in your browser.
Extract Text Now →

How It Works →

Upload Your PDF or Image

Drag and drop your PDF or image file here, or browse your device.

Supported formats: PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, WEBP, BMP and GIF.
Maximum file size: 25 MB.
Try with an example:

Extracted Text

Choose a PDF or image to begin.

0 characters · 0 words

PDF + Image OCR

Read text from PDFs and common image files

Multiple Formats

PDF, JPG, PNG, WEBP, BMP and GIF

Browser-Based

OCR runs in your browser

6 OCR Languages

English, Hindi, Bengali, Spanish, French, German

Editable Output

Edit, copy or download the text as TXT

USE CASES

Perfect for PDFs, Scans and Screenshots

From students to professionals, our PDF and image to text tool helps you turn printed content into editable text.

Scanned Documents

Extract text from scanned PDF files, notes and printed documents.

Handwritten Notes

Convert clear handwritten text into editable text. Neat writing works best; results vary.

Screenshots

Extract text from screenshots, images and online content.

Books & Articles

Digitize printed text from books, magazines and articles.
Results depend on scan and image quality. Clear, high-contrast printed text works best; handwriting and complex layouts may need manual correction. PDFs, student notes and business documents are covered below.

HOW IT WORKS

Get Text in 3 Simple Steps

Upload a PDF or image, choose the language and extract the text. PDFs are processed one page at a time.
1

Upload PDF or Image

Choose or drag & drop a PDF, JPG, PNG, WEBP, BMP or GIF (max 25 MB).
2

OCR Reads Each Page

PDF pages are rendered one by one, or your image is read, and the text is recognized in your chosen language.
3

Review, Copy & Download

Edit the text, then copy it or download it as a TXT file.

Upload These File Types

Upload one PDF or image per run, up to 25 MB.
PDF
JPG
JPEG
PNG
WEBP
BMP
GIF

Quick Answers Before You Start

Short answers about getting started. The full list is in the FAQ below.

No. There is no account and nothing to install. The tool runs in your browser.

The PDF reader, the OCR engine and the language data are loaded the first time you need them, so the first run includes that loading time.

No. The tool handles one file at a time. Finish one extraction, then choose the next file.

No. The scripts and language data are loaded from public CDNs, so you need an internet connection.

There is no fixed time. It depends on the number of pages, their size and complexity, and your device. Longer PDFs take longer.

Processing stops and the text is not saved. Copy or download your result before leaving the page.

Free PDF and Image to Text Converter

Bloxstation’s PDF to text converter reads text from PDF pages and images using optical character recognition (OCR). Upload a PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, WEBP, BMP or GIF file, choose the language, and the tool turns what it reads into plain text you can edit, copy or download as a TXT file. Recognition runs in your browser, there is no signup, and each file can be up to 25 MB. If you need to build a PDF from pictures first, try the Image to PDF converter, or browse all Bloxstation tools.

On this page

  1. How to extract text from PDF and images
  2. Supported PDF and image formats
  3. Key features
  4. What can you extract text from?
  5. PDF OCR vs image OCR
  1. How OCR works
  2. OCR accuracy and limitations
  3. Privacy and browser-based processing
  4. Frequently asked questions
  5. Related tools

What Is PDF OCR?

PDF OCR is optical character recognition applied to PDF pages. A scanned PDF is usually a stack of page pictures, so there is no text to select or search. OCR looks at the shapes in each picture, matches them to characters in the chosen language, and returns machine-readable text. Not every PDF needs this: if you can already select and copy text in your PDF reader, the file has a native text layer and copying it directly is faster and exact. This tool renders and reads every page, so it also works on such files, but it is built for scanned or image-based pages.

How to Extract Text from PDF and Images

Extract text from a PDF

  1. Upload a PDF file. Drag it into the upload area or select Choose File.
  2. Select the recognition language. Pick the language that matches the text.
  3. Start OCR processing. Select Extract Text.
  4. Wait for all pages to be processed. Pages are read one after another and a progress bar shows how far along it is.
  5. Review, edit, copy or download. Each page starts with a marker such as “— Page 1 —”, so you can see where it begins.

Extract text from an image

  1. Upload a supported image. Use JPG, JPEG, PNG, WEBP, BMP or GIF.
  2. Choose the language. Select the language of the text in the picture.
  3. Click Extract Text. Wait for the recognition to finish.
  4. Review the recognized text. Fix any mistakes in the text box.
  5. Copy or download the result. Use Copy Text or Download TXT.

Supported PDF and Image Formats

Each file can be up to 25 MB. Supported formats:
  • PDF: extract text from scanned or image-based PDF pages.
  • JPG / JPEG: recognize text in photographs and document images.
  • PNG: extract text from screenshots and scanned images.
  • WEBP: convert text in WEBP images into editable content.
  • BMP: recognize text from bitmap images.
  • GIF: process supported GIF image input.

Images are opened by your browser, so a file your browser cannot display will fail. TIFF, HEIC, DOCX, XLSX and other formats are not supported.

Key Features of Our Online OCR Tool

  • Free online OCR converter with no account.
  • PDF and image recognition in one tool.
  • Multi-page PDF processing, one page after another.
  • Six OCR languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Spanish, French and German.
  • Browser-based processing.
  • Editable OCR output.
  • Copy text to the clipboard.
  • TXT download.
  • Drag-and-drop file upload.
  • Progress indicators and error messages.
  • Responsive interface for phones, tablets and desktops.
We do not promise perfect accuracy or a fixed processing time. Both depend on your file and your device.

Benefits of Using an Online OCR Tool

OCR saves retyping when text only exists as a picture or a scanned page, and it needs no desktop software. Practical benefits include:
  • Students: turn printed handouts and scanned study material into text you can search and annotate.
  • Researchers: pull passages out of scanned papers and archive pages.
  • Office professionals: reuse text from printed reports and forms without retyping.
  • Businesses: digitize printed documents so they can be searched and edited.
  • Content creators: capture quotes and notes from screenshots and printed sources.
  • Anyone digitizing printed documents: get a text copy to edit or store.

You still need to proofread the output.

What Can You Extract Text From?

Scanned PDFs and paper documents

Extract text from scanned PDF files, notes and printed documents. Scan quality decides how accurate the result is.

Multi-page PDF documents

Run a multi-page scanned PDF through the tool and get one block of text with a marker for each page. Longer documents take longer and use more memory.

Student notes and study materials

Convert printed learning materials into editable text you can search and annotate.

Business documents, receipts and forms

Digitize printed reports, forms and document pages. Check every figure, date and reference number afterwards.

Books, magazines and articles

Digitize printed text from a clear scan or photo of a page.

Screenshots and online content

Pull error messages, chat text or web content out of a screenshot.

Handwritten notes (with limits)

Clear, neat handwriting may be partly recognized and converted into editable text, but this tool is built for printed text. Expect errors with cursive or untidy writing, and review everything.

PDF OCR vs Image OCR

Both modes use the same OCR engine. The difference is in what goes in and how it is prepared. Need to turn images into a PDF first? Use the Image to PDF converter.
Feature
Image OCR
PDF OCR
Input type
One image: JPG, JPEG, PNG, WEBP, BMP or GIF
One PDF document
Processing workflow
Your browser opens the image and OCR reads it
Each page is rendered with PDF.js, then OCR reads it
Multi-page support
One image per run
Yes, pages are processed one after another
Typical use cases
Screenshots, photos of pages, notes, signs
Scanned reports, forms, books and multi-page documents
Output format
Editable plain text
Editable plain text with page markers

OCR vs. Manual Typing

Situation
OCR
Manual typing
Long, clean printed text
Usually saves time; proofread afterwards
Slow
A few short lines
Setup may take as long as typing
Often quicker
Handwriting or low-resolution scans
Errors are likely
More reliable
Tables and multi-column layouts
Order and structure may need fixing
Better control

How Optical Character Recognition Works

OCR analyzes a picture, finds lines of text, splits them into characters and compares those shapes with a trained model for the selected language. The result is a text string rather than a picture of text. Because the model is language-specific, picking the right language matters.

How Does PDF to Text Conversion Work?

  1. PDF rendering: PDF.js draws one page at a time onto a canvas in your browser.
  2. Page processing: pages are handled in order, one after another, to keep memory use down.
  3. OCR recognition: Tesseract.js reads the rendered page in the language you chose.
  4. Editable text output: the text of every page is placed in one box, each page under its own marker.

Native text PDFs vs scanned PDFs

A native text PDF stores real characters, so you can usually select and copy them directly. A scanned or image-based PDF stores pictures of pages, which is where OCR helps. This tool always renders pages and runs OCR, so it does not read a native text layer, and results on a native PDF can differ slightly from copying the text.

OCR Accuracy and Limitations

Recognition quality depends on the file. These factors matter most:
  • Image resolution and text size: small or blurry text causes mistakes.
  • Text contrast and image quality: dark text on a plain light background works best.
  • Page rotation and skew: straighten tilted scans and photos before uploading.
  • Complex document layouts and multiple columns: reading order and structure may need fixing.
  • Decorative or very thin fonts: these are harder to read.
  • Language selection: choose the language that matches the text.
  • PDF rendering quality: pages are rendered at a size limited by your device, so very large pages may be read at lower detail.
  • Handwriting: this is the least reliable input.
Always review the result before using it in an important document.

Tips for Better OCR Results

  • Scan at a good resolution and keep the page flat and evenly lit.
  • Use dark text on a light background and avoid shadows.
  • Straighten the page so lines run horizontally.
  • Crop away borders and unrelated content.
  • Select the language of the text, not your interface language.
  • For a long PDF, split it into smaller files if your device runs slowly.
  • Proofread names, numbers and dates against the original.

Privacy and Browser-Based Processing

Recognition runs in your browser. PDF pages are rendered with PDF.js and text is recognized with Tesseract.js. Your PDF or image is not sent to a Bloxstation OCR server. The page does load the PDF.js and OCR scripts, and the language data for your chosen language, from public CDNs, so those requests do happen. Processing speed depends on your browser and device, and very large files can run slowly or fail on devices with little memory. Copying uses the browser Clipboard API where available. Learn more about Bloxstation.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a tool that turns the content of a PDF into editable text. Bloxstation’s tool does this by rendering each page in your browser and reading it with OCR, which makes it suited to scanned or image-based PDFs.

Upload your PDF (up to 25 MB), choose the language and select Extract Text. Pages are processed in order, and the result appears in an editable box that you can copy or download as a TXT file.

Yes. A scanned PDF is made of page pictures, and OCR reads the text in them. Accuracy depends on scan quality. If your PDF already has selectable text, copying it directly is usually faster and exact; this tool does not read that text layer, it runs OCR on every page.

Yes. All pages are processed one after another and each starts under a marker such as “— Page 2 —”. Longer documents take longer and use more memory, so on a phone consider splitting a very large PDF.

Yes. It is free to use and needs no signup.

Yes. JPG and JPEG files up to 25 MB are supported. Sharp, well-lit photos give the best results.

Yes. PNG screenshots usually work well because the text is sharp and has strong contrast.

PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, WEBP, BMP and GIF. TIFF, HEIC, DOCX, XLSX and other formats are not supported.

25 MB per file. Very large or complex files may still be slow or fail on devices with limited memory.

English, Hindi, Bengali, Spanish, French and German. Choose one language per extraction; a document that mixes languages may contain errors.

Not to a Bloxstation OCR server. Processing happens in your browser, although the PDF.js and OCR scripts and the language data are loaded from public CDNs.

Yes. The result box is editable plain text, so you can fix mistakes before copying or downloading.

Yes, as a plain .txt file with the Download TXT button. You can also copy the text to your clipboard.

Only to a limited extent. The tool is built for printed text. Very neat handwriting may be partly recognized, but expect errors and review the output.

Common causes are a low-resolution or blurry scan, tilted pages, low contrast, decorative fonts, multiple columns, or a language that does not match the one you selected. Try a clearer scan and the matching language.

No. The tool has no password prompt and will show an error for a protected PDF. If you are allowed to, remove the protection in another program first.

No. The output is plain text with page markers. Fonts, images, tables and layout are not kept, and multi-column pages may come out in a different order.

Yes, the page is responsive and works in modern mobile browsers. Large PDFs can be slow and use a lot of memory on a phone, so keep the page open while it works and consider smaller files.