Are you looking to make a searchable PDF? Are you wondering if it’s possible to make any PDF searchable on your computer? If so, then you need to know how to make one.
By doing so, you can increase the effectiveness of your PDFs. Specifically, you can make it easier for people to find what they’re looking for in your documents.
Fortunately, making a PDF searchable is easier than you might have anticipated. Below, we break down the best ways to make a PDF searchable. Keep reading!
The Benefits of a Searchable PDF
There are a few benefits to PDFs that are searchable. This type of PDF file is smaller in size, which means it will take up less space on your computer.
They are also easy to convert if you need to edit the document later on. And because they are searchable, you can easily find specific information within the document without having to scroll through the entire thing.
The How-To of Creating a Searchable PDF
Creating a searchable PDF is not as difficult as it may seem. By following a few simple steps, you can have a searchable PDF in no time.
First, open the document that you want to convert to a PDF. Then, go to File > Save As. In the Save As dialog box, select PDF from the drop-down list of file formats.
Steps to Optimize Your PDF for Search
PDFs are a great way to share information, but it can be a pain to search a PDF document. Here are a few steps you can take to optimize your PDFs for search:
Use Descriptive File Names
A good file name will help people identify what your PDF is about before they even open it.
Use Clear and Concise Titles
A title should give readers a good idea of what they can expect to find in your PDF.
Use Keywords Liberally
Use relevant keywords throughout your PDF so that it can be easily found when people are searching for it.
Make Sure Your PDF Is Easily Scannable
Use short paragraphs, clear headings, and bulleted lists to make your PDF easy to scan.
The Different Ways You Can Create a Searchable PDF
One way is to use an OCR program, like PDFTRON OCR, which can take a scanned PDF and make it into a searchable PDF.
You can also use a PDF converter to convert an existing PDF into a searchable PDF. You can even create a searchable PDF from scratch using a PDF editor.
The Various OCR Converters Available to You
Some of the most popular free OCR converters include Free OCR and SimpleOCR.
Paid converters tend to be more accurate, but they can be expensive. Some of the more popular paid converters include OmniPage and Abbyy FineReader. When choosing an OCR converter, it’s always important to consider your needs.
Converting Made Easy
Assuming you have a document in PDF format, you can make it a searchable PDF using any optical character recognition software. This will enable you to search for words or phrases within the document. To make a PDF searchable in Adobe Acrobat, open the PDF and select Recognize Text > In This File.
OCR can take a few minutes, depending on the length of the document. Once the process is complete, you can search your PDF.
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