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OCRmyPDF

github.com/ocrmypdf/OCRmyPDF PDF & Document Tools Open-source projectOpen source

OCRmyPDF adds an OCR text layer to scanned PDF files, making their text searchable, according to its project description.

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github.com/ocrmypdf/OCRmyPDF
OCRmyPDF homepage screenshot

About OCRmyPDF

OCRmyPDF is an open-source command-line program that adds an OCR text layer to scanned or image-based PDF files so the text can be searched or copied and pasted. It uses the Tesseract OCR engine and produces PDF/A output by default, keeping the resolution of the original embedded images and inserting OCR information as a lossless operation where possible. It can also rotate misrotated pages, deskew crooked scans, change output metadata, and distribute work across available CPU cores.

Installation is documented for Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and Ubuntu Snap, and Docker images are published for x64 and ARM. OCRmyPDF requires Tesseract 4.1.1 or later and relies on separately installed Tesseract language packs for the languages it recognizes. It is a scriptable tool, used from the command line or from scripts.

Key features

  • Adds a searchable OCR text layer to scanned PDF files
  • Produces validated PDF/A output by default
  • Rotates misrotated pages and deskews crooked scans
  • Keeps original embedded image resolution; optimization can reduce file size
  • Recognizes more than 100 languages via Tesseract language packs
  • Distributes OCR work across all available CPU cores
Best for: Users comfortable with the command line who need to make scanned or image-based PDFs searchable, including large multi-thousand-page files.
Good for
  • Open source, with the full repository publicly available
  • Validates input and output files and emits PDF/A by default
  • Runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD and OpenBSD, plus x64 and ARM Docker images
Watch out for
  • Used as a command-line program; no graphical interface is described
  • Requires Tesseract 4.1.1 or later
  • Language support depends on which Tesseract language packs are installed separately

OCRmyPDF at a glance

Type
Open-source project
Pricing
Not confirmed. Check the site
Open source
Yes · Source code
Language
English
Last checked
Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
Listed
Oct 5, 2026
open sourcedockergitdocument tools

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OCRmyPDF FAQ

What kind of output does OCRmyPDF produce?
It produces a searchable PDF file, with PDF/A as the default output type; the output type can be changed with a command-line option.
How do I select the OCR language?
Pass the -l argument with one or more language codes, for example -l eng+fra. The corresponding Tesseract language packs must be installed first.
Which operating systems are supported?
Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD and OpenBSD, with package commands listed for Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, Homebrew, MacPorts, nix, LinuxBrew, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and Ubuntu Snap. Docker images are also available for x64 and ARM.
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Listing maintained by Chris McClure and the WebIndexly editors · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · How we rank