Scanned documents are just images—you can see the text but can't select it. OCR changes that by recognizing and extracting the text for editing and searching.
Why Digitize Scanned Documents?
Make Them Searchable
Find information by searching text instead of scrolling through pages.
Enable Editing
Modify content without retyping everything.
Save Space
Text files are much smaller than scanned images.
Improve Accessibility
Screen readers can process text, not images.
How to OCR Scanned Documents
- If your document is a PDF, export pages as images (or use our PDF to Image tool).
- Open Rune's Image to Text (OCR).
- Upload the scanned image.
- Select the document language.
- Click "Extract Text."
- Copy or download.
Scan Quality Impact
| Scan Quality | OCR Accuracy | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 300+ DPI | Excellent | Ideal for OCR |
| 200 DPI | Good | Usually sufficient |
| 150 DPI | Moderate | May miss details |
| 72 DPI | Poor | Not recommended |
Tips for Better OCR on Scans
- Scan at 300 DPI minimum
- Use grayscale for text documents
- Ensure even lighting (no shadows)
- Align pages straight
- Clean the scanner bed
Common Scanned Documents
- Old contracts and agreements
- Historical records
- Medical records
- Receipts and invoices
- Book pages
- ID documents
Handling Multi-Page Documents
Process one page at a time:
- Export each page as an image.
- OCR each page separately.
- Combine text in a document.
Privacy for Sensitive Documents
Scanned documents often contain personal information. Rune processes everything locally—your scans never leave your device.
Conclusion
OCR transforms static scans into usable text. Rune's Image to Text (OCR) digitizes your scanned documents with high accuracy.