Does Foxit Reader Support OCR To Edit Scanned Pdf?

Foxit Reader is a lightweight PDF tool that I’ve used for years, especially when dealing with scanned documents. The answer to whether it supports OCR for editing scanned PDFs is yes, but with some caveats. Foxit Reader’s basic version doesn’t include OCR functionality, which means you can’t directly edit text in scanned PDFs unless you upgrade to Foxit PhantomPDF, their paid version. PhantomPDF has robust OCR capabilities, allowing you to convert scanned pages into editable and searchable text. I’ve tested it on a few old scanned contracts, and the accuracy is decent, though complex layouts or poor-quality scans might require manual tweaks.

For casual users, the lack of OCR in the free version might be a dealbreaker. But if you’re willing to invest in PhantomPDF, the OCR feature works well enough for most needs. It supports multiple languages and preserves formatting reasonably, though it’s not as polished as Adobe Acrobat’s OCR. One thing to note is that even after OCR, heavily stylized fonts or handwritten notes might not convert perfectly. Still, for straightforward documents, Foxit’s solution is a cost-effective alternative to pricier software.

If you’re on a tight budget, there are free OCR tools like Tesseract or online converters that can handle the job, though they lack Foxit’s integrated workflow. PhantomPDF’s OCR is convenient because it’s built into the same interface where you edit and annotate PDFs, saving time. The process is straightforward: open the scanned PDF, run OCR under the ‘Convert’ tab, and wait for the text to become selectable. From there, you can edit, highlight, or add comments as needed. It’s a feature I wish more free PDF readers included, but given Foxit’s focus on balancing functionality and affordability, the current setup makes sense.