Scanned PDF to Text: Extract Data from Photocopied & Faxed Documents
Turn a scanned, photocopied, or faxed PDF (one with no selectable text layer at all) into structured, editable data. Datafromfile reads the same way whether your PDF was exported from a program or scanned on a photocopier, so old paperwork works exactly like a modern export.
Features
- Works on scanned, photocopied, and faxed PDFs, no selectable text layer required
- Handles multi-page scans without losing page order or splitting tables incorrectly
- Same extraction quality whether the PDF is a scan or a native digital export
- No file is retained after your result is produced
How it works
- Upload the scanned PDF: A photocopy, fax, or multi-page scan saved as a single PDF, up to 3MB.
- AI reads every page: The model reads the scanned pages directly, there is no separate "OCR step" you have to run first.
- Review & export: Check the extracted table in the editor, then export to Excel, CSV, or JSON.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to run OCR software before uploading? No, upload the scanned PDF as-is. There is no separate OCR step; the AI model reads the scanned pages directly.
- How is this different from a normal PDF to Excel converter? It isn't a different tool under the hood: the same extraction pipeline handles both native and scanned PDFs, so you don't need to know in advance which kind you have.
- Does page quality matter? Yes, a clean, straight, well-lit scan reads more reliably than a crooked or low-resolution one, the same way it would for any OCR technology.
- What's the file size limit? Up to 3MB per PDF on the Free plan; paid plans get a higher limit (see Pricing) since larger scans upload straight to storage instead.
- Is the original scanned file kept afterward? No, it is processed to produce your structured result and is not stored afterward.