Quick Answer
Upload scanned images (JPG, PNG, TIFF) or a scanned PDF, click "Convert to PDF." Enable OCR to make the text searchable and selectable.
What You'll Need
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these 5 simple steps to get the job done in about 1-3 minutes. Check off each step as you go.
Open the Conversion Tool
Go to the relevant PDFly conversion tool page for your file type (Word, Excel, JPG, PNG, HTML, etc.).
Upload Your Source File
Drag and drop your file into the upload zone. You can upload one or multiple files depending on the conversion type.
Configure Output Settings
Select any conversion options such as page size (A4/Letter), image quality, OCR language, or layout preferences. Most settings have sensible defaults.
Convert to PDF
Click the "Convert" button. The conversion runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly. Progress is shown in real-time.
Download Your PDF
Once conversion is complete, download your PDF file. If you uploaded multiple files, they're combined into a single multi-page PDF or available as a ZIP.
Key Takeaways
Enable OCR for scanned documents to get editable output
Batch conversion is supported for multiple files
Converted documents preserve formatting, tables, and images
All conversions run locally — no file is uploaded to any server
Pro Tips & Best Practices
For scanned PDFs being converted to editable formats, always enable OCR first for best results.
When converting to images, higher DPI means better quality but larger file sizes — 150 DPI is a good balance.
Batch conversion is supported — you can convert multiple files in a single session.
Converted Word documents may have minor formatting differences since PDF and Word use different layout engines.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Forgetting to enable OCR for scanned PDFs
If your PDF was scanned (not born digital), enable OCR before conversion — otherwise the output will contain images, not editable text.
Choosing wrong output resolution for images
Use 150 DPI for web/screen, 300 DPI for print. Higher DPI = larger files with diminishing visual returns.
Converting without checking the output file
Always open the converted file to verify formatting, especially for complex documents with tables or columns.
Ready to Try It Yourself?
That's it! You now know how to convert scanned documents to pdf using PDFly. The entire process takes less than a minute and runs entirely in your browser — your files are never uploaded to a server. Ready to try it yourself? Use the OCR PDF tool below to get started right now.
Open OCR PDF — Free, No SignupFrequently Asked Questions
Yes. When converting to Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, the output files are fully editable. Text, tables, and images are preserved as editable elements wherever possible.
Yes, but you need to enable OCR (Optical Character Recognition) first. OCR converts image-based text into selectable, editable text before the conversion.
No file size limit. Processing happens in your browser, so the only constraint is your device's available memory.