How to Translate Scanned PDF Documents

Have you ever tried to upload a PDF to a translation tool, only to be told it contains no text? This usually happens with scanned PDFs. These files are just pictures of text, not actual digital text.

To translate them, you first need to perform a process called OCR (Optical Character Recognition).

Step 1: Use Google Drive for Free OCR

One of the easiest and free ways to convert a scanned PDF into editable text is using Google Drive.

1. Upload your scanned PDF to Google Drive.
2. Right-click the file in Drive.
3. Select Open with > Google Docs.

Google will automatically scan the image and convert it into a Google Doc with editable text. It might look a bit messy, but the text is now readable!

Step 2: Translate the Document

Now that you have the text in a Google Doc, you can translate it easily.

• Method A: In Google Docs, go to Tools > Translate document.
• Method B: If you want to put this content into a presentation, copy the text into Google Slides and use Slide Translato to translate it while keeping your slide design perfect.

Alternative: Use Online OCR Tools

If Google Drive isn't working for you, there are many free online tools like OnlineOCR.net or Adobe Acrobat Pro (paid) that can convert PDF images to Word or Text files.