What types of documents should be scanned as searchable PDF’s?

The main reason why documents are scanned as searchable PDF’s is to make it easy to find a particular word or phrase within a document.

The scanning process is the same as normal but the application of OCR software afterwards converts the text into a searchable format. There are some cases where standard index references are not sufficient and a more specific method of searching is required.

An example of this is academic material such as research reports and conference papers. The title of the work and the author’s name will identify the document but for a more in depth search the actual content , i.e. the text, must also be made searchable. In scientific research, reference to a particular chemical name or test procedure may need to be found so simply keying in the relevant term will identify all occurrences of it within the paper.

Other examples are technical manuals where parts or part numbers need to be found or any type of handbook which gives instructions. In reality any type of document can be scanned in a searchable PDF format but it is usually only required where there is a fairly complex level of detail involved.

To find out more about scanning documents as searchable PDF’s please click here or call The IPC Group on 08081 45 46 47.