How to Fix Poorly Scanned PDFs Using ABBYY FineReader OCR Editor

Today’s post walks through how to zone complex page layouts, correct reading orders, fine-tune OCR results, and export a clean, accessible final PDF using the ABBYY FineReader OCR editor.

Video Guide

Preparing the Document

To begin, open your document in ABBYY FineReader and navigate to the OCR Editor. Identify and select your problematic file—ideally one with poor scan quality and mixed content such as text interlaced with images.

Start fresh by deleting all existing zones on the first page. This clears out any misinterpreted layout data and allows for more accurate manual zoning.

Zoning Text and Images

Use the Text Zone Editor to define readable areas. Carefully draw boxes around text sections, ensuring you capture all relevant content. For mixed content, like documents that contain both textual and graphical elements, use the Add Area function to designate image regions.

If you encounter cluttered or overlapping zones, the Cut Area Part tool helps eliminate problematic sections. When working with images, draw precise boxes to ensure ABBYY processes them properly as separate components.

Managing Complex Reading Orders

Documents with mixed layout, such as multi-column text, captions, and interspersed images, often confuse OCR reading order. To fix this, manually number the reading sequence, ensuring logical progression from left to right, top to bottom.

Use the zoning tool to identify elements like headers, image captions, and body text. Adjust their sequence by selecting their order (e.g., 1, 2, 3…) and refining where necessary.

Running OCR and Validating Text

Once zoning is complete, click Recognize Page to run OCR on the designated areas. ABBYY highlights uncertain text characters in blue, signaling areas that may require manual correction. Review these carefully. For example, a misread word can be corrected directly in the text zone.

If the reading order or text content appears out of sync, adjust the zone arrangement or reassign the reading flow, then re-run the recognition process.

Adjusting OCR and Image Settings

To improve image fidelity and OCR output, go to Tools > Options:

• Uncheck “Reduce original resolution” to preserve scan detail.
• Set Image Quality to “Do Not Change Image Color” and disable any settings that allow quality loss.
• Enable MRC Compression and ABBYY Precise Scan for clearer characters and more accurate OCR rendering.
• Set the output text to be placed “under the page image” for better accessibility and cleaner visuals.

Additionally, enable features like Create Bookmarks from Headings, Create PDF Tags, and Use Windows Fonts to ensure full document structure and accessibility in the final export.

Saving and Verifying Output

Save the document as a searchable PDF. The resulting file should display sharper text and a cleaner layout, thanks to manual zoning and OCR settings optimization.

Open the Tags Panel to verify the structure. Confirm the presence of tags such as:

• H1 for main headings
• P for paragraphs
• Figure with captions
• Proper sequence of text and media content

This ensures that screen readers and assistive technologies can navigate the document effectively.

Final Thoughts

Using ABBYY FineReader’s OCR Editor, you can transform even the most difficult scanned PDFs into clear, accessible documents. By zoning each element manually, validating OCR output, and fine-tuning export settings, you ensure your PDF not only looks better but also complies with accessibility standards.

Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!