PDF

Scans to PDF – create small, searchable PDFs from scanned documents

Last Updated on April 10, 2026

Scans to PDF lets you create small, searchable PDFs from scanned documents.

The program divides images into bitonal foreground images (text) and a color background image, then compresses them separately. An invisible OCR text layer is added, making the PDF searchable.

Color and grayscale scans need some preparation for good results. Recommended tools are Scan Tailor or GIMP.

A GUI and command line interface are included.

Website: github.com/Unrud/djpdf
Support:
Developer: Unrud
License: GNU General Public License v3.0

Scans to PDF example

Scans to PDF is written in Python. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials.


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