Can I translate a scanned PDF to English?

Yes. Upload the PDF and choose English as the target language. The system reads and translates the visible page text into a PDF with its layout retained.

Do I need to run OCR before uploading?

No separate OCR step is required. Image-only pages can be read during document processing.

What if the scan is unreadable or has handwriting?

Some pages cannot be read reliably. Use a clearer scan if possible and review handwriting, damaged text and uncommon scripts carefully. An unclear source does not become reliable just because the output is fluent.

Can I translate a scanned PDF for free?

Available free credits can cover a translation when they meet the file's quote. Check the quote and your balance before processing; uploading a large file does not guarantee a free formatted result.

Translate a Scanned PDF

Upload a PDF made from scanned pages and translate the text the system can read. Download a translated PDF, then compare unclear passages with the original.

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See “Keep formatting” in action

Real examples of the “Keep formatting” option: original on the left, translated document on the right. Click either page to enlarge.

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A civil complaint filed in Mexico City, Spanish to English. Caption block, numbered pleadings, the evidence table and the signature block all keep their places. — Original — A civil complaint filed in Mexico City, Spanish to English. Caption block, numbered pleadings, the evidence table and the signature block all keep their places.

An Italian birth certificate, photographed rather than scanned. The framed masthead, the field grid, the marginal annotations and the round seal all hold their positions. — Original — An Italian birth certificate, photographed rather than scanned. The framed masthead, the field grid, the marginal annotations and the round seal all hold their positions.

A handwritten archaeological field notebook from 1974. The engine reads the hand and keeps the ruled inventory table intact. — Original — A handwritten archaeological field notebook from 1974. The engine reads the hand and keeps the ruled inventory table intact.

A handwritten archaeological field notebook from 1974. The engine reads the hand and keeps the ruled inventory table intact. — Translation — A handwritten archaeological field notebook from 1974. The engine reads the hand and keeps the ruled inventory table intact.

A German hospital discharge summary. Diagnoses with ICD codes, lab values and the medication table survive the translation unchanged. — Original — A German hospital discharge summary. Diagnoses with ICD codes, lab values and the medication table survive the translation unchanged.

A German hospital discharge summary. Diagnoses with ICD codes, lab values and the medication table survive the translation unchanged. — Translation — A German hospital discharge summary. Diagnoses with ICD codes, lab values and the medication table survive the translation unchanged.

A 1747 parish baptism register in Latin. Ruled columns, godparents and marginal notes stay aligned, so the genealogy still reads as a register. — Original — A 1747 parish baptism register in Latin. Ruled columns, godparents and marginal notes stay aligned, so the genealogy still reads as a register.

A 1747 parish baptism register in Latin. Ruled columns, godparents and marginal notes stay aligned, so the genealogy still reads as a register. — Translation — A 1747 parish baptism register in Latin. Ruled columns, godparents and marginal notes stay aligned, so the genealogy still reads as a register.

A scanned 17th-century Italian index of sermons. Two columns of dense small print, translated in place. — Original — A scanned 17th-century Italian index of sermons. Two columns of dense small print, translated in place.

A scanned 17th-century Italian index of sermons. Two columns of dense small print, translated in place. — Translation — A scanned 17th-century Italian index of sermons. Two columns of dense small print, translated in place.

Download a translated PDF that follows the source page layout. Your last chosen target language is remembered when you return.

How to translate your file

1
Check the scan before upload
Make sure the page is upright, fully visible and sharp enough to read when enlarged. Upload the multi-page PDF rather than taking screenshots of individual pages.
2
Choose your target language
Select English or another language, then review the quote for your translated PDF before starting.
3
Read alongside the original
Use the original/result comparison when a preview is available. You can inspect a passage in context or download the result to read later.

Scanned PDFs and selectable-text PDFs are different

A PDF may contain digital text, pictures of paper pages, or a mixture of both. If you cannot select a sentence in your PDF viewer, that page may be an image-only scan. Recognition has to read the characters from the image before their meaning can be translated.

You can upload a scanned PDF directly without converting it to Word first. This is useful for digitized books, printed articles, archived correspondence and manuals available only as page images.

Make a difficult scan easier to read

Inspect the smallest text at a comfortable zoom before uploading. If its letter shapes are blurred together, increasing the file dimensions will not restore the missing detail. A sharper source scan or a new photograph can improve the input more than enlarging a poor copy.

The uploader's public gallery includes a page from a public-domain Italian scanned book and a Spanish field-notebook photograph. Open their before-and-after views to see how those page images look in translation.

Keep all page edges and text visible; avoid cropped margins and fingers covering words.
Rotate sideways pages and reduce skew so lines run in a consistent direction.
Use even lighting and avoid glare, deep shadows and aggressive compression.
Review columns, tables, stamps and marginal notes for reading-order or recognition errors.

Read your translated PDF alongside the original

The position of a caption, table or paragraph helps you follow the translated document alongside its original. The translator keeps that page arrangement.

The translated PDF follows the page layout, with translated pages rendered as images. It does not provide editable Word text or guaranteed selectable PDF text. Compare uncertain names and numbers with the scan, since recognition errors can affect the translation.

Scanned PDF Translator: common questions

Can I translate a scanned PDF to English?: Yes. Upload the PDF and choose English as the target language. The system reads and translates the visible page text into a PDF with its layout retained.
Do I need to run OCR before uploading?: No separate OCR step is required. Image-only pages can be read during document processing.
What if the scan is unreadable or has handwriting?: Some pages cannot be read reliably. Use a clearer scan if possible and review handwriting, damaged text and uncommon scripts carefully. An unclear source does not become reliable just because the output is fluent.
Can I translate a scanned PDF for free?: Available free credits can cover a translation when they meet the file's quote. Check the quote and your balance before processing; uploading a large file does not guarantee a free formatted result.

Translate a Scanned PDF

See “Keep formatting” in action

How to translate your file

Check the scan before upload

Choose your target language

Read alongside the original

Scanned PDFs and selectable-text PDFs are different

Make a difficult scan easier to read

Read your translated PDF alongside the original

Scanned PDF Translator: common questions

See “Keep formatting” in action