How to optimize a scanned PDF document

Hi Rita -

The Image & Text tool should help if the text is captured. Since you select everything with one click, it’s obviously not captured. There are a set of OCR tools in the Tools’ pane’s dropdown menu. If your background is really ugly, sometimes streaks and smears, etc. are defined as graphics, which you can click and delete.

donna.

Thanks Donna, I found it.

The sharpen text seems to help, but the remove background leaves a bit to be desired.  I’m open for any recommendations.  Using Edit Text & images does not seem to offer any help.  The entire page is selected.

Thanks.

Hi Rita -

Click Tools to open the pane. Click the Options dropdown menu icon at the far right of the panels to open a list of panels. Click Document Processing to load the tools.

donna.

I have Acrobat Pro XI.  How do I get to Document Processing tools?  I do not see that option, but I really need to improve the images on the PDF file.

Hi Khalid -

Since you’ve already got the scan complete, use the tools in Acrobat to apply some filters to the file. In Acrobat XI, open the Document Processing tools, and click Optimize Scanned PDF. From there you can pick features such as the compression type, and adjust the filters such as deskew, background removal, and so on. It would be best to make a copy of the document first, then take out a few pages that are a problem for you and try the process with those first. When you’re satisfied, apply the same settings to a copy of the entire original file.

donna.

I have a few PDF scans of some old documents. They aren’t very clear because they’re copies of copies. I’ve used some simple applications on my iPhone called Genius Scan that have been great. After I scan the photo I want, it allows me to use some simple filters to optimize the scan. I’m trying to find something similar to use for my iMac. I can’t use the iPhone application because I have a 200 page PDF document thats already scanned. Any suggestions? i just want some simple filters to add to the scan that would allow it be more clearer in some places on the document.

Hi Rita -

You may be able to remove the backgrounds using the Edit Text and Images tool. As soon as you select the tool, you’ll see the objects on the page identified with bounding boxes. Artifact on your background such as smears, etc. will also be identified. Click to select them and then delete.

donna.

I am attempting to clean up an exixting PDF file, not scan a new one.  Is there a way to remove the background from an existing PDF file in Acrobat XI Pro?

Thanks

I have just upgraded to Acrobat XI Pro.  I have existing PDF’s that require background removal. What are the steps?
Thanks

Hi K-Dub -

It isn’t necessary to install a plug-in as the feature has been automated, although you can still adjust the contrast if necessary.

Choose File > Create > PDF from Scanner. If you’re working on Windows, click the Configure Presets submenu option to choose a preset. You can choose from Autodetect Color Mode, Black and White, Grayscale, etc. Since you’re concerned about contrast, I suggest using the Autodetect or Black and White modes, depending on whether or not you want to OCR (capture) the text.

On Mac, you can’t configure presets, but do still achieve the final outcome.

Regardless of your operating system, start the Scan process to open the Acrobat Scan dialog box. Click the Optimize Scanned PDF checkbox in the Document Settings section of the dialog box, and click Options to see a list of configurable filters. There isn’t a filter named Contrast, but you could approximate it by adjusting the Background Removal and Text Sharpening settings.

donna.

Hi Donna,
      I’ve upgraded a user of mine from ver. 5 to X Pro.  In ver. 5 when scanning a document, she was able to change the contrast through an “Acrobat Scan Plug-in”, but when scanning documents in X Pro, there doesn’t appear to be any such option.

Is there some ‘plug-in’ for X Pro that can be installed to obtain the “changing the contrast” functionality, or is there some built-in option in X Pro that enables you to do that?

Thanks