Unlocking the Power of Searchable PDFs with IronOCR: Webinar Recap

Why Do PDF/UA Standards Matter for My Business?

Many organizations must meet accessibility and compliance standards like PDF/UA—whether for internal policies, public sector mandates, or long-term archiving. The PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility) standard ensures PDFs are fully accessible to users with disabilities, particularly those using assistive technologies like screen readers. This isn't just about compliance—it's about ensuring equal access to information for all users while avoiding potential legal issues related to accessibility violations.

What Makes the IronOCR Approach So Simple?

Chipego demonstrated how IronOCR converts a regular, non-compliant PDF into a fully PDF/UA-compliant document in just a few lines of code.

using IronOcr;
using IronPdf;

// Initialize IronOCR
var ocr = new IronTesseract();

// Configure OCR for accessibility compliance
ocr.Configuration.ReadBarCodes = true;
ocr.Configuration.RenderSearchablePdf = true;

// Read the scanned PDF
using var input = new OcrInput();
input.AddPdf("scanned-document.pdf");

// Perform OCR and create searchable PDF/UA compliant document
var result = ocr.Read(input);
result.SaveAsSearchablePdf("compliant-output.pdf");

using IronOcr;
using IronPdf;

// Initialize IronOCR
var ocr = new IronTesseract();

// Configure OCR for accessibility compliance
ocr.Configuration.ReadBarCodes = true;
ocr.Configuration.RenderSearchablePdf = true;

// Read the scanned PDF
using var input = new OcrInput();
input.AddPdf("scanned-document.pdf");

// Perform OCR and create searchable PDF/UA compliant document
var result = ocr.Read(input);
result.SaveAsSearchablePdf("compliant-output.pdf");

The result was verified using VeraPDF, a validation tool for accessibility and archival standards. This validation step is crucial for organizations that need to prove compliance for audits or regulatory requirements.

Who Benefits Most from PDF/UA Compliance?

PDF/UA compliance ensures visually impaired users can access your documents using screen readers, supporting both legal compliance and inclusive design. Government agencies, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations particularly benefit since they often have strict accessibility requirements. Additionally, companies doing business in the EU must comply with the European Accessibility Act, making PDF/UA compliance essential for market access.

What Problem Does This Solve?

Ever had a scanned document that looks like a PDF but acts like an image? That's where OCR technology comes in. Many businesses struggle with legacy document archives containing thousands of scanned PDFs—these files take up storage space but offer no searchability or data extraction capabilities. Without OCR, employees waste countless hours manually searching through documents, leading to decreased productivity and increased operational costs.

How Does the Conversion Process Work?

Chipego showed how IronOCR turns a non-searchable scanned PDF into a searchable PDF, instantly enabling full-text search capabilities. The process involves several sophisticated steps:

using IronOcr;

// Create a new OCR engine instance
var ocr = new IronTesseract();

// Configure language and accuracy settings
ocr.Language = OcrLanguage.English;
ocr.Configuration.PageSegmentationMode = TesseractPageSegmentationMode.AutoOsd;

// Load the scanned PDF
using var input = new OcrInput();
input.AddPdf("invoice-scan.pdf");

// Apply image improve for better accuracy
input.DeNoise();
input.Deskew();
input.EnhanceResolution(225);

// Perform OCR and save as searchable PDF
var result = ocr.Read(input);
result.SaveAsSearchablePdf("searchable-invoice.pdf");

// Extract text for indexing
string extractedText = result.Text;
Console.WriteLine($"Extracted {extractedText.Length} characters");

using IronOcr;

// Create a new OCR engine instance
var ocr = new IronTesseract();

// Configure language and accuracy settings
ocr.Language = OcrLanguage.English;
ocr.Configuration.PageSegmentationMode = TesseractPageSegmentationMode.AutoOsd;

// Load the scanned PDF
using var input = new OcrInput();
input.AddPdf("invoice-scan.pdf");

// Apply image improve for better accuracy
input.DeNoise();
input.Deskew();
input.EnhanceResolution(225);

// Perform OCR and save as searchable PDF
var result = ocr.Read(input);
result.SaveAsSearchablePdf("searchable-invoice.pdf");

// Extract text for indexing
string extractedText = result.Text;
Console.WriteLine($"Extracted {extractedText.Length} characters");

After conversion, users can find specific content using Ctrl+F or search by keywords like dates, names, or document subjects. The OCR engine intelligently preserves the original document layout while adding an invisible text layer that makes content searchable and selectable.

Which Industries Benefit Most from Searchable PDFs?

Perfect for:

• Legal firms handling case files and contracts
• Healthcare providers managing patient records
• Teams digitizing paper records needing fast content search
• Financial institutions for invoice processing and compliance
• Real estate companies digitizing property documents

The ability to quickly locate specific information in large document repositories can reduce search time by up to 90%, according to industry estimates.

When Should I Use Targeted Extraction?

For businesses processing high volumes of structured documents like receipts, POs, or invoices, Chipego demonstrated how IronOCR extracts data from specific PDF regions using bounding box coordinates. This targeted approach is particularly valuable when dealing with standardized forms where critical information appears in consistent locations—such as total amounts on invoices, dates on contracts, or customer IDs on order forms.

How Does Regional Processing Improve Performance?

Instead of processing the entire file, IronOCR focuses only on relevant fields like order numbers, totals, or addresses, dramatically improving speed and reducing cloud or compute costs. Here's how to implement targeted extraction:

using IronOcr;
using System.Drawing;

var ocr = new IronTesseract();

// Load PDF and define extraction regions
using var input = new OcrInput();
input.AddPdf("purchase-order.pdf", 1); // Process first page only

// Define bounding box for PO number field (x, y, width, height)
var poNumberArea = new Rectangle(450, 100, 150, 50);
input.AddPdfPage("purchase-order.pdf", 1, poNumberArea);

// Extract just the PO number
var result = ocr.Read(input);
string poNumber = result.Text.Trim();

// Define multiple regions for batch extraction
var regions = new Dictionary<string, Rectangle>
{
    { "PONumber", new Rectangle(450, 100, 150, 50) },
    { "TotalAmount", new Rectangle(450, 600, 150, 50) },
    { "VendorName", new Rectangle(50, 200, 300, 50) }
};

// Extract data from each region
var extractedData = new Dictionary<string, string>();
foreach (var region in regions)
{
    input.Clear();
    input.AddPdfPage("purchase-order.pdf", 1, region.Value);
    var regionResult = ocr.Read(input);
    extractedData[region.Key] = regionResult.Text.Trim();
}

using IronOcr;
using System.Drawing;

var ocr = new IronTesseract();

// Load PDF and define extraction regions
using var input = new OcrInput();
input.AddPdf("purchase-order.pdf", 1); // Process first page only

// Define bounding box for PO number field (x, y, width, height)
var poNumberArea = new Rectangle(450, 100, 150, 50);
input.AddPdfPage("purchase-order.pdf", 1, poNumberArea);

// Extract just the PO number
var result = ocr.Read(input);
string poNumber = result.Text.Trim();

// Define multiple regions for batch extraction
var regions = new Dictionary<string, Rectangle>
{
    { "PONumber", new Rectangle(450, 100, 150, 50) },
    { "TotalAmount", new Rectangle(450, 600, 150, 50) },
    { "VendorName", new Rectangle(50, 200, 300, 50) }
};

// Extract data from each region
var extractedData = new Dictionary<string, string>();
foreach (var region in regions)
{
    input.Clear();
    input.AddPdfPage("purchase-order.pdf", 1, region.Value);
    var regionResult = ocr.Read(input);
    extractedData[region.Key] = regionResult.Text.Trim();
}

This targeted approach can reduce processing time by 70-80% compared to full-page OCR, making it ideal for high-volume document processing scenarios.

What Are the Business Benefits?

This automates repetitive data entry tasks, cutting manual effort, improving accuracy, and freeing teams for higher-value work. Companies report saving 20-30 hours per week on data entry alone. The extracted data can automatically export to databases, integrate with existing systems, or trigger automated workflows. For example, extracted invoice totals can automatically update accounting systems, while extracted customer information can populate CRM records without manual intervention.

Can IronOCR Process Multiple Files at Once?

While the webinar showcased individual code examples, IronOCR is built for batch processing at scale. Whether you're converting hundreds or millions of files, IronOCR integrates easily into your existing systems. The enterprise solution supports multi-threading and distributed processing, allowing organizations to process thousands of documents per hour. Here's a batch processing example:

using IronOcr;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

public async Task ProcessDocumentBatch(string folderPath)
{
    var ocr = new IronTesseract();
    ocr.Configuration.RenderSearchablePdf = true;

    // Get all PDF files in directory
    var pdfFiles = Directory.GetFiles(folderPath, "*.pdf");

    // Process files in parallel for maximum efficiency
    await Parallel.ForEachAsync(pdfFiles, async (file, ct) =>
    {
        using var input = new OcrInput();
        input.AddPdf(file);

        var result = await Task.Run(() => ocr.Read(input));

        // Save searchable version
        var outputPath = Path.Combine(folderPath, "searchable", Path.GetFileName(file));
        result.SaveAsSearchablePdf(outputPath);

        // Log processing results
        Console.WriteLine($"Processed: {file} - {result.Pages.Length} pages");
    });
}

using IronOcr;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

public async Task ProcessDocumentBatch(string folderPath)
{
    var ocr = new IronTesseract();
    ocr.Configuration.RenderSearchablePdf = true;

    // Get all PDF files in directory
    var pdfFiles = Directory.GetFiles(folderPath, "*.pdf");

    // Process files in parallel for maximum efficiency
    await Parallel.ForEachAsync(pdfFiles, async (file, ct) =>
    {
        using var input = new OcrInput();
        input.AddPdf(file);

        var result = await Task.Run(() => ocr.Read(input));

        // Save searchable version
        var outputPath = Path.Combine(folderPath, "searchable", Path.GetFileName(file));
        result.SaveAsSearchablePdf(outputPath);

        // Log processing results
        Console.WriteLine($"Processed: {file} - {result.Pages.Length} pages");
    });
}

What Support Options Are Available?

Need help? Iron Software provides 24/5 technical support via chat and email to get you up and running quickly. Their support team includes OCR specialists who can help improve your specific use case, whether you're dealing with challenging document types, multiple languages, or complex integration requirements. Plus, complete documentation and code examples help developers implement solutions independently.