Does a premium subscription index a pdf of handwriting - ie make the pdf searchable?

[WriteScape 0]

Hi 

Basically, I have an e ink note-taking device that creates dumb pdfs of a handwritten notebook. If I upload the pdf to Google One (google drive) it will index the file so the handwriting is searchable. Unfortunately, the search function only exists while the pdf is on google's platform - once the file is downloaded the search function is lost. If I upgrade to a premium subscription will Evernote index/OCR handwriting in a pdf?

A bit strange I can't direct this question directly to Evernote without a paid subscription?!?

Thanks in advance

[PinkElephant 8,105]

EN will make pdf searchable with a subscription - but not for handwritten passages.

Handwriting will only be OCRed in picture files, more precisely JPEG, PNG and GIF. This happens even for free accounts.

https://evernote.com/blog/how-evernotes-image-recognition-works/

[gazumped 11,664]

Actually I think the situation for Evernote OCR'd PDFs is the same as for Basic users.  The text 'layer' is just that - an Evernote-level overlay that makes the PDF searchable.  It used to be possible to download the text file separately from the PDF images if necessary,  but AFAIK that is no longer possible.  I'm pretty sure Evernote does not give you a downloadable searchable PDF because that would involved physically altering the attached file.

There are lots of websites and services that will convert a dumb PDF to a searchable PDF,  but I'm afraid Evernote is not one of them... 

[PinkElephant 8,105]

Sorry, your honor, it is not the same regarding pdfs: Making pdfs searchable is a subscribers feature, not available for the Free accounts. For all users only OCR of pictures work independently from the chosen plan.

[gazumped 11,664]

27 minutes ago, PinkElephant said:

Making pdfs searchable is a subscribers feature, not available for the Free accounts.

I could well have been wrong - the situation has changed and I haven't used OCR in a free account for years.  I'll bow to your expertise  

I OCR my own stuff before attaching it in Evernote,  so don't know whether a dumb PDF would be OCR'd into searchable within Evernote - I'll check next time I open my v10 account.   I don't think it is though,  because that means the company leaning in to touch my file and I don't think they would do that...

[PinkElephant 8,105]

AFAIK they save the OCR result into the notes metadata, not into the pdf.

This is why even if they ran an OCR, you can only use it while the pdf stays in EN. Once you export it, you loose the OCR information - that anyhow only serves for search, not for a full OCR experience.

[gazumped 11,664]

22 minutes ago, PinkElephant said:

Once you export it, you loose the OCR information

Yeah - that's what I thought,  and what I thought the OP was interested in.  But like I said,  there are any number of online resources (and probably apps) that will convert a dumb PDF to an searchable (ie OCR'd) file.  I tend to use the free NAPS2 if I need to.

[agsteele 2,946]

I prefer not to use the concept of OCR with the Evernote function. Rather I think of it being a search function. So when advising colleagues I say that a note with an image attached can be included with a search and, as noted, a PDF can be searched for text but not hand writing for paying users.

[PinkElephant 8,105]

Well, undeniably there is an OCR running, even if there is no text layer embedded into the file. Personally I prefer to OCR my scans before I upload them as well.

The ScanSnap software of my ix500 uses the well known Abby FineReader, bundled with the scanner. And my to go ScannerPro does it’s own OCR as well on the iPhone .

Only when using the build in scanner of the EN app I have to rely on the server OCR run by EN.