Question 1

Does making a PDF look scanned remove selectable text?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pages are rasterized into pictures. Keep the digital original if you still need to copy words.

Question 2

Is the scan effect the opposite of OCR?

Accepted Answer

Yes. OCR reads a picture into a .txt. This tool turns a digital PDF into a picture.

Question 3

Will the original digital PDF be overwritten?

Accepted Answer

No. You download a new scan-like copy.

Question 4

Why would I fake a scan instead of printing and scanning?

Accepted Answer

Speed and privacy. The job stays in the browser. Some desks still want that look.

Question 5

Does the scan effect upload my PDF?

Accepted Answer

No. Rasterizing runs in this tab.

Question 6

Can I tune noise and rotation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Those controls exist so the page looks fed, not freshly exported.

Question 7

Will this shrink my PDF?

Accepted Answer

Often it grows. Compress afterward if size matters.

Question 8

Should I use grayscale instead of a scan effect?

Accepted Answer

Use Grayscale if you only need black and white print. Use this page if you need the scan look.

Question 9

Can I OCR the fake scan afterward?

Accepted Answer

You can, but you will get a .txt guess, not your original text layer back.

Question 10

Does this work on a file that is already a scan?

Accepted Answer

It will rasterize again and add more grit. That rarely helps.

Question 11

Is this a way to hide metadata or secrets?

Accepted Answer

No. Rasterizing is a look. Redact if words must leave the pixels. Edit metadata if the title bar is wrong.

Make a PDF Look Scanned - Rasterize a Digital File