Where Should OCR Output Go? TXT vs Word vs Markdown vs Searchable PDF

Quick answer: OCR engines emit plain text; the final format is your decision. Keep TXT for quick extraction, convert to Word for delivery, Markdown for note libraries. Honest note: DocsAll OCR outputs TXT today and does not generate searchable PDFs — use professional tools for that, or archive the text version. Open TXT to Word — everything runs locally in your browser, and files never leave your device.

Steps

1. Run OCR — you get a plain text file.
2. Content-only use: done; TXT is the deliverable.
3. Human-facing delivery: TXT to Word, then normalize fonts and paragraph styles.
4. Note-library ingestion: TXT to Markdown; flattened tables need manual rebuilding in the note.

Important notes

• Scans carry no style information — heading levels must be added manually in any format.
• Searchable PDF is the only format that preserves original appearance AND adds searchability; DocsAll does not produce it today.
• The complete local loop: scanned PDF → PDF OCR (text) → TXT to Word → edit → Word to PDF.

Common questions

Why not output docx directly? OCR text has no styles; a direct docx would be an empty shell of paragraphs. TXT plus conversion lets you proofread in between.

Will searchable PDF be supported? Under product evaluation; not in the current version — this page will not pretend otherwise.