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The Text Recognition Tool - How to prepare Scanned Documents
The Text Recognition Tool - How to prepare Scanned Documents

The Text Recognition process for being able to annotate in Kami using the Text-Selection tools.

Updated over a week ago

The Text Recognition tool is a paid feature that allows your computer to read the readable text on your PDF documents that weren't created in Kami.

So why does this matter? Because Text Recognition makes the text on your documents selectable, giving you access to:

  • The Dictionary tool

  • The Read Aloud tool

  • Markup tools

  • Commenting on selected words

Where is the Text Recognition tool?

The Text Recognition tool can be used from the Menubar or Dashboard.

Using the Text Recognition tool from your Menubar

To use the Text Recognition tool from your Menubar, open your chosen document in Kami. Select the hamburger Menu icon, then Text Recognition in the dropdown list of options.

A progress bar will appear in the bottom middle of your screen. Give it a moment to run, and that's it! You can now enjoy all of Kami's tools on your document.

Using the Text Recognition tool from your Dashboard

Open your Dashboard by clicking your Kami browser extension or going to https://web.kamihq.com/. From here, select Text Recognition in the Edit file box.

From here you can add your chosen file by dropping and dragging it from your device, from Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive.

Once your documents are in, click Next to start the Text Recognition tool.

After your document's been processed, you can Export to Kami by clicking the Kami logo. Alternatively, you can export it to your Google Drive, OneDrive, or Download on your device.


If you’re still unable to select words after using the Text Recognition tool, it may be because you’re using a scanned PDF. While scanned PDFs can be used, they’re sometimes hard to read due to the quality of the scan, formatting, and potentially other reasons.

For any errors with the Text Recognition tool, reach out to our friendly Customer Success team at support@kamiapp.com.

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