How to Determine If a PDF Contains Machine Readable Text

Even if you can open a file and read text on the screen, it doesn’t mean that the file contains machine readable text. The most common pdf file is more like an image or snapshot of the content. If this is the case, then a screen reader will not be successful.

1. Open the PDF file in Adobe Reader.
2. Click and drag your mouse pointer to select an area of text.
3. If you can select text, then the document contains machine readable text. 
4. If your mouse pointer draws a box or else highlights the whole page, then the document DOES NOT contain machine readable text.