Using with an Image
Some PDFs are actually just images of the text, not full PDFs with digital, searchable text. Others are just images which have been turned into PDFs.
If you see the message below when you open a PDF, you need to add a digital text layer to the PDF. Luckily this is possible, and fairly straightforward with online services.
Option 1: Free service
There are many good free services to add a digital, searchable text layer to a PDF you've already scanned. The one we recommend is Sejda. It is an established, trusted company.
- From the Sejda page, click "Upload PDF file". Choose your PDF File. Click "Recognize text on all pages" at the bottom of the screen. This will start the conversion process, which will take a minute.
2. When your file is done converting, click "Download." It should now be ready for use with structal!
Option 2: Paid services your district may have
Many districts pay for services that allow you to add a digital text layer to a PDF you've already scanned. The following is a list of these services, with links to the articles that show you how to use them, if you'd prefer to use those instead.
If you'd like more information on using structal with PDFs, look at this article.