Scanned or Text PDF? How to Tell Before You Convert a Statement
A PDF can hold real text or just a picture of a page. Converters that read the text layer, including RowSmith, need the first kind. Here is a quick way to check, and what to do if you have a scan.
Your file is never uploaded. RowSmith reads text-based PDF statements in your browser. Scanned PDFs aren't supported yet. Always review the rows before you use them.
Open the free statement converter
Steps
- Open the PDF and try to select a word with your cursor.
- If you can highlight individual words, the PDF has a text layer.
- If the whole page selects as one box, or nothing selects, it is a scan or photo.
- For a scan, download the statement again from your online account, which usually gives a text PDF.
Good to know
Search is a fast test
Press Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) and search for a merchant name you can see on the page. If the search finds nothing, the page is probably an image.
Where scans come from
Paper statements run through a scanner or phone camera, and some printed-to-PDF copies, produce image-only files. Statements downloaded straight from an online account almost always contain text.
What if you only have paper
Request a downloadable copy from your account provider, or check whether your online account keeps older statements. Many keep several years.
Questions
Does RowSmith read scanned statements?
Not yet. It needs a PDF with a text layer.
Will printing to PDF fix a scan?
No. Printing an image to PDF still gives an image. You need the original downloaded statement.
Doing this every month? RowSmith Pro
Converting statements, including many at once into one table, stays free with no limit. Pro adds:
- A suggested Schedule C category on every transaction (a suggestion only; confirm with your own records or a tax professional).
- Saved cleanup rules to rename messy merchant text and set your own category every time, with an editor plus import and export.
- One CSV or Excel file per statement, plus a Source file column in the combined file.
- Monthly category totals as CSV or Excel.
- Extra Payee, Category and Category source columns in the accounting and Excel downloads.
$9/month or $59/year. Email us within 14 days of your first payment for a full refund, no questions asked.
This guide was written with AI assistance and reviewed against the converter's behaviour. Always review your output before using it.
RowSmith is an independent tool and is not affiliated with any bank or software company.
Converting is free. RowSmith Pro ($9/month or $59/year) adds suggested Schedule C categories, saved cleanup rules and monthly category totals.