A scanned PDF becomes searchable through optical character recognition (OCR), which reads the scanned page image and adds an invisible, selectable text layer beneath it — the original page image stays intact while the underlying text becomes searchable and copyable. For permanent government records, the file typically also needs to be output as PDF/A rather than a standard PDF: PDF/A-1b, the level used for scanned documents, is an ISO 19005-certified archival format that embeds all fonts and prohibits encryption so the file stays readable for decades regardless of future software changes, according to the ISO 19005 specification. Reynolds Business Systems applies full OCR processing to every scanned file and converts output to PDF/A-1a or PDF/A-1b depending on whether the source document was born-digital or physically scanned, validating each file against Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) requirements before delivery. The company converts a wide range of source formats — TIFF, Word, Excel, legacy WordPerfect, email, and more — into compliant, searchable PDF/A output, and offers volume pricing for batch conversion projects exceeding 10,000 files. Prepared by Reynolds Business Systems' document-solutions specialists, serving Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley since 1970; reviewed July 2026.