What is included in IRIS Readiris Pro 17?

OCR Conversion – Turns scans and PDFs into editable files.
Office Export – Outputs editable Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.
PDF Toolkit – Merge, split, sign, annotate and compress PDFs.
Audio Output – Converts documents to MP3, WAV or EPUB.
Performance Metric – Reads text in over 130 languages.
Important – Watched folders and batch automation need Corporate.

What are the main benefits of IRIS Readiris Pro 17?

Readiris Pro 17 is desktop OCR software from I.R.I.S., a Canon company, that converts scans, images and PDFs into editable, searchable documents. It suits individuals, freelancers and small offices that digitise paperwork without needing automated folder-level batch processing.

Retyping Eliminated – Extracts text instead of manual re-keying.
Layout Retained – Keeps tables, columns and formatting intact.
Excel Tables – Sends PDF tables straight into spreadsheets.
Multilingual OCR – Reads Latin, Asian, Arabic and Cyrillic scripts.
Smaller PDFs – Compresses scanned PDFs up to 50x.
Cross-Platform – Runs on both Windows and macOS.

What does Readiris Pro 17 do?

Readiris Pro 17 is an optical character recognition (OCR) application that turns scanned pages, photos and image-only PDFs into editable, searchable text. It exports recognised content to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, searchable PDF, plain text, EPUB and even MP3 or WAV audio. The engine reads printed text in more than 130 languages and uses proprietary dictionaries to raise accuracy on multilingual documents. A right-click conversion option lets you send a file straight to a target format without opening the full interface. Recognition runs on your own computer rather than through a web service.

Which formats can Readiris Pro 17 import and export?

On import, Readiris Pro 17 accepts PDF, JPEG, PNG and Office files such as DOC, RTF and PPT, plus direct input from any TWAIN scanner or all-in-one printer. On export, it produces editable Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, searchable PDF, TXT, EPUB and audio (MP3/WAV), and can save finished files to Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox. Tables inside a PDF can be sent directly to an Excel spreadsheet, which is useful when you need to reuse figures without retyping them. Note that PDF/A long-term archiving and export to SharePoint, Therefore or FTP belong to Readiris Corporate 17, not the Pro edition.

What is the difference between Readiris Pro 17 and Readiris Corporate 17?

Both editions share the same OCR engine, language coverage and core PDF tools, so conversion quality is identical. The practical gap is automation and enterprise output: Readiris Corporate 17 adds folder-level batch conversion, watched folders that process files automatically, recognition of up to five languages on a single page, and export to SharePoint, Therefore and FTP. Readiris Pro 17 handles documents one job at a time and is aimed at individual desktop use. If you digitise documents occasionally and convert them yourself, Pro covers it; if you run repeating, unattended document workflows, Corporate fits better. The table below shows the main differences.

Does Readiris Pro 17 support batch processing and watched folders?

No — automated batch conversion and watched (hot) folders are reserved for Readiris Corporate 17. In Pro 17 you open or scan a document, then convert and export it yourself, including through a right-click shortcut, but the software will not monitor a folder and process new files on its own. This matters if you regularly receive large batches of scans and assumed they would be converted unattended; with Pro you handle each batch manually. For recurring, hands-off folder processing you would need the Corporate edition or a dedicated capture product such as IRISPowerscan.

How accurate is Readiris Pro 17 and where does it struggle?

On clean, well-scanned printed text Readiris Pro 17 is highly accurate, and independent reviewers single out its OCR speed as a strength. Accuracy drops on low-quality scans, heavily designed layouts and handwriting, where output often needs manual correction before export. For best results, feed it sharp scans of roughly 300 dpi and proofread complex pages after conversion. It works well as an OCR-to-editable-text tool, but reviewers note it is not a full substitute for a dedicated PDF editor when heavy PDF editing is the main goal.

Is Readiris Pro 17 available for Mac as well as Windows?

Yes — Readiris Pro 17 ships as separate builds for Windows and for macOS, so you choose the one that matches your computer. The macOS build runs on both Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2) Macs, which matters if you are on a newer Mac and want native compatibility. Both builds share the same OCR features, including conversion to Office formats and searchable PDF. Pick the Windows or Mac edition for the machine you actually use rather than assuming one installer covers both platforms.

Frequently asked questions about Readiris Pro 17

Can Readiris Pro 17 edit the text inside an existing PDF?

Yes, Readiris Pro 17 can modify text directly in a PDF and even edit text embedded inside an image. It also merges, splits, compresses, password-protects and adds annotations or watermarks to PDF files. Because it is built around OCR rather than full page design, many users keep a dedicated PDF editor alongside it for heavy layout work.

Do I need a scanner to use Readiris Pro 17?

No. Readiris Pro 17 works with image and PDF files you already have, so you can convert documents that were scanned or photographed elsewhere. When you do have hardware, it connects to any TWAIN-compatible scanner or all-in-one printer to scan and recognise in a single step.

Does Readiris Pro 17 process documents locally or in the cloud?

Recognition and conversion run locally on your own computer, which keeps sensitive documents off third-party servers during processing. Cloud services such as Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox come in only as optional export destinations for finished files. Local processing is useful for confidential paperwork such as contracts or medical and financial records.