How Sera reads text from documents
Learn how Sera extracts readable text from PDFs, scans, and photos — and how to improve results.
Overview
Many legal materials arrive as photos or scanned PDFs. Sera reads available text so documents become searchable and easier to organize. Results depend on clarity: sharp, well-lit pages work best; blurry or cropped images may yield incomplete text.
Why this feature exists
You shouldn’t have to retype every page. Textable text lets you find details quickly and helps Sera build Timeline, Topics, and recommendations.
Step-by-step
- 1
Add clear documents
Upload PDFs with real text when you have them. For paper, photograph pages flat, upright, and fully in frame.
- 2
Wait for Sera to finish reviewing
Text reading happens during document review. Don’t judge search results until processing completes.
- 3
Search to confirm readability
Try searching for a distinctive name, date, or phrase from the document. If it appears, Sera could read that text.
- 4
Replace weak captures when needed
If a page is unreadable, take a clearer photo or rescan, then add the improved file and Move to Trash the weak copy if it’s no longer useful.
Best practices
- Prefer digital PDFs from the court or counsel over photos of paper when available.
- Avoid glare, shadows, and extreme angles on phone captures.
- Include margins — cropped edges often hide dates and file numbers.
Productivity tips
- For long packages, upload the full PDF once instead of dozens of phone photos.
- When a photo fails to read well, retake immediately while you still have the paper.
Common mistakes
- Photographing screens (another phone or monitor) instead of exporting or screenshotting cleanly.
- Expecting handwritten notes to read as reliably as typed text.
- Searching before review has finished and assuming the document has no text.
Frequently asked questions
Why can’t Sera find words I can see in the photo?
Visibility to the eye isn’t the same as machine-readable text. Blur, glare, small type, or handwriting can prevent accurate reading. A clearer capture usually fixes it.
Does Sera change my original file?
Sera stores and reviews what you upload. Textable text supports organization; your materials remain available in Evidence for viewing and export.
Screenshots
Illustration placeholder — product screenshot coming soon.
How Sera reads text from documents screenshot placeholderHelpful links
Related articles
- Photo quality tips
Capture clearer photos of paper documents so Sera can read them and your exports look professional.
- Uploading documents
Add PDFs, photos, emails, and scans to your case so Sera can organize them into a clear timeline and evidence library.
- Search in SeraCase
Find people, dates, and details across your case using search — and Ask Sera when you need plain-language help.
- Supported file types
See which document and image formats you can add to SeraCase — and how to prepare files that work best.
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