How to Test a PDF Editor: OCR, Forms & Layout

Your switching checklist

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• Record the application name, exact edition, version, operating system and date. Take a screenshot of the edition screen if you intend to publish the result.
• Use the same original document for each candidate. Include paragraphs, a table, a form and an image; keep a separate scanned sample for OCR.
• Change one line of existing text. Save and reopen the result. Check adjacent text, font substitution, alignment and line wrapping.
• Extract text from a scanned sample and compare it with the known original. Record errors and language scope rather than calling the OCR universally accurate.
• Fill an existing form, save it and reopen it. Separately create a new field and verify it works in another reader.
• For an offline test, separate installation, first activation, disconnected work and optional cloud features. A vendor privacy statement is not an offline test.
• Record pass, partial or fail for each task. Keep the output and screenshots with the fixture identifier. Recheck after a relevant major version change.