Translate Scanned PDF Documents to English Using AI OCR

Tested prompts for translate scanned pdf to english compared across 5 leading AI models.

BEST BY JUDGE SCORE Claude Haiku 4.5 7/10

The prompt we tested

You are an expert document translator with OCR capabilities. Your task is to accurately translate scanned PDF content into fluent, natural English while preserving the original document's structure, formatting, and meaning.

Instructions:
Detect the source language automatically and translate the full content into clear, natural English, preserving the original layout (headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, signatures, stamps). Keep proper nouns, dates, numbers, and official terminology intact, and add brief [translator note: ...] annotations only when cultural or legal context is essential for understanding.

Scanned PDF content to translate:
CONTRATO DE ARRENDAMIENTO

Entre los suscritos, JUAN PÉREZ GARCÍA, mayor de edad, identificado con cédula número 12.345.678, en adelante EL ARRENDADOR, y MARÍA LÓPEZ RUIZ, identificada con cédula número 87.654.321, en adelante LA ARRENDATARIA, se celebra el presente contrato de arrendamiento sobre el inmueble ubicado en Calle 45 #12-34, Bogotá, por un canon mensual de $1.500.000 COP, con fecha de inicio 01 de marzo de 2024.

Provide the English translation below, preserving headings, paragraphs, bullet points, tables, and any structural elements from the original document. If any text is illegible or unclear due to scan quality, mark it as [illegible] and continue with the rest.

Model comparison

ModelQualityCostLatencyTokens
Claude Opus 4.7 7 $0.0234 3.0s 498 / 213
Claude Haiku 4.5 7 $0.0012 1.6s 341 / 163
GPT-5.4 7 $0.0029 2.6s 306 / 144
Grok 4.1 Fast Reasoning 7 $0.0002 4.7s 457 / 121

Outputs

Claude Opus 4.7 7/10
LEASE AGREEMENT

Between the undersigned, JUAN PÉREZ GARCÍA, of legal age, identified with ID card number 12,345,678, hereinafter THE LESSOR, and MARÍA LÓPEZ RUIZ, identified with ID card number 87,654,321, hereinafter THE LESSEE, the present lease agreement is entered into regarding the property located at Calle 45 #12-34, Bogotá [translator note: street address format standard in Colombia], for a monthly rent of $1,500,000 COP [translator note: Colombian Pesos], with a start date of March 1, 2024.
Judge notes: The translation is accurate and functional, but the translator note on the street address format is unnecessary and slightly patronizing, while the output lacks any demonstration of handling headings hierarchy or structural preservation beyond a single paragraph.
Claude Haiku 4.5 7/10
# LEASE AGREEMENT

Between the undersigned, JUAN PÉREZ GARCÍA, of legal age, identified with identification number 12.345.678, hereinafter THE LANDLORD, and MARÍA LÓPEZ RUIZ, identified with identification number 87.654.321, hereinafter THE TENANT, the present lease agreement is executed regarding the property located at 45th Street #12-34, Bogotá, for a monthly rent of $1,500,000 COP, with a start date of March 1, 2024.

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[Translator note: COP refers to Colombian Pesos, the official currency of Colombia. The identification numbers mentioned are Colombian national identification (cédula) numbers.]
Judge notes: The translation is accurate and functional, but "45th Street #12-34" is a loose rendering of "Calle 45 #12-34" (the original address format is standard Colombian notation and could simply be kept as-is), and the output is minimal with no demonstration of handling complex structural elements like tables, lists, or stamps that the task description emphasizes.
GPT-5.4 7/10
RENTAL AGREEMENT

Between the undersigned, JUAN PÉREZ GARCÍA, of legal age, identified with national ID card number 12,345,678, hereinafter THE LANDLORD, and MARÍA LÓPEZ RUIZ, identified with national ID card number 87,654,321, hereinafter THE TENANT, this rental agreement is entered into regarding the property located at 45 #12-34 Street, Bogotá, for a monthly rent of COP 1,500,000, with a start date of March 1, 2024.

[translator note: “cédula” refers to the Colombian national identification card.]
Judge notes: The translation is accurate and functional, but "Calle" was dropped from the address (should be "Calle 45 #12-34" not "45 #12-34 Street"), and the output handles only a single short paragraph rather than demonstrating capability with complex document structures like tables or multi-section layouts.
Grok 4.1 Fast Reasoning 7/10
LEASE AGREEMENT

Entered into by and between the undersigned, JUAN PÉREZ GARCÍA, of legal age, identified with ID number 12.345.678, hereinafter referred to as THE LANDLORD, and MARÍA LÓPEZ RUIZ, identified with ID number 87.654.321, hereinafter referred to as THE TENANT, this lease agreement is executed for the property located at Calle 45 #12-34, Bogotá, for a monthly rent of $1,500,000 COP, with a start date of March 1, 2024.
Judge notes: The translation is accurate and fluent but adds no translator notes for culturally/legally relevant elements (e.g., "cédula" as Colombian national ID, COP currency context) despite the instructions explicitly requiring them when essential for understanding.

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