Instantly Translate Scanned Chinese Documents to English

Smartcat's AI uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to accurately translate scanned Chinese documents to English. Get instant translations of PDFs and images while keeping the original layout.

Trusted by 1,000+ global businesses for complex document translation, including 20% of the Fortune 500

How to Translate a Scanned Document from Chinese to English

Upload Your Scanned Chinese Document

Simply drag and drop your scanned file, like a PDF or JPG. Smartcat's built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology automatically extracts the text for translation.

Select Chinese to English

Run the AI Translation

Review and Refine the Translation

Download Your Translated File

Upload Your Scanned Chinese Document

Simply drag and drop your scanned file, like a PDF or JPG. Smartcat's built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology automatically extracts the text for translation.

Ready to Translate Your Scanned Chinese Documents?

Your All-in-One Scanned Document Translation Solution

Smartcat is more than a tool to scan document translate from Mandarin to English. It is a complete platform supporting over 80 file types, combining AI translation with collaborative review workflows for your entire team.

Why Teams Choose Smartcat for Mission-Critical Translations

9.6/10

for ease of setup

9.3/10

ease of use

1,000+

global corporate clients

20%

of the Fortune 500

See How Your Team Can Benefit

Achieve remarkable KPI results with Smartcat language AI

99%

quality & consistency

AI and human review workflows ensure exceptional translation quality.


4x

faster turnaround time

Reduce your project timelines from weeks or months to just days.


10x

more content for the same budget

Scale your content translation without increasing your budget.


You Don't Have to Choose Between Cost, Speed, and Quality

70%

Cost savings

for Stanley Black & Decker, while increasing quality

31 hours

Of work time saved monthly

for Babbel’s marketing and L&D departments

400%

Faster translation turnaround time

achieved by Smith+Nephew after switching to Smartcat

AI-Translate Any Scanned Chinese Document with Smartcat

Accelerate your global content with AI that learns from your edits. Our platform helps you translate a scanned Chinese document to English and supports over 80 file types, including complex PDFs and images.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I translate a scanned Chinese document to English?

The process is straightforward. Upload your scanned file to Smartcat. Our Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology automatically extracts the text. The platform's AI then provides an instant English translation that you can review and download.

How to translate scanned Chinese PDF documents into English?

Smartcat is ideal for this task. Simply upload your scanned PDF. The platform's OCR feature reads the Chinese characters from the file. It then translates the text into English, ensuring the document's original layout is preserved.

Can I translate a scanned Chinese document to English in Windows 7?

Yes. Smartcat is a cloud-based platform accessible from any modern web browser. This means you can use it on any operating system, including Windows 7, 10, 11, and macOS, without needing to install any software.

How accurate is the AI when you translate a scanned document from Chinese to English?

Smartcat's AI translation typically achieves over 95% accuracy. For documents that require perfect quality, you can invite a team member to check the text. You can also hire a professional reviewer from the Smartcat Marketplace directly within the platform.

Can Smartcat handle different Chinese dialects?

Yes, Smartcat supports both Simplified and Traditional Chinese. When you set up your project, you can specify the correct source language to ensure the most accurate translation when you scan document translate from Mandarin to English or another dialect.

Will the translated document keep the original formatting?

Yes, preserving the layout is a key feature. When you translate a Chinese scanned document to English, Smartcat works to keep the formatting intact. This saves your team significant time on post-translation design adjustments.

What file types can I use to translate a chinese scanned document to english?

Smartcat supports a wide range of file types, including PDF, JPG, PNG, and TIFF. The platform's OCR technology can extract text from most image-based documents, making your translation workflow seamless regardless of the original format.

What is OCR and why is it important for scanned documents?

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a technology that converts documents like scanned papers or PDFs into editable and searchable data. It is essential to translate scanned Chinese document to English because it 'reads' the text from the image so the AI can translate it.

Is there a free way to translate scanned document from Chinese to English?

Smartcat offers a free trial that allows you to test the platform's full capabilities. You can upload your scanned Chinese document, use the AI translation with OCR, and download the English version to see the quality and speed for yourself.

Can I edit the translation after the AI has finished?

Absolutely. All translations are performed in the Smartcat Editor. This intuitive tool allows you or your team's reviewers to refine the AI-generated text, check for context, and ensure it meets your quality standards before finalizing the document.

How does Smartcat handle complex documents with tables and charts?

Smartcat's AI and OCR technology are trained to recognize complex layouts. The platform attempts to preserve tables, charts, and other graphical elements. Text within these elements is extracted for translation, and the final document aims to mirror the original structure.

What makes Smartcat different from other online translation tools?

Smartcat is an all-in-one language AI platform, not just a simple translator. It combines AI translation, OCR, a collaborative editor, and a marketplace of professional reviewers. This creates a complete, scalable workflow for teams managing global content, not just single documents.

Sources

  1. Statista Market Insights. "Language translation NLP – Worldwide.." Statista, March 2025. https://www.statista.com/outlook/tmo/artificial-intelligence/natural-language-processing/language-translation-nlp/worldwide.

  2. Statista Research Department. "Number of employees in interpreting and translating services in the United States from 2011 to 2022.." Statista, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/320340/number-of-employees-in-interpreting-and-translating-services-us/.

  3. Statista Research Department. "Market size of translation services in the United States from 2015 to 2022.." Statista, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1280441/translation-services-market-size-usa/.

  4. Liu, Z., Wu, C., & Xu, X. (2025). The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Sustainable Development and Industrial Transformation. Asia Pacific Economic and Management Review, 2(2).https://doi.org/10.62177/apemr.v2i2.185