What technology converts scanned text into editable digital documents?

Optical Character Recognition Software (OCR) is the correct choice for converting scanned text into editable digital documents. This technology analyzes the patterns of light and dark in a scanned image of text and translates that information into editable characters. The process involves recognizing the shapes of the letters and words, which allows the software to generate a digital text version of what was originally printed or handwritten.

OCR is widely used for digitizing printed documents, making it possible to edit, search, and store text in a more convenient format. This functionality is critical for businesses and individuals who need to convert physical documents into digital formats for archiving, editing, or sharing.

The other options do not specifically perform this function. Document scanning software typically focuses on capturing images of documents for digital storage rather than converting visible text into typed characters. Image processing software deals with manipulating images but does not convert them into text. PDF conversion software is primarily used for converting files from various formats into the PDF format or vice versa, rather than recognizing and transforming scanned text into editable formats. Therefore, OCR is the specialized technology required for this task.