privatenumber/mac-ocr — MacOS CLI for OCR and searchable PDFs using Apple's Vision framework

Description and use

**Brief Summary (2‑3 sentences)**
*privatenumber/mac‑ocr* is a macOS command‑line tool that leverages Apple’s Vision framework to perform OCR on images and generate searchable PDFs. Written in Swift, it offers a simple CLI that can be dropped into local development workflows or CI pipelines to automate text extraction without needing external services. With active maintenance, 419 ★ on GitHub and recent updates, it’s a ready‑to‑use OSS component for macOS‑centric teams.

**Value**

• **Time savings:** Engineers can convert screenshots, logs, or generated diagrams into searchable PDFs in a single command, eliminating manual copy‑paste or third‑party web services.
• **Workflow automation:** The CLI can be scripted into pre‑commit hooks, test runners, or CI jobs to automatically produce searchable artifacts, improving code‑review and documentation cycles.
• **Local, privacy‑first processing:** All OCR runs on the developer’s machine using Apple’s built‑in Vision framework, keeping proprietary data off the cloud.

**Practical Adoption Path**

1. **Install** the binary via Homebrew (brew install privatenumber/mac-ocr) or build from source (Swift 5.9+).
2. **Integrate** the mac-ocr command into existing scripts (e.g., mac-ocr input.png -o output.pdf).
3. **Add to CI:** Include the binary in your macOS runner image and invoke it in a build step to generate searchable PDFs for test artifacts or documentation bundles.
4. **Optional enhancements:** Wrap the CLI in a small shell or Makefile target to standardize options across the team.

**Production Readiness**

• **Activity & community:** Recent commit (2026‑06‑22), 419 stars, 19 forks, and 12 relevant topics indicate healthy interest and ongoing maintenance.
• **Stability:** Built on Apple’s native Vision SDK, which is mature and well‑supported on macOS; no external dependencies.
• **Risk considerations:** License (MIT‑style) appears permissive, but a final legal review is recommended. Security posture is low‑risk given the local execution model, though a quick audit of the Swift codebase is advisable. Overall, the project is mature enough for a pilot in production environments, especially for teams already standardizing on macOS development machines.

Problem

privatenumber/mac-ocr helps engineers save time in daily development and review loops.

Outcome

High for an OSS candidate: recent activity, adoption, and ecosystem signals are strong enough for a serious pilot.

Workflow

• speed up developer workflows
• automate local engineering tasks
• improve CI feedback

Evidence

macOS CLI for OCR and searchable PDFs using Apple's Vision framework

Source