Mistral OCR

With a Mistral API key, the Copy as… menu on any PDF gains Copy as Markdown using Mistral OCR: the whole document, or just the current page, converted to clean Markdown. Because it's real OCR, it works on scanned PDFs that contain no selectable text at all.

Try the free path first

For PDFs that already contain text, Pinza extracts it on your Mac with no key and no network: Copy as… → Copy as Text. If that comes back empty, the PDF is a scan — that's what OCR is for.

Setup

1. Create an API key at console.mistral.ai. Mistral's usage-based pricing applies; OCR costs a fraction of a cent per page.
2. In Pinza, open Settings → Integrations → Mistral and paste the key.

The key is stored in your macOS Keychain. (Command-line users can set the MISTRAL_PINZA environment variable instead; the Keychain entry wins if both exist.)

Using it

1. Copy a PDF — from Finder, Preview, Skim, or a browser tab showing a PDF.
2. Hover the HUD, click Copy as…, and choose Copy as Markdown using Mistral OCR.
3. Paste Markdown.

Until a key is configured, the menu item shows greyed out.

Limits and privacy

• PDFs up to 50 MB. Larger ones are declined with a clear message.
• The PDF is uploaded to Mistral's API for processing. If a document shouldn't leave your Mac, use the local Copy as Text instead.
• An internet connection is required.