Struggling to get your PDF text into another document?
Can't copy text from PDF files?
Then this is the guide for you.
We’ll show you how to copy text from PDF files using different methods. From manually using keyboard shortcuts and doing it online for free to copying text from scanned PDFs and even extracting images.
Read on to discover multiple ways to instantly and effortlessly copy text from your PDFs.
The answer? Yes – text can be copied from PDF documents.
It can be difficult, though, when the PDF is secured with usage restrictions, content is locked against editing, or if you have a scanned PDF of a paper document.
Fortunately, there are quick and free ways to work around those issues. We cover a few ways on how to copy and paste from a PDF below.
To manually copy text from a PDF, you can use quick keyboard shortcuts:
Note that this method is a quick workaround if you need to copy a few words or small sections of text.
However, it isn’t an ideal solution for extracting and copying large blocks of text scattered across multiple pages.
A free PDF editor like Xodo allows you to do it more efficiently and provides access to a variety of tools for working with your files, whether you're extracting PDF text or dealing with scanned documents.
Here's how to copy text from PDF online with Xodo's free PDF Editor:
This method works on all native PDF files.
If you have a scanned PDF, you'll need a different approach that involves using OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
To copy text from a scanned PDF or an image, first use Xodo’s free online OCR converter to turn your scanned PDF or image into selectable text you can easily copy.
Upload your PDF to the OCR converter and turn your scanned PDF into a searchable PDF. You can then copy text from the PDF file instantly.
You’ll also have the option to convert the scanned PDF to a text file directly and you can then copy the text from the file as needed.
Here's how to effectively copy text from a PDF into Word using a free online PDF to Word converter:
This method ideal for performing in-depth text-related tasks, such as spell-checking content or editing for grammar.
An advantage of using Xodo is that once you convert your PDF to Word, you can immediately utilize our free online DOCX Editor to update and edit the text directly in your browser, if needed.
To copy images from PDF using Xodo's free PDF editor, follow these steps:
Simply copying text from PDFs may seem impossible, but any of the above tips can instantly turn the task into a breeze.
Using the best free methods to copy text from PDF, no matter what your need or the PDF you have, you can use Xodo anywhere to work with your PDF text.
With the best free methods for copying text from PDFs, you can use Xodo anywhere to manage your PDFs.
Working online? No problem.
Handling scanned PDFs? We got you.
On your mobile device? Just tap.
Xodo is the Swiss army knife for any PDF task. Try all 30+ Xodo tools today and give your PDF experience a boost!