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How to Convert PDF to Text: Extract Plain Text from PDF

By PDFGo Team
PDFConvertTextExtractRTFGuide

How to Convert PDF to Text: Extract Plain Text from PDF

Converting PDF to text extracts all text content as plain text or RTF format. This removes formatting, images, and layout, giving you just the raw text content for editing or processing.

Why Convert PDF to Text?

There are several reasons to convert PDFs to text:

  • Text editing: Edit content in text editors
  • Data processing: Import text into databases or systems
  • Content extraction: Extract text for analysis or processing
  • Format freedom: Work with text without PDF formatting
  • Accessibility: Make content accessible to screen readers
  • Search and analysis: Analyze text content easily

Output Formats

Plain Text (.txt)

  • Simple format: Just text, no formatting
  • Universal compatibility: Works in any text editor
  • Small file size: Minimal file size
  • Easy processing: Simple for data processing

Rich Text Format (.rtf)

  • Basic formatting: Preserves some formatting
  • Text editors: Works in Word, TextEdit, etc.
  • More structure: Maintains some document structure
  • Better compatibility: More compatible than plain text

How to Convert PDF to Text

Step 1: Select Your PDF

Choose the PDF file you want to convert to text.

Step 2: Choose Output Format

Select your preferred format:

  • Plain Text (.txt): Simple text format
  • Rich Text Format (.rtf): Text with basic formatting

Step 3: Convert

Click to convert PDF to text. The tool will:

  • Extract all text content
  • Remove formatting and images
  • Create text file
  • Preserve text structure

Step 4: Review and Download

Check the extracted text to ensure all content was captured, then download.

What Gets Extracted?

Text extraction captures:

Text Content

  • All text: Every text element in the PDF
  • Paragraphs: Text organized in paragraphs
  • Structure: Basic text structure preserved
  • Order: Text extracted in reading order

What's Removed

  • Formatting: Fonts, colors, styling removed
  • Images: All images and graphics excluded
  • Layout: Page layout and positioning removed
  • Interactive elements: Forms, links, etc. not included

Common Use Cases

Text Editing

Extract text to edit in Word, Google Docs, or other text editors.

Data Import

Import text content into databases, spreadsheets, or data processing systems.

Content Analysis

Extract text for analysis, searching, or text processing.

Accessibility

Create text versions of PDFs for screen readers or accessibility tools.

Archival

Save text versions of documents for long-term storage or archiving.

Tips for Text Extraction

Format Selection

  • Plain text: Use for simple text extraction or data processing
  • RTF: Use if you want to preserve some formatting
  • Consider use: Choose format based on intended use
  • Test both: Try both formats to see which works better

Quality Considerations

  • Text-based PDFs: Best results with text-based PDFs
  • Scanned PDFs: May need OCR first for scanned documents
  • Complex layouts: Complex layouts may affect extraction order
  • Review results: Always check extracted text for accuracy

Best Practices

  1. Check source: Ensure PDF contains extractable text (not just images)
  2. Review output: Verify all important text was extracted
  3. Format choice: Select format based on intended use
  4. Test extraction: Try extraction on sample first
  5. Keep originals: Save original PDF if you might need formatting

Understanding Extraction

Text-Based PDFs

  • Best results: Text-based PDFs extract perfectly
  • All text: Every text element is captured
  • Structure preserved: Basic structure is maintained
  • High accuracy: Very accurate text extraction

Scanned PDFs

  • May need OCR: Scanned PDFs may need OCR first
  • Image-based: Scanned PDFs are images, not text
  • Lower accuracy: Text extraction may not work well
  • Use OCR tool: Convert scanned PDFs with OCR first

Complex Layouts

  • Order may vary: Text order may differ from visual layout
  • Columns: Multi-column layouts may extract in wrong order
  • Tables: Table text may not maintain table structure
  • Review needed: Always review extracted text

Troubleshooting

Missing Text

If some text is missing:

  • PDF may be image-based (scanned)
  • Text may be in images or graphics
  • Try OCR tool first for scanned PDFs
  • Check if text is actually extractable

Wrong Order

If text is in wrong order:

  • Complex layouts can affect extraction order
  • Multi-column documents may extract incorrectly
  • Manually reorder if needed
  • Consider PDF structure

Formatting Lost

If formatting is important:

  • Plain text removes all formatting
  • RTF preserves some formatting
  • Original PDF formatting cannot be fully preserved
  • Consider keeping original PDF if formatting needed

Conclusion

Converting PDF to text is essential for extracting content for editing, processing, or analysis. Whether extracting text for editing or importing into systems, PDF-to-text conversion gives you access to all text content.

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