The basics of getting text out of PDFs

Nearly everyone has faced that moment when a PDF holds important information and you just need to extract PDF text. Maybe you are compiling research notes or preparing materials for a meeting. PDFs are meant to preserve layout, which can make copying simple text trickier than expected. Fortunately, there are a few dependable ways to get that content out in a format you can use elsewhere.

Ways to extract PDF text

If your PDF contains selectable text, one direct method is using your PDF viewer. For example, in Adobe Reader or your browser, highlight the section you need and copy-paste into a document. However, if your file is not text based—like when it's a scanned image—this approach will not work. People often realize this only when the copy-paste results in gibberish or nothing at all.

For trickier files, dedicated tools come in handy. Some online platforms handle multiple file types and can recognize information embedded in PDFs, extracting the text even from scanned pages. These services use text recognition, transforming images into usable words with a few clicks. If you deal with articles, assignments, or ebook chapters, an online PDF summarizer can help process content and present it as readable text. This not only extracts but can also trim down to the key points.

Challenges and tips for better results

Not all PDFs are created the same. Sometimes paragraphs are split into odd lines or columns, and formatting disappears entirely during extraction. If you find the result messy, you might consider pasting the text in a plain text editor before moving it to your final document. This removes lingering formatting or strange symbols.

You may also encounter multi-column layouts or images mixed with text. In those cases, text extraction tools made for documents can parse the layout more accurately. When you have to work with more than just PDFs—maybe text from a website, image, or even audio—an all in one tool like chat with document streamlines the process for different content, keeping your research in one place.