How to Convert PDF to Text (In Easy Steps)

PDFs are a popular way to share documents, but they can be difficult to edit. If you need to convert a PDF to text, you may encounter challenges with formatting issues. This article will provide you with a simple solution to convert PDF to text effortlessly, ensuring that you get accurate results, even with complex PDF layouts.

Part 1: How to Extract Text from a Specific Portion in a PDF

1. Windows

Here's a concise guide for Windows users:

Step 1: Open the PDF, go to the page you want, and take a screenshot.

Step 2: Crop the screenshot to isolate the text.

Step 3: Use a free online OCR tool to convert the image to editable text.

1. Mac

For Mac users, here's a concise guide

Step 1: Open the PDF and navigate to your target page.

Step 2: Capture the desired portion using "Shift-Command-4."

Step 3: Open the image with Preview and extract text using the built-in OCR.

1. iPhone or iPad

Here's a step-by-step guide with screenshots for iPhone and iPad users:

Step 1: Open the PDF and navigate to your desired page.

Step 2: Capture the relevant portion using your device's screenshot feature.

Step 3: Edit and extract text by pasting the screenshot into the Notes app and using the Markup tool.

1. Android

Here's a straightforward guide:

Step 1: Open your PDF and navigate to the desired page.

Step 2: Capture a screenshot and crop it to focus on the text.

Step 3: Employ a free online OCR tool to extract text from the cropped image.

Part 2: How to Convert PDF to an Editable Text Document Online for Free

PDF to Word document

Step 1: Visit the WPS Free Online Converter

Step 2: Upload Your PDF

• Click the "Select PDF file" button and select the PDF file you want to convert.

Step 3: Converting
Once the file is uploaded, it will be converted automatically

Step 4: Download Your document

• Click the "Download" button to begin the download process.

PDF to TXT format file

Step 1: Access Convertio

• Visit the Convertio website: https://convertio.co/pdf-txt/

Step 2: Upload Your PDF

• Click the "Choose Files" button to upload your PDF document.

Step 3: Select TXT as the Output Format

• Choose "TXT" as the desired output format from the list of options.

Step 4: Start Conversion

• Click the "Convert" button to begin the conversion process.

Step 5: Download Your TXT File

• Once the conversion is complete, Click Download

Best Free Alternative to Adobe Acrobat - WPS Office

WPS Office is a robust and versatile office suite that offers a compelling free alternative to Adobe Acrobat for handling PDFs. It provides a suite of tools designed to streamline PDF management and editing tasks. Here's a brief introduction to WPS Office and its notable PDF features:

• PDF Editing: WPS Office allows you to edit PDF documents easily. You can add, delete, or modify text, images, and objects within the PDF.

• PDF Conversion: With WPS Office, you can convert PDFs to various formats like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more, making it versatile for different document needs.

• PDF Merge and Split: Merge multiple PDF files into one or split a large PDF into smaller, manageable documents.

• PDF Security: Protect your PDFs with encryption and password settings to ensure data security.

• Annotation and Commenting: Annotate PDFs with comments, highlights, and sticky notes, facilitating collaboration and feedback.

• OCR (Optical Character Recognition): WPS Office includes OCR technology to convert scanned PDFs into editable text.

Advantages.

• Free Download: No cost for access.

• User-Friendly: Easy for all users.

• OCR Built-In: Convert scans to editable text effortlessly.

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WPS Office- Free All-in-One Office Suite

• Use Word, Excel, and PPT for FREE, No Ads.

• Edit PDF files with the powerful PDF toolkit.

• Microsoft-like interface. Easy to learn. 100% Compatibility.

• Boost your productivity with WPS's abundant free Word, Excel, PPT, and CV templates.

Free Download

5,820,008 User

Algirdas Jasaitis

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FAQs

Are there any limitations to online PDF to text converters?

Yes, online converters may have file size limits, and conversion quality can vary. Complex PDFs with intricate formatting may not convert perfectly, leading to text output with formatting errors.

What are the common challenges when converting PDFs with images to text?

Converting PDFs with images to text can be challenging due to issues like image recognition accuracy and maintaining the layout. Images may not always convert with perfect clarity, and text placement can sometimes be disrupted.

Is it possible to retain formatting and layout when converting PDFs to text?

While maintaining the exact formatting and layout of a PDF when converting to text can be challenging, some advanced tools, like Adobe Acrobat and specialized OCR software, offer better results. However, perfect preservation of formatting is not always guaranteed, especially with complex PDFs.

Summary

In short, this article is a guide to making PDFs into editable text easily in 2023. We've talked about different ways to do it, from taking specific parts of a PDF to using online tools. But the star of the show is WPS Office. It's a powerful tool like Adobe Acrobat, but it won't cost you a dime.

With WPS Office, you can do all sorts of things with your PDFs, like edit them, change their format, and even keep them safe with passwords. It's really easy to use, especially with its built-in OCR feature. So if you're looking for a hassle-free way to turn your PDFs into text, WPS Office is the way to go.