How to Copy Text from PDF? (Easy Guide)

You may want to extract some information from a PDF document and use it somewhere else. It could be useful for referencing and other tasks, but the most important thing here is to know how to copy text from PDF. It is because different PDF files have varying properties, and depending on those properties, the process to copy their contents will differ. 

So, in this guide, we will discuss multiple ways with detailed steps for you to copy text and other contents from a PDF.

Part 1. How to Copy Text from a PDF Without Adobe Acrobat?

If you want to copy text from a PDF without Adobe Acrobat, you need to use UPDF. UPDF is a complete PDF editing tool that comes with several advantages over Acrobat, like being easier to use, having more features, and being cheaper.

When it comes to copying text, UPDF allows free copying in the reader mode. However, that’s not all, since users can copy text from scanned and secured documents using the OCR and password protection features. So, download UPDF from its official website now and use any of the ways below to copy text from PDF without Acrobat.

Way 1. How to Copy Text from a PDF for Free?

Using the Reader mode in UPDF is free, and it works if the files are neither password-protected nor scanned. In such cases, you may follow the following steps:

1. Open PDF document with UPDF

You first need to open the PDF document in UPDF. Users with UPDF set as their default PDF tool can double-click on the PDF file to open it. Otherwise, open UPDF first using its icon and then use “Open File” option to open the PDF. UPDF will open PDF in its Reader mode here.

2. Select and Copy the text.

Now, you need to click on a text and drag the cursor over text while holding the click. Doing so will select the text, and it can be seen as highlighted text. A “Copy Text” button will be available in the menu appearing under the selected text. You may use that to copy the selected text. Then, you can paste that text anywhere on another document, etc.

Way 2. How to Copy Text from PDF to Word?

To copy the whole text in a PDF to Word, using UPDF’s Export PDF feature will be an optimal option. It can help you export PDF to Word, TXT, and several other formats. Download UPDF on your PC and try using these features now:

1. Open UPDF and open PDF file in it

Use the UPDF desktop icon to open your PDF file and click “File,” select Open in it, and open a PDF document in UPDF. Although it opens in the Reader mode, we don’t need to select text here since we will be exporting it to Word directly.

2. Export PDF to Word

Click the “Export PDF” option from the right menu pane and select “Word.” Now you need to click “Export” button, and it will be fine to leave the settings on default, but they can be customized if needed. The final step will be choosing a location for the converted Word file to save. As you proceed with these steps, your PDF will be converted to a Word file with all its text copied as it is.

Way 3. How to Copy Text from Scanned PDF?

The OCR feature in UPDF makes it possible to copy text from a scanned document with high accuracy. It supports multiple languages and works in the following way:

1. Open PDF in UPDF and perform OCR

Double-click the scanned PDF file to open it in UPDF, and as it opens, you need to navigate the cursor to the right menu pane. There will be an “OCR” button. Click it and then click “Perform OCR”. OCR feature also gives you customizable settings, but you may leave them on default if you don’t have any special requirements or a different language in the scanned document. Select a folder for saving the OCR file of scanned PDF.

2. Copy Text from OCR File

Now, the OCR file will be saved at the selected location. You may double-click it to open in a PDF viewer, or it may open automatically in UPDF. Now, all the text has been made selectable. So, you can select the text with the cursor and use the “Copy Text” button to copy and paste it anywhere you want.

Way 4. How to Copy Text from Secured PDF?

UPDF allows you to copy text from secured PDF documents, but it requires you to have the password for that document. So, if you meet these requirements, you may proceed with the following steps.

1. Open PDF with its password

As you double-click on the PDF document file, it will open in UPDF and if it has open password, it will ask for Password. You need to unlock the document with the password. If you authenticate, the document will open in Reader mode.

2. Remove Security

Go to right menu and click “Protect Using Password“, then “Remove Security“. It will remove any passwords or restrictions from the PDF.

3. Select and then Copy text.

Select text in that document with the help of your cursor and press the “Ctrl + C” button combination. Alternatively, you may use the “Copy Text” button appearing in the menu below selected text. Now you have copied the text, and you may paste it anywhere you want.

If you want to copy text from your documents in any of the ways mentioned above, you may download the UPDF software and proceed right away.

Other features offered by UPDF

Apart from copying text from the PDF documents, UPDF also offers the following features:

• Editing text and adding text in PDF
• Editing and creating links
• UPDF AI for translation and summarizing content
• UPDF Cloud
• Easy sharing, etc.

Now, you can download UPDF for free and purchase its premium plan with 60% off for a limited time.

Part 2. How to Copy Text from PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro?

Another tool that you can use for copying text from PDF documents is Adobe Acrobat Pro. It is known as one of the best PDF tools for both online and offline working since it provides extensive range of features like PDF editing, conversion, OCR, rich media, etc. Here are the steps to copy text using Acrobat Pro.s

1. Open PDF in Acrobat Pro and go to Tools

Using the “File” and “Open” options in Adobe Acrobat, you need to open the PDF document first. Once it opens, you may go to the “Tools” tab from the top. There will be multiple options, and you need to pick “Edit PDF” from the list.

2. Select Edit and select Text.

Select “Edit” from the top menu bar, and then you may select the text using cursor and drag it over the text to highlight and select it.

3. Right-click to reveal copying option.

Once you have selected the text, you may right-click it and click “Copy” from the options available. An alternative way is using the “Ctrl & C” combo on your keyboard. Either way, you will have the text copied, and you may paste it anywhere you want.

Part 3. FAQS About Copying Text from PDF

Q1. Why Can’t I Copy Text from PDF?

There could be several reasons why you are unable to copy text from a PDF, and the common ones include the following:

• The PDF document has security settings preventing you from copying text
• PDF document consists of scanned content instead of selectable text, so you cannot copy it
• There are encoding or file corruption issues that prevent the copying function
• You are not using the right tool that supports copying PDF contents
• Some unique fonts in PDF are unrecognizable, which makes copying impossible

Q2. How to Copy Text from PDF Online?

You can use PDFfiller to copy text from a PDF online with the following steps:

1. Open PDFfiller
2. Upload PDF
3. Select the text and copy it

Q3. How to Copy Arabic Text from PDF?

Use UPDF to copy Arabic text from PDF since it supports working with multiple languages. You may follow these steps on UPDF:

1. Open PDF document in Reader mode
2. Select text with cursor
3. Click “Copy Text” button

Q4. How to Copy Hebrew Text from PDF?

You need to use a PDF tool that supports Hebrew, and UPDF is an amazing choice with an easy process:

1. Open PDF document in UPDF Reader mode
2. Highlight text with cursor
3. Click “Copy Text” button

Q5.  How to Copy Text from PDF in Bluebeam?

Bluebeam is one of the PDF editors that allows copying text, and the process is very easy:

1. Open PDF in Bluebeam
2. Click “Select Text” tool
3. Select text by dragging cursor
4. Click “Copy”

Q6. How to Copy Text from PDF in Foxit Reader?

Follow the steps below to copy text from PDF in Foxit Reader:

1. Open PDF
2. Use “Text Selection Tool” and select text with cursor
3. Click “Copy” button

Q7. How to Copy Text from PDF in Microsoft Edge?

Microsoft Edge browser has PDF viewing and editing capabilities. You may follow these steps to copy text:

1. Open PDF in Edge
2. Double-click and drag cursor to select text
3. Press “Ctrl + C” on keyboard, and the text will be selected

Now, you can paste that text anywhere else.

Final Words

We hope that now you know all the ways to copy text from PDF documents, no matter what restrictions or conditions the document comes with. The only thing you need to do is select a compatible tool. Speaking of PDF tools, UPDF makes a great choice since it not only allows copying text but also has many other PDF features. So, download it today and try out all the features of UPDF.