Copy and extract text from PDF

Extract text from PDF: copy, export or OCR

1 min read·25 July 2026

Copying text from a PDF doesn't always work. Some PDFs are protected, others are scanned as images. PDFrust helps you extract the text — including from scanned documents via OCR.

Copy regular text from PDF

In most PDF viewers you can select text with the mouse and copy via Ctrl+C. If this works, you don't need an extra tool. Problem: in some PDFs (protected or poorly made), text selection is disabled.

Extract text with the pdf2text tool

PDFrust's pdf2text tool extracts all text from the PDF and gives you a text file. This works for PDFs with real text layers (not scanned). Ideal for importing content into a text editor or search system.

PDF to text

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Scanned PDF: text via OCR

If the PDF is an image (scanned document, photo of a document), there's no text layer. Use the OCR tool to analyse the image and recognise text. Accuracy: 90–99% depending on scan quality.

Protected PDF: text copying not possible

If the PDF has a copy restriction, you can't copy text directly. The unlock tool can remove copy protection if you're the owner or have the password.

Using extracted text

Extracted text can be pasted into Word, Google Docs, Notepad or any word processor. Be aware of formatting errors: tables, multiple columns and special formatting are sometimes incorrectly transferred.