PDF to Word: extract text from a PDF

Converting a PDF to Word is a common request. Perfectly converting a PDF with full formatting is not feasible in the browser, but you can easily export the text to an RTF file that opens directly in Word.

What is the difference between PDF and Word?

A PDF is designed as a finished product, a Word document as an editable file. In PDF, page layout, fonts and positioning are locked as a snapshot. Word documents are flexible, editable text with formatting.

What can PDFrust do for you?

PDFrust extracts the text from your PDF and offers it as a .txt or as an .rtf (Rich Text Format) file. An .rtf file can be opened directly in Word, LibreOffice or Pages. The text is editable, but complex formatting like columns and tables is lost.

When does this work well?

This works well for PDFs originally created from Word or another word processor. The text layer is then present and readable. For scanned documents (images), there is no text layer available.

What if I want to keep the full formatting?

For that, specialised programs are needed such as Adobe Acrobat Pro, or online services like Adobe PDF to Word converter. These use advanced OCR and layout recognition that is beyond the scope of a browser tool.