The Portable Document Format (PDF) is designed for end-use files--those that will be viewed and printed, but not substantially modified. You may want to extract text from PDF files. This How To describes how to extract text and graphics in Adobe Acrobat 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0.
Please note that when you paste the text, it may not be formatted as it was in the PDF file, and you see different results in different applications.
Refer to How to Extract Graphics from a PDF document for Acrobat 4 & 5 or for Acrobat 6 for information on extracting graphics from a PDF document.
How To extract one or more words on the same line
- Open the PDF document you want to extract text from.
- Select the Select Text tool and select the text.
- From the Edit menu choose Copy or right-click on the selection and choose Copy.
- Open Word or the other application you want to use.
- Paste the selection.
- Continue as needed.
NOTE: Don't use the touchup text tool, which is designed for editing text in a PDF file.
How To extract a paragraph or a single column
- Open the PDF document you want to extract text from.
- Hold down the Control key and use either the column select tool or the text select tool.
- Select the text.
- Copy the selection.
- Open Word or the other application you want to use.
- Paste the selection.
- Continue as needed.
How To extract one or more paragraphs
Open the PDF document you want to extract text from.
Use the table/formatted text select tool to select the text.
Copy the selection.
Open Word or the other application you want to use.
Paste the selection.
Continue as needed.
How To extract all of the text in a PDF file in Windows
Open the PDF document you want to extract text from.
Choose File menu | Save As.
Save the document as RTF (Acrobat 5.x or higher only).
Acrobat 6 has a .doc option also.
NOTE: Images aren't included in the RTF file, and some formatting may be lost.
How To extract an entire page
Open the PDF document you want to extract text from.
Choose View menu | Fit In Window (v5) or Fit Visible (v6).
Select any tool.
Choose Edit menu | Select All.
Copy the selection.
Open Word or the other application you want to use.
Paste the selection.
Continue as needed.
Please note that when you paste the text, it may not be formatted as it was in the PDF file, and you see different results in different applications.
Refer to How to Extract Graphics from a PDF document for Acrobat 4 & 5 or for Acrobat 6 for information on extracting graphics from a PDF document.
How To extract one or more words on the same line
- Open the PDF document you want to extract text from.
- Select the Select Text tool and select the text.
- From the Edit menu choose Copy or right-click on the selection and choose Copy.
- Open Word or the other application you want to use.
- Paste the selection.
- Continue as needed.
NOTE: Don't use the touchup text tool, which is designed for editing text in a PDF file.
How To extract a paragraph or a single column
- Open the PDF document you want to extract text from.
- Hold down the Control key and use either the column select tool or the text select tool.
- Select the text.
- Copy the selection.
- Open Word or the other application you want to use.
- Paste the selection.
- Continue as needed.
How To extract one or more paragraphs
Open the PDF document you want to extract text from.
Use the table/formatted text select tool to select the text.
Copy the selection.
Open Word or the other application you want to use.
Paste the selection.
Continue as needed.
How To extract all of the text in a PDF file in Windows
Open the PDF document you want to extract text from.
Choose File menu | Save As.
Save the document as RTF (Acrobat 5.x or higher only).
Acrobat 6 has a .doc option also.
NOTE: Images aren't included in the RTF file, and some formatting may be lost.
How To extract an entire page
Open the PDF document you want to extract text from.
Choose View menu | Fit In Window (v5) or Fit Visible (v6).
Select any tool.
Choose Edit menu | Select All.
Copy the selection.
Open Word or the other application you want to use.
Paste the selection.
Continue as needed.