Why can't I copy text from a PDF on a Mac?

There are two primary reasons. First, your PDF might be a scanned document or an image, which means there is no actual text layer to select. Second, the PDF may have a permissions password set by the creator that specifically restricts copying.

How to copy text from a PDF to Word on a Mac?

For a standard PDF, open it in Preview, copy the text (Command + C), and paste it into your Word document. For a scanned PDF, the best method is to use a PDF converter tool to convert the PDF to Word directly. This process uses OCR to ensure all the text is extracted and editable.

How do I extract text from a PDF on a Mac?

For text-based PDFs, use the selection tool in Preview. For scanned or image-based PDFs on a modern Mac, you can use the built-in Live Text feature. For more scanned files or protected documents, you should perform OCR or remove copy restrictions.

How to Copy Text from PDF on Mac: A Complete Guide

Introduction:

How to copy text from PDF on Mac? While it seems simple, copying text from a PDF on a Mac isn't always straightforward. This SwifDoo PDF guide will show you how to handle any scenario you'll encounter, from standard documents to scanned and even copy-protected files.

How to Copy Text from PDF in Preview

Preview is the default app that lets users view images, PDFs, and more on a Mac computer. It's fast, free, and provides many PDF editing features. For most PDFs you encounter, your Mac's built-in Preview app is the only tool you will need. With Preview, you can easily select and copy text from a text-based PDF.

How to copy text from PDF on Mac using Preview:

1. Right-click on the PDF > Select Open With > Choose Preview.

2. To turn on the Text Selection tool, please click Tools from the menu bar, and you will find Text Selection.

3. Select the text you need. Right-click on the text and choose Copy, or use the universal Mac keyboard shortcut Command + C.

4. Now, you can press Command + V to paste the text to another place.

Although you can choose the text, Preview does not allow you to edit. If you need to edit the existing text, you can try a professional PDF editor.

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Can't select text in PDF? If your cursor remains a hand or a crosshair and you cannot choose any text, it means your PDF is a scanned or image-based file. You will need to use a different method. Please keep reading to learn more.

How to Copy Text from a Scanned PDF on Mac

A scanned PDF is a photograph of a document. So, how to copy text from a scanned PDF on a Mac? In this case, you can use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to "read" the text within the image and make it selectable.

# Use Live Text

Live Text is a brilliant feature built into modern versions of macOS (Monterey and newer). It can automatically perform OCR on any image or scanned document you open. It is the fastest and most integrated way to copy and paste text from a PDF or a PDF image on a Mac.

At present, Live Text only works on image files, so you should first take a screenshot of the PDF. Press Command + Shift + 5 to launch the tool and make it.
Open the screenshot in Preview.
Select and right-click the text.
Select the Copy option.

# Use OCR Software

For users running older versions of macOS without Live Text, or when working with complex documents, online OCR tools can be helpful. However, it is highly recommended to avoid uploading documents containing sensitive or confidential information to those online services.

In your browser, navigate to a reputable online OCR service like OCR2Edit.
Choose and upload your scanned PDF from your Mac.

Select the correct language and adjust other settings.
Start the process and then download the new text-based document.
Next, open the PDF in Preview. Select and copy text with the Text Selection tool.

# Convert Scanned PDF to Word

Another effective method for copying and extracting text from a scanned document is to convert the entire PDF into an editable Microsoft Word file.

Luckily, many online tools can help you convert a PDF to Text on a Mac. Once the conversion is complete, open the new Word document. All the text from the PDF will be present and fully editable, ready for you to copy and paste.

In a browser, visit an online PDF to Word converter like Smallpdf.
Upload your scanned PDF file.
Select the OCR option and click Convert. The service provides a 7-day free trial to let you use the OCR technology.

After the process is finished, download the new Word (.docx) file to your Mac.

After that, open the downloaded file in Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, or another word processor. All the text from your original PDF will now be fully accessible for you to copy, edit, or use as needed.

How to Copy Text from a Copy-Protected PDF

Sometimes, a PDF isn't a scanned one, but you still can't copy the text. It is usually because the creator has applied a Permission Password to restrict actions like copying and printing. If you have the right to use the content, a tool like SwifDoo PDF for Mac can help you remove these restrictions.

Here is how to remove passwords from PDFs to enable text copying:

1. Download, install, and launch SwifDoo PDF for Mac.

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2. Open the copy-protected PDF in the software.

3. Go to the Protect tab in the top menu. Click on the Decryption tool.

4. Enter the password and click the Decrypt button. You can now select and copy the text from the document freely.

Conclusion

That’s all about how to copy text from PDF on Mac. For standard documents, the built-in Preview app is sufficient. For scanned documents, you can use the Live Text feature, employ OCR software, or convert them directly to Word. For a secure document, you'll need to remove the permissions first.

Now, you have all the information at your disposal. You can choose the appropriate work based on the situation to improve efficiency. Hope this guide is helpful.