Almost no PDF editors can directly edit Microsoft Word on the existing text. If you want to edit a PDF file, converting a PDF document to a TXT document might be the right choice. This article recommends several both online and offline PDF to text converters.
What Is a Text File?
A text file is a type of digital and non-executable computer file that contains only text (letters, numbers, and symbols) and has no special formatting such as bold text, italic text, images, etc. Text files are identified with the .txt filename extension.
The simplicity of text files has made it a commonly used format for storing information: no special software is required to create a text file; making changes to the file or modifying data within the document is incredibly easy. Almost all software can read and write text files irrespective of operating systems and platforms.
Desktop Programs to Convert PDF to Text
SwifDoo PDF
If you are frequently required to deal with a number of PDF documents, it is advisable to download a desktop PDF converter to help you as free online tools have some limitations on file size, conversion speed, and storage space. Therefore, a professional desktop tool is worth a shot. Let’s see how to work with SwifDoo PDF, a trustworthy PDF to text converter:
Step 1: Go type the URL on the search bar and click Free Download on the homepage;
Step 2: After the software is successfully installed on your device, launch SwifDoo PDF;
Step 3: Right after you upload the file, select PDF to TXT in the tab of Convert.
SwifDoo PDF Converter accelerates the whole conversion process which only takes you a second, and at the same time, it supports exporting PDFs to many other file formats, such as MS Office formats, HTML, CAD, and images. So go download the robust converter to enhance your working efficiency.
And if your PDF document happens to be a scanned or image-only PDF, SwifDoo PDF enables you to save the scanned PDF as a plain text file by performing OCR. This widespread technology is mainly used to recognize text within images. By applying OCR technology, you can obtain the desired conversion result.
How to Convert PDF to Text on Mac
For Mac users, saving a PDF file into a text file may be a little bit complicated without the help of any external PDF programs. The conversion process may require two different applications, namely Preview and TextEdit. Here’s how to extract text from a PDF on Mac:
Step 1: Open a PDF document using Preview and copy the text by choosing Text Selection in Tools;
Step 2: Drag your mouse over the document to select which to copy;
Step 3: Click Copy in the tab Edit;
Step 4: Launch TextEdit and paste the text you have already copied previously;
Step 5: Tick Smart copy/paste under Options to ensure correct spacing.
TextEdit is a simple, open-source word processor and text editor on macOS. Mac users can utilize TextEdit to open and edit rich text documents generated in other word processors, such as Microsoft Word and OpenOffice. Besides, this free app can also save your documents in a different format so that they can be read by other programs.
If the process is not as ready as you expect, keep reading to know how to use web-based tools to convert a PDF into text in a few clicks.
Online Methods to Convert PDF to Text
The quickest and easiest way to convert PDF files is to make full use of free online tools. Users needn’t download and install external software, just simply add your files to the specific field. Most basic needs can be met by online PDF converters.
Google Docs
Google Docs is an Internet-based word processor, available on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Google Docs is a real-time document editor which is convenient for collaboration. The following steps are about how to export a PDF into a plain text file:
Step 1: Log in to Google Drive with your Google account;
Step 2: Open the PDF document that needs to be converted;
Step 3: Right-click the file, and select Google Docs in Open with;
Step 4: When you are redirected to the Google Docs page, select File and then click Download;
Step 5: Choose Plain Text (.txt file) among different file formats.
Google Docs is a free online PDF to text converter, however, the conversion results may vary due to the complexity of a PDF document. Simply put, if you want the PDF to text conversion result to reproduce the original text and formatting to the maximum extent, your PDF should not contain any multimedia content, such as video, audio, and images.
PDF2Go
Anyone who needs a simple but effective web-based PDF editor can embrace PDF2Go.com. It is an online PDF editor that enables users to edit PDF documents, as well as convert many different files to PDF. With respect, to converting a PDF into a text file, the process is not complicated with the help of this versatile online PDF tool. Here’s how:
Step 1: Visit the homepage of PDF2Go. Go to All tools and look for PDF to Text below Convert from PDF;
Step 2: After you are redirected to another page, you can upload the document which is needed to be converted, through several different options: by entering the URL of the designated PDF; by uploading the file stored in the cloud platforms including Dropbox and Google Drive;
Step 3: When you have added the document to the clipboard, check the language setting to get the best precise conversion results;
Step 4: Subsequent to the successful upload of the PDF document, hit Start. The conversion speed and time are subject to the file size.
Then, this converted document will be automatically downloaded to the local device. Users don’t need to make further operations since the process is standardized.
ZAMZAR
While this name seems a little weird, it is a good PDF online converter. According to the founder, Zamzar gets its name from a character in the book “The Metamorphosis”.
With the mission to provide high-quality file conversions for as many file formats as possible, Zamzar supports conversion among various formats, which is rarely seen in other online tools. In terms of how to easily convert PDFs into text files, Zamzar never lags behind other rivals.
Step 1: Go to zamzar.com and add your documents. Please note the PDF document should be under If the size is larger than this, it suggests the user try a Pro version;
Step 2: In the Convert to step, you can choose the format you need. For this article, you need to locate txt under the document formats;
Step 3: Next, hit the Convert now and start the whole conversion process;
Step 4: After several seconds, you are allowed to download the converted document by clicking Download.
A Quick Summary
To sum up, PDF to TXT is not much of an issue now, especially with the assistance of in-the-market PDF to text converters. Making a text file out of a PDF document is just a matter of several clicks. Free online tiers such as Zamzar or iLovePDF have an outstanding performance regarding this conversion task. Nevertherless, these tools have the daily limits of two or three free tasks. Provided that your job entails the frequent use of PDF, desktop programs merit your attention as well.
SwifDoo PDF
