PDF workflow · Practical guide
Extract PDF text: selectable text versus scanned pages
Save embedded PDF text from chosen pages and recognize when an image-only scan needs a separate OCR workflow.
Uvar solutions Pvt Ltd · Updated 12 October 2026
Open PDF-to-text extractor →1. Check whether the PDF contains text
Try selecting a sentence in a normal PDF viewer. A PDF can contain embedded text, scanned images or both; selection alone does not guarantee correct reading order. This extractor reads embedded text from unencrypted PDFs up to 50 MB and 200 pages, with an output limit of two million characters. It does not recognize scanned images.
2. Choose pages deliberately
Select the PDF and leave Pages blank for all pages, or enter a physical page selection such as 1,3-4. Physical page 1 includes a cover if present, irrespective of a printed page label. Selections retain your specified order and remove repeats. Fix out-of-range values and use ascending ranges.
3. Compare a known example
Choose Extract PDF text. A two-page selectable-text invoice produces separate Page 1 and Page 2 sections; entering 2 reads only the second page. Release validation extracted known text from a synthetic four-page PDF and checked the page separators. Check each section against the source, especially when pages have columns, unusual fonts or tables.
4. Save a reviewed TXT copy
Correct the editable result, then use Copy text or Download TXT. Open the saved file in a text editor and verify the intended pages and their order. Output is plain text, not a layout-preserving Word document. Annotations and form-field values are not included; characters or spacing may differ from what a viewer displays.
5. Use OCR for image-only pages
The status counts pages with no embedded text. An empty result can mean a scan, an empty page or unsupported text encoding. Render the required page with PDF to PNG & JPG, then use Image to Text OCR for printed English. Review that OCR result carefully. For protected or corrupt PDFs, obtain an authorized unencrypted copy or re-export from the original app.
Try the workflow
Start with a small example and check the result before using your own data.
Open PDF-to-text extractor →