Extract Text from PDF or Image
Step-by-step: Extract Text from PDF or Image. Upload to RatPDF PDF to Text, extract, download .txt — free and secure.
Quick steps
- Diagnose — Check if text is selectable in a PDF viewer.
- OCR if needed — Run OCR PDF for scanned documents.
- Extract — Upload to PDF to Text and download .txt.
- Verify — Spot-check numbers and names in the output.
Follow this workflow for Extract Text from PDF or Image. RatPDF's PDF to Text tool exports plain text for editing, search, and automation — no desktop software required.
Digital vs scanned PDFs
Digital PDFs (exported from Word, Google Docs, LaTeX) contain real text — extraction is fast.
Scanned PDFs are photos of pages — run OCR PDF first, then extract.
Common use cases
- Visa & government forms — copy instructions into checklists
- Job applications — pull requirements from PDF job posts
- Banking uploads — verify numbers before retyping into portals
Quick workflow
- Open PDF to Text.
- Upload your PDF.
- If the PDF is scanned, run OCR PDF first.
- Download the .txt file or copy the output.
Frequently Asked Questions
Upload to PDF to Text at ratpdf.comhttps://ratpdf.com/pdf/pdftotext, extract, download .txt.
Run OCR first if you cannot select text in a viewer.
3 uses/day, 200 MB per file on free tier.
Use PDF to Excel for structured tables.