Get the text, pages or images from a PDF
Published · Updated 3 min read
A PDF is a closed document, made to be read as it is. When you want to take a piece of it, the first question is what you are looking for: the text to paste elsewhere, a few pages to send separately, or a page as an image. Each need has its tool.
Taking the text
To copy the text of a PDF into another document, use the PDF to text tool. It reads the real text of the document and, for scanned pages, recognizes the characters on the image. You get a light text file with a marker per page: about 5 KB for ten pages of a report. The guide Copy the text from a PDF that will not let you copy it details the cases of scans.
Taking a few pages
If you want to send only pages 1 to 3 of a report, Extract pages creates a new PDF with the pages chosen, in the order you want. It keeps the text selectable and the links. The guide Delete or extract pages from a PDF compares this action with Delete pages and Split.
Taking a page as an image
PDF to image turns a page into a PNG, JPG or WebP image, text included. An A4 page gives an image of about 1,190 by 1,684 pixels. If you convert all the pages, you receive a ZIP archive containing one image per page. PNG keeps sharp edges, JPG is lighter for photos, and WebP offers a good compromise between the two. The guide Convert a PDF to images, PNG, JPG or WebP helps you choose.
Getting a single photo from the document
The tool does not pull out the photographs one by one: the whole page becomes the image. To keep only one photo, convert the page to an image, then cut it out with Crop photo.
Which action for which need
Taking the text of an invoice, sending only three pages of a contract, or publishing a brochure page on a site: three different needs, three tools. The guide's table links them so you can go straight to the right one.
Check the result
Open the resulting file and compare it with the original page. Keep the starting PDF, which stays the reference.
| I want | Tool | What I get |
|---|---|---|
| The text, to copy elsewhere | PDF to text | A text file with a marker per page |
| A few pages of the document | Extract pages | A new PDF that keeps the text and the links |
| A page as an image | PDF to image | A PNG, JPG or WebP image |
| All the pages as images | PDF to image | A ZIP archive with one image per page |
Frequently asked questions
- How do you copy the text of a PDF?
- Use PDF to text. It reads the real text of the document and recognizes the characters of scanned pages. The guide Copy the text from a PDF that will not let you copy it details the cases.
- Can you get the photos of a PDF one by one?
- The tool does not pull out the photographs separately: the whole page becomes the image. To keep a single photo, convert the page to an image then crop it.
- Which image format should you choose for a PDF page?
- PNG keeps sharp edges, JPG is light for photos and WebP offers a good compromise. The guide Convert a PDF to images, PNG, JPG or WebP compares their weights.
- Is the original PDF modified?
- No, the tools create new files and the starting PDF stays intact.