Copying text from a scanned PDF document can be challenging because these files contain images rather than selectable text. If you’ve ever tried to highlight and copy text from a scanned PDF without success, you’re not alone. The purpose of this guide is to show you how to copy text from a scanned PDF document using proven techniques. Whether you use OCR software, online tools, or built-in features, these five methods will help you extract text easily and efficiently.

Why am I not able to copy text from a PDF?

Many users wonder, “Why am I not able to copy text from a PDF?” There are several common reasons why text cannot be copied from a PDF. The following are the most prevalent. 

• The PDF is a scanned document – Scanned PDFs contain images rather than selectable text, making copying impossible without additional tools. It is much more difficult if the text is in the images. 
• The PDF is protected – Some PDFs have security settings that restrict copying and pasting.
• The document is encrypted – Encrypted PDFs prevent text selection to maintain confidentiality and security.

To overcome these limitations, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology is the best solution. OCR tools convert scanned images into editable text, allowing you to extract content easily. If you’re wondering how to copy and paste from a scanned document, OCR software provides a quick and efficient way to do so.

How to Copy Text from a Scanned PDF – 5 Proven Methods

Extracting text from scanned PDFs is possible using several proven methods. Here are five effective ways to copy text from PDFs that cannot be copied:

Method 1: Copy text from scanned PDF with Tenorshare PDNob

Tenorshare PDNob is an all-in-one PDF editor with a powerful OCR tool. Its OCR feature converts scanned PDFs into editable text with high accuracy, supporting multiple languages and providing an easy-to-use interface.

The following is a simple guide to help you use Tenorshare PDNob to copy text from a scanned PDF. 

Step 1: Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor Software Free Download from its official website. Open the program after installation. 

Step 2: Open the scanned PDF file in PDNob PDF Editor. To do this, simply click on the “Open PDF” button in the main window and select the file. You can also just drag and drop the file into the program’s main window. 

Step 3: The program will detect the scanned PDF. Click on “Perform OCR” to convert the document into editable and searchable text. 

Step 5: Once the process is complete, you will be able to highlight and copy any text from the document with ease.

Advantages:

• High accuracy in text recognition.
• Supports multiple languages.
• Easy-to-use interface.

Method 2: Copy scanned text from PDF Using Adobe Acrobat OCR

Adobe Acrobat Pro includes an OCR feature that converts scanned PDFs into editable text. As one of the most popular PDF management tools, it is accurate and effective. 

The following is a guide to help you use Adobe Acrobat OCR; 

Step 1: Open the scanned PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Step 2: Go to “Tools > Recognize Text > In This File.”

Step 3: Select the appropriate language for text recognition.

Step 4: Click Recognize Text to initiate OCR.

Step 5: Once the OCR process is complete, you can simply select a section of the text on the document and copy it. 

Method 3: Copy and paste from a scanned document using Online OCR Tools

Several free online OCR tools allow users to extract text from scanned PDFs without installing software. Popular choices include OnlineOCR.net, Smallpdf OCR, and iLovePDF.

Let’s use OnlineOCR.net here as and example; 

Step 1: Visit OnlineOCR.net.

Step 2: Upload the scanned PDF file.

Step 3: Select the language and output format and them click Convert to process the document.

Step 4: You can then download the file and copy the text extracted from it. 

Method 4: Copy and paste from a scanned PDF using Google Drive OCR

Google Drive has a built-in OCR feature that can extract text from scanned PDFs. It is free and easily accessible. Here’s how to use it; 

Step 1: Upload the scanned PDF to Google Drive.

Step 2: Right-click the file and open with Google Docs.

Step 3: Google Docs will automatically convert the scanned text into an editable format.

Step 4: Copy and paste the extracted text.

Method 5: Copy text from scanned PDF document with Microsoft OneNote OCR

Microsoft OneNote also provides an OCR feature that can extract text from images and scanned PDFs. Here’s how to use it;

Step 1: Open Microsoft OneNote and insert the scanned PDF as an image.

Step 2: Right-click the image and select ‘Copy Text from Picture.’

Step 3: Paste the extracted text into a document or note.

Conclusion

In this guide, we explored five proven methods for copying text from a scanned PDF. Whether using Tenorshare PDNob, Adobe Acrobat, online OCR tools, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneNote, each method offers a reliable way to extract text from PDFs that cannot be copied.

For the best solution, consider your specific needs: offline OCR tools like Tenorshare PDNob provide high accuracy and multiple language support, online tools offer quick accessibility, and Google Drive is a great free alternative. If you want a seamless and efficient OCR experience, Tenorshare PDNob is highly recommended for its powerful features and ease of use.