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26 July 2023  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
 

Summary
Learn how to convert scanned PDF files to TXT format to easily copy and use the text in other documents. Find the solution in this article.



Table of contents

table iconI. The difference between scanned PDF and ordinary PDF files
table iconII. Use Renee PDF Aide to convert scanned PDF to TXT
table iconIII. Other recommended PDF software with OCR technology
table iconIV. Summary
convert scanned pdf to text

I. The difference between scanned PDF and ordinary PDF files

Scan version PDF document It is a document formed by scanning, and the text inside is stored in the form of pictures, which may be distorted or severely aliased after being enlarged, and the clarity is not as good as that of ordinary text version PDF files.
ordinary PDF document Generally, it is a text version, which has high definition and small file size. Each text can be copied separately, and there will be no distortion or jaggedness after enlargement.
If you need to convert the scanned PDF to TXT to extract the text, you can only do it through a PDF conversion tool with OCR text recognition technology. The following will introduce a particularly practical PDF converter with OCR technology – Renee PDF Aide , let’s learn how to use this tool to convert scanned PDF to TXT text.

II. Use Renee PDF Aide to convert scanned PDF to TXT

1. What is Renee PDF Aide

Rene.E Laboratory ™ PDF convert , is a multifunctional tool software that integrates PDF file editing and format conversion. The software has a simple interface and diverse functions, and is equipped with practical PDF editing functions, such as repairing damaged files, optimizing the loading time of large files, splitting or merging PDF files, adjusting the display angle of PDF files, encrypting/decrypting PDF files, and adding PDF files to PDF files. Multi-form watermark, image to PDF, etc. In addition, the software also has the PDF format conversion function, which can convert PDF files into common format files such as Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Image/HTML/TXT, and supports quick conversion of the entire PDF document or specified pages within the document into For other formats, the conversion speed can be as high as 80 pages per minute.
In addition, Renee PDF Aide integrates advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology and provides OCR language packages such as English/French/German/Italian/Spanish/Portuguese/Chinese/Korean/Japanese. In OCR mode, select the corresponding recognition language, which can greatly improve the accuracy of character recognition when converting scanned documents or pictures.
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2. How to use Renee PDF Aide to convert scanned PDF to TXT?

Renee PDF Aide can convert PDF files into other common formats, such as Word/ Excel/ PowerPoint/ Image/ HTML/ TXT, etc. Let’s see how to use Renee PDF Aide’s OCR function to convert scanned PDF to TXT.
The specific process is as follows:
Step 1: Download and install Renee PDF Aide, run the software, select the (Convert PDF) option.
Select Convert PDF option
Step 2: After entering the format conversion page, you can choose to convert PDF files to common format files such as Word/ Excel/ PowerPoint/ Image/ HTML/ TXT according to your personal needs. Here we choose (Text) (ie TXT) for conversion. Then click the (Add File) button to import the scanned PDF file into Renee PDF Aide. Then check the (Enable OCR) option to improve the text recognition rate during format conversion.
Add file, select txt format
Instructions for enabling OCR technology:
In Renee PDF Aide, enabling OCR technology includes two functions. Right now
A. Recognize text in pictures or PDF scans. This option can recognize text in pictures or PDF scans, and the accuracy of text recognition can be further improved with the help of OCR technology.
B. Identify built-in fonts (to avoid garbled characters). This option is applicable to the situation where there are built-in fonts in the PDF source file, which can avoid garbled characters after the format conversion is completed.

Step 3: After the settings are complete, click the (convert) button on the right to start executing the command to convert the scanned PDF file into a TXT file, which is very convenient and quick.
Click the convert button
Kind tips If the scanned PDF file is too large, you can also optimize (compress) it through Renee PDF Aide’s “PDF Toolset”. In addition, it also has repair, split, merge, rotate, encryption/decryption, watermark, image Convert PDF and other functions, all functions support batch operation, very practical and convenient.

Edit function option bar

Description of PDF toolset editing function modules
repair: Repair damaged or unopenable PDF files.
optimization: Optimize PDF files that take a long time to load, and compress large file PDFs.
segmentation: Split multi-page PDF files into multiple files or one as required.
merge: Merge and output multiple PDFs into one PDF, and you can also specify the pages to be merged.
Rotation: Adjust the display angle of PDF files.
encrypt and decode: PDF can be encrypted, locked and decrypted.
watermark: Add foreground watermark/background watermark to PDF file, watermark can choose picture or PDF document.
Image to PDF: Convert multiple or single pictures into multiple or single PDF files.

III. Other recommended PDF software with OCR technology

1. Soda PDF software

Soda PDF software is a free OCR PDF tool that allows you to convert scanned PDF files to editable file formats such as TXT, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, etc. In addition, this software also supports batch conversion of files. Of course, it can also modify text and images on PDF, add annotations to files, add digital signatures, electronic passwords, etc., and support file sharing to Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive etc.
Soda PDF software

2. Google Docs

Google Docs can use OCR function on image and PDF files. You only need to upload the scanned PDF file or image to Google Drive’s server, after which it will open a new page in Google Docs, which will use OCR character recognition technology to extract the text in the file during the opening process. However, there are certain disadvantages in using this tool, that is, the accuracy rate of discrimination is lower than that of other tools. If you cannot tolerate possible text recognition errors, it is recommended to try other software first.
Google Docs

IV. Summary

The above is the introduction of the method of converting scanned PDF to TXT file. Among several PDF software with OCR technology, the interfaces of Renee PDF Aide and Google Docs are relatively simple and suitable for novices, but Renee PDF Aide provides English/French/German/Arabic/Spanish/Portuguese/Chinese /Korean/Japanese and other OCR language packs, select the language pack corresponding to the PDF text when converting the scanned PDF, and the conversion accuracy will be higher than that of Google Docs.
The Soda PDF software provides many PDF-related operating tools, so its interface is more complicated and the operating threshold is higher, which is suitable for professional users who have more operating requirements for PDF files.