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12 July 2023  Amanda J. Brook  Senior Product Manager
Last update by Olivia Brown at 24 May 2024

Summary
Learn how to copy the contents of a PDF document with various methods in this article. PDF format is widely used for product manuals and e-books.



I. Convert the PDF document to an easily editable document format and then copy the content

Converting a PDF into an editable format allows for easy content modification or copying. For example, converting a PDF to a Word document enables you to quickly find and edit content using Word’s functions like find/replace. Below are two methods to convert PDF documents into an editable format using professional software and online websites. This article uses conversion to a Word document as an example.

(1) Use professional software—Renee PDF Aide for format conversion

Using software can quickly convert PDF documents into easy-to-edit formats. Many PDF conversion tools are available, but I recommend Renee PDF Aide, a professional, user-friendly, and highly-rated option. Here are the steps to convert PDF files to Word using this software.
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What is Renee PDF Aide?
Renee PDF Aide is a professional PDF converter. It converts PDF files to various formats (Word, Excel, EPUB, etc.) and features advanced OCR technology for high character recognition. Additionally, it allows PDF repair, optimization, segmentation, merging, encryption, decryption, watermarking, and more.
Step 1: Download and install Renee PDF Aide.
Step 2: After the installation is complete, run the software and select the “Convert PDF” option on the interface.
select to convert pdf with renee pdf converter
Step 3: Select the (Word) option. Then click “Add Files” to load the PDF file.
how to edit a scanned pdf set before converting with renee pdf converter
tipsWe can also choose (enable OCR) mode when converting. In OCR mode, we need to select the OCR language corresponding to the document, which can greatly improve the recognition rate of character conversion.
enable ocr with renee pdf aide
Step 4: Select the location to save the converted file in the custom settings, and click the (Convert) button.
how to convert pdf with renee pdf converter
The text explains how to convert PDF documents to Word. After conversion, you can copy the text content. For tabular data, choose Excel as the output format. If you need to create a PPT presentation using PDF content, select PowerPoint in the Renee PDF Aide format menu.

(2) Use the online website—Smallpdf.com for format conversion

Smallpdf.com is a popular PDF conversion website with a simple interface. It supports online conversion of PDFs to Word, PPT, Excel, and other formats. Here’s how to convert a PDF to a Word document to enable content copying:
1. Use a browser to open the URL of the website. (Website link: https://smallPDF.com/PDF-to-Word )
2. After entering the website, click the (Choose Files) button to upload the PDF file that needs to be converted.
PDF to Word
3. After the file conversion is completed, download the converted PDF file to the local in the newly popped-up interface to complete.
Using an online website for format conversion is convenient and simple. However, numerous ads pop up during conversion, disrupting the process. Additionally, these websites are affected by network speed and file size, leading to longer upload and conversion times. They also cannot perform offline conversions, posing data leakage risks when uploading confidential files.

II. Use Adobe software to copy content in the opened PDF file

Convert PDF documents into editable formats (Word, Excel, PPT) to access diverse editing functions using corresponding software. For simple content copying, use Adobe software to open, browse, edit, or copy PDF files, as well as for format conversion.
Download and install genuine software from Adobe’s official website here. After installation, click the “Add File” button on the initial interface. Once the file is loaded, you can find and copy the required content directly from the document.
open adobe acrobat pdf dc

III. Summary

The above article will give you a detailed introduction to three methods of copying content in PDF files. Here is a comparison of these methods:
In terms of features:
All three methods are easy to operate. Online websites require a stable network, have file size restrictions, and offer simple functions. Adobe software, a specialized PDF editor, can create, merge, annotate, and sign PDFs. You can open PDF files with Adobe to copy content. Renee PDF Aide can merge/split PDFs, add watermarks, optimize and repair PDFs, and convert PDFs to editable formats. Its simple and intuitive interface makes it convenient for novice users.
In terms of pricing:
  • Smallpdf.com costs 5 euros (approx. $5.54) per month for the paid version, with a file size limit on the free version.
  • Adobe software is relatively expensive, with Adobe Acrobat DC 2017′s basic version at $239 per year and the advanced version at $359 per year.
  • Renee PDF Aide is more cost-effective, with the lifetime professional version at 99 yuan (approx. $13.96) and the one-year standard version at 69 yuan (less than $10). A free trial version is also available.
Note: The above currency conversion is based on the real-time exchange rate on March 30, 2020
Security:
Uploading files to an online server for format conversion poses a risk of data leakage, especially for confidential files. Offline software like Renee PDF Aide or Adobe eliminates this risk, making them recommended options for handling sensitive documents.
These three methods can help you quickly copy the content in the PDF file. You can choose according to the above three points of analysis and combined with your own actual situation.