Pillar·8 min
How to copy text from an image, screenshot or PDF
Text trapped in a picture or a flattened PDF is not really stuck. Optical character recognition can lift it out on any device, including scans that refuse to select.
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Copying text from images and PDFs
Text inside a picture, a screenshot or a flattened PDF is not really stuck. Optical character recognition can lift it out, and these pages show how on every device, including the tricky scanned and locked files.
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In this topic
6 min
How to copy text from a PDF
A normal PDF lets you select and copy like any document. A scanned or locked one needs a different approach. Both kinds handled, on desktop and phone.
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How to copy text from a picture
Your phone can already read the words inside a photo, you just have to know where to tap. Copying text from a picture on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac.
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How to copy text from a scanned or locked PDF
A scanned PDF is really a photo of a page, and a locked one blocks copy on purpose. Pulling the text out of each, using OCR and a couple of safe workarounds.
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How to extract text from a screenshot
A screenshot looks like a dead end if you need the words inside it, but it is not. Extracting text from a screenshot on every device, and copying it out.
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