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How to Convert PDF to Text

You need the raw text out of a PDF — for indexing, data analysis, database import, or content migration. Adobe Reader lets you copy-paste a few paragraphs, but it fails on multi-page documents, multi-column layouts, and tables. Online converters process one file at a time and upload your data to someone else's server. Total PDF Converter extracts text from hundreds of PDFs in one batch, runs entirely on your Windows machine, and gives you a choice of encoding: ANSI, UTF-8, or Unicode.

Quick answer: To convert PDF to text, launch Total PDF Converter, tick the PDF files you need, click the TXT button, pick the encoding (ANSI, UTF-8, or Unicode) and output folder in the wizard, then press Start. It extracts text from hundreds of PDFs in one batch, reads multi-column layouts correctly, and runs offline with no file-size limit.

Why Convert PDF to Plain Text?

PDF

PDF is a fixed-layout format. It embeds fonts, images, and vector graphics so the document looks identical everywhere. That stability comes at a cost: extracting just the text requires a converter that understands the internal PDF structure — glyph positions, encoding tables, embedded fonts, and page streams.

TXT

A plain-text file contains characters and line breaks — nothing else. It opens in any editor on any operating system. TXT is the input format for search indexes (Elasticsearch, Solr), databases, data-processing scripts, NLP pipelines, and content management systems. When you strip a PDF down to text, you get data you can query, transform, and reuse.

What Total PDF Converter Can Do

Batch conversion — select an entire folder tree and convert every PDF to TXT in one run. No file-count limit.
Encoding choice — output as ANSI, UTF-8, or Unicode (UTF-16). The converter writes the correct BOM automatically.
OCR support — scanned PDFs that contain images instead of text can be processed with the Total PDF Converter to extract text via optical character recognition.
Page range — extract text from specific pages only (e.g. pages 5–12) instead of the entire document.
Combine into one file — merge text from multiple PDFs into a single TXT with file-name separators.
Multi-format output — the same tool also converts PDF to DOC, HTML, XLS, TIFF, JPEG, PDF/A, RTF, CSV, EPS, and more.

How to Convert PDF to Text — Step by Step

Step 1. Select PDF Files

Launch Total PDF Converter. The folder tree on the left shows your drives and directories. Navigate to the folder with your PDFs and tick the files you need. To select an entire folder, tick the folder checkbox.

Step 2. Choose TXT as the Output Format

Click the TXT button in the format bar. The settings wizard opens with tabs for encoding, page range, and destination.

Step 3. Set Encoding and Options

Choose ANSI, UTF-8, or Unicode depending on your needs. Specify the output folder. If you want all extracted texts merged into one file, enable Combine files. To extract only certain pages, set the page range.

Step 4. Click Start

Press Start. The converter reads each PDF, extracts the text layer, and writes plain TXT files with the chosen encoding. A progress log shows the status for every file.

Total PDF Converter — select PDF files for text extraction

Total PDF Converter — PDF to TXT conversion settings

Command-Line Conversion

Total PDF Converter includes a command-line interface for scripting and automation:

PDFConverter.exe "C:\Reports\*.pdf" "C:\Output\" -cTXT -oUTF8

Parameters: source path (wildcards supported), destination folder, -cTXT sets the target format, -oUTF8 sets encoding. Save this in a .bat file and schedule it with Windows Task Scheduler. Total PDF Converter X (server edition) runs without a GUI and adds ActiveX support for integration into web applications and automated document pipelines.

Online Converters vs Total PDF Converter

Feature	Online Converter	Total PDF Converter
Batch conversion (100+ files)	No — one file at a time	Yes — unlimited files and folders
Encoding choice	Usually UTF-8 only	ANSI, UTF-8, or Unicode with BOM
Page range selection	Rarely	Yes — any page range
Combine output into one file	No	Yes
Command line / automation	No	Yes — CLI + .bat scripting
File size limit	Typically 10–50 MB	No limit
Privacy	Files uploaded to a third-party server	100% offline — files stay on your PC
Multi-column layout handling	Often garbled	Reads column order correctly

Why Choose Total PDF Converter?

Accurate text extraction

The converter reads the internal PDF text layer — glyph positions, encoding maps, embedded fonts. Multi-column documents, tables, and mixed-language text are handled correctly. The output follows natural reading order, not the raw PDF object sequence.

Works with any PDF version

PDF 1.0 through PDF 2.0, encrypted files (with the password supplied), linearized PDFs, and files with embedded fonts — Total PDF Converter handles them all.

More than just TXT

One tool converts PDF to 15+ formats: DOC, DOCX, RTF, XLS, XLSX, CSV, HTML, XHTML, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, EPS, PS, PDF/A, and Unicode text. Buy one license and cover every conversion task.

Server edition for unattended processing

Total PDF Converter X runs as a background process with no GUI. It accepts commands via ActiveX or command line and processes PDFs around the clock. Ideal for document ingestion, helpdesk systems, and automated archival workflows.

When Do You Need PDF to Text Conversion?

Full-text search indexing — extract text from thousands of PDFs and feed it to Elasticsearch, Solr, or a custom search engine.
Database import — pull text out of invoices, contracts, or reports and load it into SQL tables for querying.
NLP and machine learning — prepare training corpora from PDF document collections for text classification, entity extraction, or sentiment analysis.
Content migration — move PDF-based content into a web CMS or knowledge base that accepts plain text or Markdown.
E-discovery and compliance — convert large collections of PDF evidence to searchable text for legal review.

Download the free 30-day trial — no email or credit card required. A personal license costs $39.90 and includes one year of free upgrades. Works on Windows 7/8/10/11.

Download Free Trial Buy License — $39.90

FAQ

How do I convert PDF to plain text?

Install Total PDF Converter, select your PDF files in the folder tree, click the TXT button, choose encoding (ANSI, UTF-8, or Unicode), set the destination, and click Start. All selected PDFs are converted to text in one batch.

Can I convert scanned PDFs to text?

Standard Total PDF Converter extracts text from PDFs that already have a text layer. For scanned PDFs (image-only), use Total PDF Converter OCR — it applies optical character recognition to extract text from scanned pages.

What encoding options are available?

Three options: ANSI (for basic Latin text), UTF-8 (the standard for web, Linux, and modern databases), and Unicode UTF-16 (for legacy Windows applications). The converter writes the correct BOM (Byte Order Mark) automatically.

Can I extract text from specific pages only?

Yes. In the settings wizard, set a page range (e.g. 5-12). Only those pages will be processed. This is useful when you need text from a particular chapter or section of a large PDF.

Is there a command-line version for automation?

Yes. Total PDF Converter includes a full command-line interface. Specify the source files, output folder, format, and encoding in one command. Save it in a .bat file for scheduled runs. The server edition (Total PDF Converter X) adds ActiveX support.

Can I merge text from multiple PDFs into one file?

Yes. Enable the 'Combine files' option in the settings wizard. The converter appends text from each PDF into a single output TXT file, separated by file-name markers.

Can I try the converter before buying?

Yes. The free trial runs for 30 days with full functionality. No email address or credit card is required. A personal license costs $39.90.

Start working now!

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