fl=466f154 h=cloudflare.com ip=165.227.63.9 ts=1702218070.274 visit_scheme=https uag= colo=SJC sliver=none http=http/1.0 loc=US tls=TLSv1.3 sni=plaintext warp=off gateway=off rbi=off kex=X25519

How To Copy Text From A Protected PDF

By Husain Parvez FormatPDF's Docs Last Update: 11/10/2023

Online tools such as FormatPDF’s "Unlock PDF" are among the best ways to remove a document’s security, allowing you to copy text from a protected file. You can even gain access to a protected file without downloading any kind of program to do so. Isn't it awesome?

You just need to follow these simple steps to unlock PDFs using the tool:

Unlock PDF Online
  1. Go to https://www.formatpdf.com/en/unlock-pdf/
  2. At the top of the screen, click on the red button that says "Select PDF files".
  3. Choose the file that you need to unlock.
  4. On the next screen, tap on the "Unlock" button. Give the platform a couple of seconds to unlock your protected document.
  5. Once the tool unlocks your document, you can download the same. It generally downloads the file automatically, although otherwise, click on the "Download PDF" button.

At some point, you maybe you might also need to convert the PDF to Word to make more changes to the file. Fortunately, we provide a tool to do just this, as well as convert the Word file back to PDF.

Use Our Tool Now: Unlock Your PDF File

Why Can't I Copy Text From A Secured PDF File?

Some possible reasons why you can't copy text from a secured PDF file are:

  • The file is user-locked, which means you need a password to view the contents of the file.
  • The document is owner-locked, which means you need a password to copy, print, or otherwise modify the PDF's content.
  • The file is encrypted with a strong algorithm that prevents unauthorized access or copying of the data.
  • The file is certified or signed using a digital ID or certificate, which locks the document to prevent changes.
  • The document has restrictions set by the author or the creator of the document, such as disabling the select tool.
  • The PDF has scanned images of words instead of actual text, which makes it impossible to select the words.
  • The document has embedded fonts that are not supported by your system or application, which may cause the words to appear as gibberish or symbols.
  • The file has corrupted or damaged data, which may prevent the proper rendering or copying of the words.

Why Would I Need to Copy Text From A Protected PDF?

Some possible reasons why you would need to copy text from a protected PDF are:

  • You want to quote or cite a passage from the document in your own work, such as an essay, a report, or a presentation. Copying the words would make it easier to format and reference the source correctly.
  • You want to translate the words from the document into another language, either for your own understanding or for sharing with others. Copying the text would allow you to use online translation tools or software more efficiently.
  • You want to edit or annotate the words from the document, such as adding comments, corrections, or suggestions. Copying the text would enable you to use word processing applications or online platforms that have more features and functions than the PDF reader.
  • You want to extract or summarize the words from the document such as finding the main points, keywords, or statistics. Copying the words would help you to use text analysis tools or software that can generate summaries or visualizations.
  • You want to compare or contrast the words from the document with another source, such as a different version, a peer review, or a competing argument. Copying the text would allow you to use comparison tools or software that can highlight the differences or similarities.
  • You want to reuse or repurpose the words from the document for a different context, such as a blog post, a newsletter, or a social media post. Copying the words would make it easier to adapt and modify the content according to your needs and preferences.
  • You want to backup or archive the text from the document for future reference, such as a personal library, a research database, or a cloud storage. Copying the words would enable you to save and access the content in a more convenient and secure way.

Tips About Copying Text From A Secured PDF

In this section, we'll provide some tips you should keep in mind while copying text from a protected PDF. These are as follows:

  • If a file is protected, it must be because the file contains sensitive data, so first, you must ask permission from the owner to access it. Moreover, it's illegal to access someone else's protected document without their permission, so it's vital to have their permission.
  • Of course, it's good to password-protect the PDFs again after unlocking them so that the files with sensitive content remain protected.
  • Password-protected files generally include a digital signature to make things even more secure. If not, you can sign them anytime using an online signature tool.
  • Although various tools can help you access a password-protected file, it isn't always possible. In fact, if a file is highly encrypted, you might not get the expected result.
  • Before copying text from a secured document, you should check the permission settings of the document. Some PDFs may allow you to view the content, but not to copy, print, or edit it.
  • If the text you want to copy is very short, you can try to use an optical character recognition (OCR) tool that can recognize the words from the image and convert it into editable text. However, you should note that the OCR accuracy may depend on the quality and clarity of the image, and the language and font of the words.
Check This: Forgot PDF Password - How To Recover It

Which Programs Allow You To Copy Text From A Protected PDF

While passworded PDFs add security, you might need to copy words from these protected documents at times. Online tools are, without any doubt, best for carrying out this action. However, sometimes you may also need other programs from different operating systems, so let’s take a look.

Windows

Two programs that can copy text from a protected document on Windows devices are:

1. Wondershare PDFelement

This is a powerful and easy-to-use editor that can remove the password and security settings from a file, and allow you to copy, edit, annotate, convert, and sign PDFs. You can also check the permission settings of the document and remove the password if you know it.

To copy text from a secured PDF with this program, you need to:

  1. Open the file in Wondershare PDFelement.
  2. Click the "Enable Editing" button on the notification bar.
  3. Enter the password if required.
  4. Select the words you want to copy and right-click to choose the "Copy" option or press the "Ctrl +C" keys.

You can also remove the password permanently by going to the "Protect">"Set Password" icon, and deselecting the permission option.

2. Adobe Acrobat

This is a comprehensive and professional solution that can create, edit, view, print, and manage PDFs. You can also use it to remove the password and security settings from a document, and copy the words you need. To copy text from a secured PDF with this program, you need to:

  1. Open the document in Adobe Acrobat.
  2. Click File on the top toolbar and find Properties.
  3. Click the Security tab, use the drop-down menu to choose No Security, enter the password if required, and then save the document to remove the security password.

After that, you can highlight the words you want to copy, right-click with your mouse, and choose Copy.

Mac

Preview

This is a built-in application on Mac that can view and edit PDFs. You can also use it to copy text from a secured file, if you have the password.

To copy text from a secured PDF with this program, you need to:

  1. Open the document in Preview.
  2. Enter the password when prompted.
  3. Select the words you want to copy and right-click to choose the "Copy" option or press the "Command +C" keys to copy the words.
  4. You can also save the document as a new file without password by going to the "File">"Export as PDF" option.

Linux

On your Linux device, these are two programs that can help you copy text from a protected PDF:

QPDF

You can copy text from a document that is secured, if you have the password.

To do this, you need to:

  1. Get this program from your distribution's repositories, or from its website.
  2. Then, you need to type this command: qpdf --password=your_password --decrypt yourfile.pdf output.pdf.
  3. This will make a new document that has no password or security, and you can copy the words from it with any PDF viewer or editor.

LibreOffice Draw

This is a free and open-source vector graphics editor that can import and export PDFs. You can also use it to copy text from a secured document, if you have the password. To copy text from a secured PDF with this program, you need to:

  1. Open the document in LibreOffice Draw.
  2. Enter the password when prompted.
  3. Select the words you want to copy and right-click to choose the "Copy" option or press the "Ctrl +C" keys to copy the words.
  4. You can also save the document as a new file without password by going to the "File">"Export As">.

Android

To copy text from a protected document on your Android device, you can try these two programs:

Xodo PDF Reader & Editor

This is a free and versatile app. To copy text from a secured PDF with this app, you need to:

  1. Open the document in Xodo.
  2. Enter the password when prompted.
  3. Tap and hold the words you want to copy and choose the "Copy" option from the pop-up menu.

You can also save the file as a new document without password by tapping the menu icon and choosing the "Save As" option.

PDF Reader - Sign, Scan, Edit & Share PDF Document

This is an app that can do many things with PDFs, such as reading, editing, scanning, converting, and managing them. To copy text from a document that is secured with this app, you need to:

  1. Open the file in PDF Reader.
  2. Enter the password when asked.
  3. Tap and hold the words you want to copy and choose the "Copy" option from the toolbar.

You can also get rid of the password for good by tapping the menu icon and choosing the "Remove Security" option.

iPhone (iOS) Or iPad

Two Apple App Store apps that can help you copy text from a protected PDF on your iPhone are:

Foxit PDF Reader & Editor

To copy text from a secured document with this app, you need to:

  1. Open the file in Foxit.
  2. Enter the password when prompted.
  3. Tap and hold the words you want to copy and choose the "Copy" option from the pop-up menu.

You can also save the document as a new file without password by tapping the menu icon and choosing the "Save As" option.

PDF Converter by Readdle

With this app, you can copy text from a file that is secured. You need to do these steps:

  1. Open the document in PDF Converter.
  2. Enter the password when asked.
  3. Tap the "Convert" button and choose the "Text" option.

This will make a new file with the words from the document. You can copy the words from the new file with any editor or app.

Read More: How To Decrypt A PDF File

You Might Also Like To Read:

Frequently Asked Questions About Copying Text From A Protected PDF

This a document that has security settings or encryption applied to it, which prevents unauthorized users from copying, printing, editing, or modifying the content. A protected document may require a password to open or access the content, or it may have restrictions on certain actions or features.
You may need to copy words for various purposes, such as quoting, citing, translating, editing, annotating, extracting, summarizing, comparing, contrasting, reusing, repurposing, backing up, or archiving the text. Copying the words would make it easier to use the content in different formats, applications, or contexts.
Yes, as long as it is done legally and ethically, respecting copyright and applicable laws.
It depends on the protection settings of the PDF. Some PDFs protect both text and images, while others only restrict copying of text.
It's important to check the copyright restrictions of the content before using it for commercial purposes. Some protected PDFs may have limitations on the use and reproduction of the content.
A scanned or an image-based PDF is a file that contains images of text, rather than words that can be selected or copied. To copy text from a scanned or an image-based PDF, you need to use an OCR tool that can recognize the text from the image and convert it into editable words. However, you should note that the OCR accuracy may depend on the quality and clarity of the image, and the language and font of the words.
A PDF that has a watermark or a background image is a document that has an overlay or a background that may interfere with the visibility or readability of the words. To copy words from here, you need to use a PDF editor that can remove or hide the watermark or the background image.

Update History: 10/11/23 Added new sections 'Why Can't I Copy Text From A Secured PDF File?', 'Why Would I Need to Copy Text From A Protected PDF?', more tips, more FAQs and a video GIF.

Husain Parvez
colaborador
Husain has been around the internet ever since the dial-up days and loves writing about everything across the technosphere. He loves taking tech apart and see what makes them tick, without necessarily putting it all back together.
Rate this post
4.8/5 - 4 votes