Learn How to Copy Text from a Secured PDF Document Easily

Secured PDF files are excellent for protecting sensitive information. However, they can pose a challenge when users need to copy text from them. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore various techniques to copy text from a secured PDF with & without a password.

How to Copy Text From a Locked PDF Having Password?

If a user is dealing with a password-protected PDF and wants to copy text, then he must know the password beforehand. Do understand that the password is a document-open password. It prevents the PDF from opening.

Anyhow, only if the password is known, the user can remove it and convert secured PDF to unsecured to copy text. There are two ways to unlock PDFs for copying.

Method 1: Copy Password-Protected PDF Using Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC can also be used to copy text from password-protected PDFs. Of course, even in this case, the user must know the password. Here’s a simple guide:

• Open the password-protected PDF file using Adobe Acrobat.
• Enter the password when prompted to unlock the PDF.
• Once the PDF is open, navigate to the page containing the text you want to copy.
• Use the text selection tool (usually an icon that looks like a cursor arrow) to highlight the text.
• Right-click on the highlighted text and choose “Copy” from the context menu.
• You can now paste the copied text into your desired application.

How To Copy Text From a Secured PDF Having Restrictions?

If users are faced with a PDF that has restrictions preventing text copying, there are multiple solutions. It depends on whether the user knows the password or not.

If the user knows the restricted password, any PDF editor like Adobe Acrobat can copy text from secured PDF files.

If the user does not know the permission password, then SysTools and other indirect methods can be used to copy a protected PDF document. All of these are explained below.

Method 2: Copy a Locked PDF Using Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC offers a solution to copy a protected PDF document. However, the user needs to know the password beforehand. To do this, follow these steps:

• Open the restricted PDF file using Adobe Acrobat.
• Right-click on the protected PDF document and select Properties.
• Choose Security > No Security and enter the password; click OK.
• Save the PDF file. Then, navigate to the page containing the text you want to copy.
• Use the text selection tool to highlight the text.
• Right-click on the highlighted text and choose Copy from the context menu.
• Paste the copied text into your desired application.

Method 3: Take a Screenshot

If other methods fail, taking screenshots of the text is a quick workaround. Here’s how to copy protected PDF content using images:

• Open the secured PDF and navigate to the page with the text you want to copy.
• Take a screenshot of the page by pressing the Print Screen (PrtScn) key on your keyboard.
• Open an image editing program like Microsoft Paint or Adobe Photoshop.
• Paste the screenshot into the program and crop it to include only the desired text.
• Save the cropped image.

Method 4: Convert PDF to a Copyable Word Document

Another way to copy text from a secured PDF is to convert the PDF to an editable Word document. Here’s how to make a copyable PDF by converting it to Word:

• Use an online PDF-to-Word converter or a PDF editing tool like Adobe Acrobat to convert the PDF to a Word document (DOC or DOCX).
• Once converted, open the Word document.
• Select the text you want to copy, right-click, and choose Copy.
• Paste the copied text into your desired application.

Conclusion

When a user needs to copy text from a secured PDF, it is achievable with the right tools and methods. Whether your PDF is password-protected or restricted, the user has multiple methods to do this. By following the step-by-step instructions outlined in this guide, you can effortlessly copy a protected PDF document and use it as needed.