How to Efficiently Select All the Text in a PDF Document
Get the latest version of Acrobat Reader., Open your PDF file in Acrobat Reader., Make sure the document view is not set to Single Page View.Open the View menu and select “Page Display.” There should not be a check next to “Single Page View.” If...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get the latest version of Acrobat Reader.
If you already have Acrobat Reader installed, ensure that you have the latest version.
To do this, click “Check for Updates.” If an update is available, click “Install.” If no updates are necessary, proceed to the next step.
If you don’t have Acrobat Reader, point your web browser to get.adobe.com/reader.Remove the checkmarks next to the two “Optional Offers” (McAfee Security and TrueKey), then click “Install Now.” When the “Finish” button turns green, click it to complete the installation. -
Step 2: Open your PDF file in Acrobat Reader.
Double-click the PDF file to open it in your updated version of Acrobat Reader. ,, Click somewhere in the document, then press Ctrl+A (Windows) or ⌘ Command+A (Mac) to select all text in the document. , Once the text is selected, you can copy it by pressing Ctrl+C (Windows) or ⌘ Command+C (Mac).
Another way to do this is to open the Edit menu and select “Copy File to Clipboard.” , To paste the text into another program, click where you’d like to add the text and press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Ctrl+V on Mac. -
Step 3: Make sure the document view is not set to Single Page View.Open the View menu and select “Page Display.” There should not be a check next to “Single Page View.” If there is
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Step 4: remove it by clicking “Enable Scrolling.” In order to select the entirety of the document (rather than just one page)
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Step 5: this step is crucial.
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Step 6: Select all text in the document.
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Step 7: Copy the text.
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Step 8: Paste the text into another program.
Detailed Guide
If you already have Acrobat Reader installed, ensure that you have the latest version.
To do this, click “Check for Updates.” If an update is available, click “Install.” If no updates are necessary, proceed to the next step.
If you don’t have Acrobat Reader, point your web browser to get.adobe.com/reader.Remove the checkmarks next to the two “Optional Offers” (McAfee Security and TrueKey), then click “Install Now.” When the “Finish” button turns green, click it to complete the installation.
Double-click the PDF file to open it in your updated version of Acrobat Reader. ,, Click somewhere in the document, then press Ctrl+A (Windows) or ⌘ Command+A (Mac) to select all text in the document. , Once the text is selected, you can copy it by pressing Ctrl+C (Windows) or ⌘ Command+C (Mac).
Another way to do this is to open the Edit menu and select “Copy File to Clipboard.” , To paste the text into another program, click where you’d like to add the text and press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Ctrl+V on Mac.
About the Author
Daniel Brown
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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