Can't Copy and Paste from PDF? Fix It Once and for All

Have you ever been in a situation where you can select text in a PDF document well but are unable to copy it, or you can’t make any action to the text at all? Read on! This article will shed light on 4 ways to get around the issue of “can’t copy and paste from PDF”, including both online and offline solutions.

 Cisdem PDFMaster

Make Copy and Paste from any Type of PDF Hassle-Free

• Edit, copy, delete the present text in PDF simply.
• Remove copying restriction from password protected PDF.
• Make scanned PDF or PDF image selectable and copyable with OCR engine.
• Over 50 OCR languages is supported.
• Set user/owner password to PDF to disable the content opening, copying and printing.
• Make fillable PDF forms with 7 useful form fields.
• Enable processing plenty of PDF files at once.
• More powerful features: redact PDF, sign PDF, compress PDF, add watermark, etc.

Free Download macOS 11 or later Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7
 Earlier than macOS 11, click here

Why Can't I Copy and Paste from a PDF?

With regard to the situation described at the beginning, the reasons can be classified as two: 

Reason One: The PDF is password protected against copying.

One common reason is that the PDF is encrypted with owner password, which can set restriction on content copying. Typically, such PDFs allow the viewer to select the text successfully but do not have the option to copy it. To get rid of this restriction, you can choose to remove the password with a dedicated PDF tool or create a copy of the PDF using a browser.

Reason Two: The PDF is scanned or image-based.

Another reason is that the PDF is created by a scanner, or is made up of images. That means, there is no text layer in the PDF. You can't even select any text unless you turn the document into searchable and editable. The key to achieving it is the OCR function, which is an advanced feature provided by some professional PDF editors or converters.

A One-Stop Solution to Fix Can't Copy and Paste from PDF

After analyzing the reasons for can’t copy and paste from PDF, now move on to the second part to fix it efficiently.

If you want to solve this problem once and for all, an all-in-one PDF editor like Cisdem PDFMaster is exactly what you need. No matter what the reason is, this software will provide a workable way to enable copy and paste in a PDF. The secret lies in its powerful capabilities to unlock encrypted PDFs as well as recognize text from scans and images in over 50 languages. Besides, it helps individuals and businesses succeed in improving working efficiency by enabling batch processing hundreds of PDF files at one go.

Apart from making a PDF copy and paste able, Cisdem PDFMaster also does a good job of modifying the existing text, annotating the content, creating interactive PDF forms, organizing PDF pages, ensuring file security and so forth. In a word, it offers everything you expect to deal with PDF files.

If you are interested in this software, download it and enjoy its generous trial period, here are the detailed steps to fix can’t copy and paste from PDF using this PDF editor.

Case 1: Remove Password from the Protected PDF

1. Download and install Cisdem PDFMaster, try its free trial.
   Free Download macOS 11 or later Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7
    Earlier than macOS 11, click here
2. Run the program, click Open Files to upload your PDF that can’t be copied and pasted.
3. Go to Editor tab from the top toolbar, choose Security > Remove Security.
4. A Remove Security window will pop up, drag and drop your PDF files into the working area. 
5. When all the PDF files have been imported, click Remove Password to remove restrictions on copying without entering the password.
6. Open the unlocked PDF in any PDF viewer, now you can copy the text in it easily. 

2 Tips:

• The Edit PDF feature on the top menu bar allows you to directly copy text without removing permission password. 
• If your PDF is encrypted with open password, enter the correct password to open the file. If you forgot or lost it, try Cisdem PDF Password Remover to crack it in a breeze.

Case 2: Perform OCR to Make Scanned PDF Copyable

1. Launch the program of Cisdem PDFMaster on your computer.
2. Find the OCR function in Quick Tools on the home interface.
3. The program will immediately prompt you to upload your scanned PDF or PDF image.
4. In the OCR window, choose the page range, layout settings and OCR language as per your preference. When you’re done, click OCR in the middle to turn scanned PDF copy able.
5. The OCR results will show on the right, you can select desired text and choose Copy from right-click menu directly. 
6. Alternatively, you can save the results as text or PDF, which allows you to copy and paste with ease.

Fix Can't Copy and Paste from PDF Online

Other than offline solutions, you can also tackle the problem of can’t copy and paste from PDF with the aid of online tools. They will get you out of the hassle of downloading and installing software, and not cost you a dime. But they also have the downside that, compared to professional editors, they usually make only some particular PDF files capable of copying and pasting text.

Copy and Paste from Encrypted PDF Using Google Chrome

In general, most popular browsers on the market like Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome can serve as a good PDF reader, supporting some simple PDF tasks, such as making annotations to PDF and printing the output. 

Here we take Google Chrome as an example. It is the official web browser developed by Google, built to be free, fast and secure. Through printing a copy of your password-protected PDF, the restrictions will be removed from the new PDF. Note that this method only works when there is no printing restriction on PDF.

How to Fix Can’t Copy and Paste from PDF Online?

• Step 1. Open Google Chrome browser, drag your protected PDF into a new tab.
• Step 2. Click Print icon at the upper right corner.
• Step 3. In the Print window, preview the PDF content on the left side. You can copy the text in this window directly, or save it as a printed PDF.

Copy and Paste from PDF Image in Google Docs

In addition to Google Chrome, Google has provided another way to fix can’t copy and paste from PDF online. That is Google Docs, a Word processor coming with an OCR engine that can make scanned PDF or PDF image searchable and editable. It supports exporting the imported document as PDF, Word, TXT, RTF, HTML, EPUB and ODT. The only shortcoming is that it sometimes distorts the format and misses the images contained in the original PDF.

Few Steps to Fix Can’t Copy and Paste from PDF Online Free

• Step 1. Log in to Google Drive account.
• Step 2. Click + New > File upload to import your scanned PDF into this cloud storage platform.
• Step 3. Right-click the PDF and open it with Google Docs.
• Step 4. The program will auto convert the PDF into editable Word document. You can select the text and copy it at will.
• Step 5. If needed, go to File > Download > PDF Document to convert it back to PDF.

In Brief

Well, till now, we have already introduced 3 tools to fix the issue of can’t copy and paste from PDF. Though online tools are great for temporary needs, a professional PDF editor like Cisdem PDFMaster tends to be more handy and efficient for PDF heavy users. It offers an all-embracing solution to various kinds of PDF problems besides can’t copy and paste from PDF. Why not download it and give it a shot? It must be a boon for your workflow.
Free Download macOS 11 or later Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7
 Earlier than macOS 11, click here