# How does a developer extract text from a PDF?

_Updated July 2026 · Arthize · https://arthize.com/answers/how-does-developers-pdf-to-text_

A developer can extract text from a PDF in Arthize's private workspace — free, with no watermark. A developer converts a Markdown spec to a clean PDF for a stakeholder, extracts text from a vendor PDF to parse it, and archives the release notes as PDF/A.

## Answer

A developer can extract text from a PDF in Arthize's private workspace — free, with no watermark. A developer converts a Markdown spec to a clean PDF for a stakeholder, extracts text from a vendor PDF to parse it, and archives the release notes as PDF/A.

## More about pdf to text

Text extraction gives you the raw words without layout.

Scanned PDFs are OCR'd first so the text comes through.

It is the quickest way to reuse PDF content in another tool.

## How to extract text from a PDF

1. **Open the convert tool** — Sign in, open Convert and choose Text.
2. **Add your PDF** — Upload the PDF; scans are OCR'd first.
3. **Convert** — Arthize pulls the text into a plain .txt file.
4. **Download** — Get the extracted text ready to paste anywhere.

## FAQ

### How do I extract text from a PDF?

Converting PDF to text extracts the raw words into a plain .txt file, OCRing scans first, so you can reuse the content anywhere. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.

### Can I get text out of a scanned PDF?

Converting PDF to text extracts the raw words into a plain .txt file, OCRing scans first, so you can reuse the content anywhere. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.

### Is PDF-to-text free?

Converting PDF to text extracts the raw words into a plain .txt file, OCRing scans first, so you can reuse the content anywhere. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.