In a society filled with advanced technology, Portable Document Formats or PDFs are considered supreme. They retain the structure as well as the format, including graphics and charts of the documents. However, conversion of data from PDF to another format that requires analysis or editing is not easy.
Apart from exploring the most vital topic of PDF text extraction, this detailed blog also enables you to learn more about enhancing content through text extraction.
Types of PDFs
The two primary types of PDFs have a very important distinction that directly impacts how you process texts.
Searchable PDFs: These PDFs have text embedded in them. This makes copying, pasting, and searching within a document very simple and hassle-free. Examples of such objects include reports, eBooks, and other documents created in a digital environment.
Scanned PDFs: These include electronic images of the actual paper-based documents. They have no text layer and thus must be processed further with Optical Character Recognition technology.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) simply translates scanned PDFs into forms you can edit. It is a technology that scans the PDF and carefully analyzes the image data it contains, breaks characters into individual segments, and decrypts them to form a machine-readable text.
The degree of variation in OCR technology depends greatly on the readability or quality of the source document scanned. Aspects such as the type of font used, the quality of the image, and whether there are large chunks of text with a complicated layout will affect the OCR outputs.
The current generation of OCR engines has become very complex and can handle various kinds of inputs and provide high accuracy rates, which builds up confidence in using the tool.
Step-by-Step Functions of OCR:
- Image Preprocessing: Before recognizing characters, OCR uses image processing optimization tasks to improve the scanned image. That can include noise removal, edge enhancement, and fixing for skew (protruding text).
- Feature Extraction: The attained image is then preprocessed to separate shape characteristics related to each of the characters. These features include the shape, lines, curves, and even the crossing pattern within the image data.
- Matching and Recognition: These extracted features are then matched with a larger database of other recognized character patterns. The OCR engine uses a matching algorithm to assign a character to the corresponding identified feature.
- Post-Processing and Correction: The recognized text could be further processed to increase the accuracy of the conversion in some cases. It could involve spell check, the correction of grammar mistakes, and the procedure of applying language-specific rules.
A Multifaceted Approach: Exploring Text Extraction Methods
Now that you understand the different types of PDFs and the role of OCR. Let’s explore the various methods available for extracting text:
Manual Copy and Paste (Limited Use):
This method is capable of extracting a few words from a searchable PDF. Right-click the arrow placed near the desired text passage and click on copy, unlock your word processing software, and paste. This technique is quite useful, but for really big documents, it becomes incredibly tedious and highly impractical.
Built-in PDF Reader Export (Searchable PDFs Only):
All typical PDF viewers, like Adobe Acrobat Reader, contain the native “Export” feature. This enables you to convert the searchable PDF into a file format you may wish to edit further, such as Word format (.docx). It is ideal for fast conversion of PDFs that are already easily searchable, but for scanned PDFs, it is useless.
Online PDF to Text Conversion Tools (Flexibility and Convenience):
Many sites on the World Wide Web offer PDF-to-text conversion services. These are online OCR tools that work more like PDF text extraction. You upload your PDF, click on the Convert button, and receive a downloadable text file. Here are some benefits of online PDF to Text conversion tools:
- They are accessed through any Internet browser without the necessity of downloading or installing any program.
- They are user-friendly, with streamlined procedures for uploading and downloading.
- They perform well when it comes to dealing with a large number of PDF files, making them suitable for bulk processing.
- Integration with your document management system (DMS) permits quick conversion of scanned PDFs uploaded by your DMS.
Offline PDF Text Extraction Software (Advanced Features):
For users who want to extract text from PDFs without an online interface, there are many offline text extraction applications. These programs offer a more comprehensive range of features compared to traditional tools, such as:
- Batch Processing.
- Offline Functionality.
However, there are also some drawbacks to consider:
- Some of the PDF text extraction software programs are paid or have expensive subscription services.
- These programs may take longer than online tools as well. One needs to know how to work with them,
- The Offline application may not be updated routinely to the latest technology breakthrough concerning the OCR.
How to Choose the Right Text Extraction Method
The optimal method for text extraction depends on several factors:
Volume of PDFs
Basic tools that come with MS Office, like the PDF reader export, might be enough if one only occasionally needs to sign several documents. However, if you are likely to process dozens of documents, for example, consider online tools that support batch processing or offline tools with good batch capabilities.
Document Type
Many methods can parse basic PDF documents with few formatting features. However, if the text layout is complicated or if high precision is needed, one can use stand-alone programs with additional functions, such as OCR, or use online tools that allow for customization.
Security Concerns
While working with sensitive documents, it is better to search for software that can use data protection principles such as encryption and compliance with industry standards.
Budget
There is abundant freeware available on the Internet, but certain constraints may limit the number of files processed or the number of features available. The free versions are generally less downloadable and have fewer options than the paid versions.
Finding the Perfect Fit: Popular Text Extraction Solutions
As mentioned before, extracting text from PDF can be done in many ways and with different levels of effectiveness:
Online Text Extraction Tools:
For those who may need advanced and high accuracy while processing simple or even advanced scanned files such as the ones with handwritten or tables, there are online applications such as AlgoDocs. Because of their interfaces and the availability of features, they are one of the best choices. Let’s look at the famous tool in detail.
AlgoDocs: A Powerful and Secure PDF Text Extraction Tool
Those who consider getting a more progressive and quite efficient product can use this advanced web based automated data extraction tool. It is an application designed for different categories of people. The Forever Free plan is more suitable for individuals as well as small companies. It enables one to scrape text from as many as 50 pages per month. This tool is efficient as well for large document libraries since it can process hundreds, if not thousands, of files at a time.
How to Use AlgoDocs?
Simply open the program and drag and drop the PDF into the tool, or open the file from Google Drive or Dropbox. The rest is done by our tool as it uses its advanced Optical Character Recognition OCR to translate documents into a usable text format.
In the following screencast video, AlgoDocs demonstrates steps for extracting data from PDF and image documents in less than a minute.
Benefits of Using This PDF Text Extraction Tool
Unmatched Accuracy:
This handy tool uses the most progressive OCR and artificial intelligence algorithms to provide a high level of text extraction, avoiding key mistakes and saving you time for proofreading.
Advanced OCR Customization:
Our advanced AI-based OCR can efficiently process particular documents, such as handwritten documents with different layouts or even low-quality and old documents with low contrast.
Multilingual Support:
Extract text from documents in different languages, which assists in eliminating language differences.
Data Extraction:
You can extract field-specific data from tabular forms such as tables or invoices, even multipage and complicated ones, or convert textual data into a form that can be used for other purposes.
Flexible Output Formats:
Our tool provides an API for programmatic data access and integration in addition to exporting extracted data in a number of formats (EXCEL, XML, JSON, CSV). Zapier also lets AlgoDocs link with more than 2,000 additional web services for customers looking for a no-code solution.
Top-notch Security:
Data security is critical, and all uploaded documents are encrypted at rest and in transit. AlgoDocs complies with certain industry guidelines, such as the Information Security Management System (ISO 27001) and Quality Management System (ISO 9001), and is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Final Thoughts
From the knowledge and understanding of the various options and tools that are used in PDF text extraction, you can now select the most convenient one. Nonetheless, if you are dealing with scanned PDF documents, it is possible for advanced text extraction techniques to penetrate deeper into mass information.
Sign up today with the forever free plan option and discover the functionality of advanced text extraction technologies.
FAQs
1. What is the difference between searchable and scanned PDFs?
Unlike text documents, PDF searchable documents are rather selective and allow only the highlighted text, which is either clickable or copy-paste searchable. However, scanned PDFs are pictures of the actual paper document, and the text of such an image needs to be recognized with the help of an OCR tool.
2. What are the benefits of using online PDF text extraction tools?
Online tools’ advantages are their availability, advanced operation, and the fact that they can process a large number of conversions simultaneously. They are suitable for those who need advanced features and do not want to download and install software.
3. How does AlgoDocs enhance the text extraction process?
This automated data extractor has unique features, including accuracy, a high level of customization for OCR, the capability of processing many documents at a time, support for several languages, and security. It can assist with streamlining text extraction and works well with other software and commonly used workflows.
4. How does the future of text extraction look?
Future progress in OCR technology and machine learning is expected to shape the development of text extraction for increased accuracy, less time consumption, and simple automation. Technology, especially the possibility of automation and integration with other processes, will be critical in bringing about this change.
Extract text from your PDF documents easily and effectively with AlgoDocs’ flexible and fast solution for your business. Sign up for the Forever Free plan now and discover the efficiency of document management without leaving your office.