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Subject:Re: Convert PDF files to something WORD readable? From:"Peter Ring, PRC" <prc -at- PRC -dot- DK> Date:Thu, 31 Dec 1998 09:43:42 +1
Dan Lewis wrote on TECHWR-L and equivalently on PAGEMAKR-L:
> I'm a bit mistified. All respondents to this question have indicated that
> PDF files do not encode text, suggesting the need for using OCR for
> instance. I have just tested several PDF files that I have received from
> different sources and using the text selection tool in Acrobat Reader 3.0
> I was able to copy text to the clipboard and paste it into Word. In most
> cases the text came in with an unrecognized font and had to be highlighted
> in word and a legitimate font had to be applied.
>
> Of course the problem of the hard returns remains, requiring some
> reformatting work (some of which can be automated) but the fact remains
> that PDF does appear to correctly encode text.
The hard returns can e.g. be solved by means of my TrimTXT shareware
programme, downloadable from http://www.prc.dk/software/
TrimTXT may be executed as a stand-alone programme, or from a Word or
WordPerfect macro, which are included with the TrimTXT help file.
Happy new year whereever you are!
Greetings from Denmark
Peter Ring
PRC (Peter Ring Consultants)
- specialists in user friendly manuals.
prc -at- prc -dot- dk
- the "User Friendly Manuals" website with links, bibliography, list
of prof. associations, and tips for technical writers: http://www.prc.dk/user-friendly-manuals/
- text cleaning software, e.g. for reading difficult e-mails: http://www.prc.dk/software/