I don't need to convert an entire PDF file to Word. Sometimes I just need to use a paragraph of text, a chart or table, or an image from a PDF file in another application. Can I copy and paste content from a PDF document into an Excel or Word document witI don't need to convert an entire PDF file to Word. Sometimes I just need to use a paragraph of text, a chart or table, or an image from a PDF file in another application. Can I copy and paste content from a PDF document into an Excel or Word document without losing the formatting?
Yes, you can copy content out of a PDF file without having to convert the entire file to Word (or other) format. You can select text (including columns and tables), graphics and images for copying using the Select tool, whose pointer changes depending on the type of content that's underneath it. With the PDF document open in Acrobat 7 Standard or Professional, use the Select tool to do any of the following:
• Drag to select a word, a line or even a few paragraphs of text. Drag the blue triangle handlebars to adjust the selection.
• To select a column of text, press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) and drag a marquee over the column of text.
• To select all of the text on the page, choose Single Page layout view and then choose Edit > Select All.
• To select a table, drag a marquee around it or, if the pointer displays a table icon, simply click to select the entire table.
• To select a graphic or image, click it or drag a marquee around it.
When your content is selected, press Command/Ctrl-C to copy it, switch to an open document in the application that you need to use, such as Word or Excel, and press Command/Ctrl-V to paste it there. Or, for more control, hold the pointer over the selected content until a menu appears, and choose the type of operation you'd like to perform, such as Copy With Formatting, or Copy As Table.
If you are unable to copy or paste, the person who created the PDF document may have applied restrictions to the file as a security measure. Check to see if that's the case by choosing File > Document Properties. Look for the item Content Copying and Extraction. If it says Not Allowed, then you're out of luck.
