How to Extract Text From a Picture and Save It as TXT or PDF

PDFly guide · Updated October 2026

A photo of a page is hard to search, copy or edit. With the Extract text button in PDFly's Scan to PDF, you can turn your scanned pages into text in a few taps, then copy it, save it as a TXT file or save it as a PDF. It reads English and Arabic, and it runs on your own device.

How to extract text from a scan

1. Scan your pages in Scan to PDF, or add photos from your gallery.
2. Tap Extract text, under Save PDF and Save Image.
3. Choose the language: English, Arabic or Arabic + English. Pick the last one for mixed documents.
4. Wait while the pages are read. A progress bar shows where it is.
5. Check and fix the text in the box. Pages are separated by a line such as --- Page 2 ---.
6. Tap Copy, Save as TXT or Save as PDF. Use Read again to try another language.

TXT or PDF: which to choose

• TXT: plain, editable text that opens in any app. Arabic opens correctly because the file is saved as UTF-8.
• PDF: neat typed A4 pages that are easy to share or print. Arabic is shaped and written right to left. The text in this PDF is part of the page picture, so you cannot select it. If you need editable text, use TXT or Copy.

Get better results

• Scan on a flat surface in even light, with the page straight in the frame.
• Use the Smart or B&W (Scan) filter first. The text is read from the page as it looks after your filter.
• Choose the right language. Arabic text read as English comes out as nonsense.
• Printed text works best. Handwriting is read less reliably, so always proofread.
• Always check numbers, names and dates by eye before you rely on them.

Good to know

• Reading happens in your browser. Your pictures are not uploaded.
• The first time you use it, the reading engine and the language data download once, a few megabytes, so you need an internet connection that time.
• For ordinary PDF files, see Image to Text and OCR PDF.