Okdo PDF to RTF TXT Converter — Fast & Accurate Batch Conversion

How to Use Okdo PDF to RTF TXT Converter for Clean, Editable TextConverting PDFs into editable formats can be frustrating: scanned images, mixed layouts, missing line breaks, and garbled characters all make it hard to get a clean, usable result. Okdo PDF to RTF TXT Converter is designed to simplify that process by converting PDF files into RTF (Rich Text Format) or plain TXT while preserving as much layout and text quality as possible. This guide walks through preparing your PDFs, installing and configuring the software, running conversions (single and batch), troubleshooting common problems, and tips to get the cleanest editable text.

Why choose RTF or TXT?

• RTF preserves basic formatting (bold, italics, fonts, simple tables and lists) and is widely compatible with word processors (Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, Google Docs via import). Choose RTF when you want editable text that retains some visual structure.
• TXT is plain text with no formatting. It produces the smallest, most portable files and is ideal when you only need the raw text for searching, processing, or importing into other systems.

Before you start: prepare your PDFs

1. Check whether the PDF contains searchable text or is a scanned image:
   • Open the PDF in a reader and try to select/copy text. If you can select text, the conversion engine can extract it directly. If not, the file is an image-based PDF and will need OCR (optical character recognition) to produce editable text.
2. Clean up source files where possible:
   • If you have access to the original document, export to PDF again with embedded fonts and simpler layout.
   • Reduce unnecessary images, watermarks, or annotations that may confuse the converter.
3. Group similar PDFs for batch processing:
   • Put files that require the same settings (RTF vs TXT, same language, same OCR needs) into one folder to simplify batch conversion.

Installation and initial setup

1. Download and install Okdo PDF to RTF TXT Converter from the official site or a trusted vendor. Follow installer prompts.
2. Launch the program. Typical first-time steps:
   • Set default output folder (use a dedicated folder to avoid clutter).
   • Choose output format default (RTF or TXT).
   • If available, set language for OCR (important for non-English documents).
3. Check for updates and install any patches to ensure the latest conversion engine and OCR dictionaries.

Single-file conversion: step-by-step

1. Open the application and click Add File (or drag-and-drop the PDF into the window).
2. Select output format:
   • Choose RTF to retain formatting.
   • Choose TXT for plain text.
3. Configure options (important ones):
   • OCR: enable if the PDF is scanned or text is not selectable. Select the correct language.
   • Page range: convert the entire document or specific pages to save time.
   • Output encoding (for TXT): choose UTF‑8 for best compatibility with non-ASCII characters.
   • Layout options (if available): keep original layout, flow text, or ignore images. Choosing “flow text” often yields cleaner editable text when layout preservation isn’t required.
4. Choose output folder or accept the default.
5. Click Convert (or Start). Wait for the process to complete.
6. Open the resulting RTF/TXT in a word processor or text editor and review.

Batch conversion: converting many PDFs at once

1. Put all PDFs you want to convert into one folder (optional but helpful).
2. In the app, use Add Folder or multi-select Add Files.
3. Apply global settings:
   • Output format (RTF/TXT).
   • OCR language and whether to enable OCR for all files.
   • Filename rules (append suffix, overwrite, or create subfolders).
4. Preview a single file’s settings before running the whole batch (some PDFs may need different OCR or layout options).
5. Start the batch job and monitor progress. Large batches with OCR can take significant time—use the app’s queue features if you need to pause/resume.

Post-conversion cleanup: getting truly clean, editable text

Even with a good converter, some cleanup is usually necessary:

• Fix line breaks and paragraph joins:
  • Many PDF-to-text conversions keep line breaks at original PDF line ends. Use your word processor’s find-and-replace to replace double spaces or lone line breaks with paragraph breaks. For large jobs, use a text tool or script to normalize line endings.
• Correct OCR errors:
  • Common issues: misrecognized characters (l vs. 1, O vs. 0), misplaced punctuation, or diacritics. Search for likely error patterns and fix in bulk when possible.
• Recreate formatting where needed:
  • Use paragraph styles for headings, lists, and citations rather than manual font tweaks to make the document consistent and easier to edit.
• Recover tables:
  • RTF can preserve simple tables but complex tables may become unstructured text. Rebuild tables in your word processor or paste tab-delimited text into spreadsheet software and reformat.
• Remove artifacts:
  • Delete watermarks, page headers/footers, or repeated stamps that OCR captured as text.

Tips for cleaner conversions

• Use OCR only when necessary. Native-text PDFs convert more accurately and faster.
• Set OCR language to match the document. Mixed-language PDFs may need multiple passes or manual corrections.
• Prefer RTF when you want to preserve formatting; choose TXT when you only need raw text and maximum compatibility.
• For legal or academic texts with columns, try converting one column at a time (crop pages) or use layout-preserving mode if available.
• If character encoding problems occur in TXT files, reopen using the correct encoding (UTF‑8 is safest for multilingual text).
• Run a small test conversion with different settings to find the best balance of layout preservation vs. text flow.

Common problems and fixes

• Poor OCR accuracy:
  • Use higher-resolution scans (300 DPI or more).
  • Improve contrast (binarize images) before conversion.
  • Select the correct OCR language and, if available, specialist dictionaries.
• Missing fonts or weird formatting in RTF:
  • RTF uses font names; if your system lacks the exact font, the document will substitute. Install matching fonts or apply a universal font like Times New Roman.
• Line breaks and hyphenation:
  • Use find-and-replace to remove hyphenation at line ends (search for “- ” and replace with nothing or a join).
• Corrupted output file:
  • Re-run conversion to a different format (TXT) to isolate whether the issue is with RTF encoding. Update the converter to the latest version.

When to consider alternative workflows

• Heavy image-based PDFs with complex layout (magazines, brochures): consider a dedicated OCR suite (ABBYY FineReader, Adobe Acrobat Pro) that offers advanced layout reconstruction.
• Large-scale, automated conversion pipelines: use command-line tools or server-based OCR services that support batching and scripting.
• Sensitive documents: ensure conversions occur in a secure, offline environment if privacy is a concern.

Example quick workflow (summary)

1. Check if PDF text is selectable. If yes, choose RTF for formatting or TXT for plain text.
2. If not selectable, enable OCR and set the correct language.
3. Convert a sample page to test settings (layout vs. flow text).
4. Batch-convert with those settings.
5. Open outputs, normalize line breaks, correct OCR errors, and reapply styles.

Conclusion

Okdo PDF to RTF TXT Converter is a practical tool for turning PDFs into editable documents quickly. The key to clean results is choosing the right format (RTF vs TXT), using OCR only when needed with correct language settings, and performing systematic post-conversion cleanup (line breaks, OCR fixes, tables). With a short test-and-adjust cycle you can optimize settings to produce consistently clean, editable text from most PDFs.