Best Settings for PDF to Clean Text Extraction
2026-02-25
Best Settings for PDF to Clean Text Extraction
When extracting text from PDF files, simple settings can make a major difference for AI output quality.
Recommended defaults
- Output format: TXT for plain workflows, Markdown for structured notes
- Page range: only the pages you need
- Source preference: text-based PDFs (not image-only scans)
Why page range matters
Reducing irrelevant pages improves downstream summarization and reduces prompt token waste.
Use ranges like 1-3,7,10-12 to isolate only useful sections.
TXT vs Markdown
- TXT is ideal for direct prompt input.
- Markdown is useful when you want headings and reusable content snippets.
Quality checks after extraction
- Verify section order.
- Confirm important numbers and names are present.
- Remove confidential lines before sharing prompts externally.