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Updated July 27, 2023

How to Extract Data from PDF in C#

Introduction

PDF stands for "portable document format" and is a universal standard for exchanging electronic documents. PDFs can be created, stored, sent, and viewed on all devices, making the file a perfect choice for formatting documents that need interactivity. The PDF file format is not just meant for storing electronic documents; it also supports features such as viewing, editing, and commenting on the document.

PDFs usually contain metadata such as the fonts used in the document, as well as page numbers. The data extracted from a PDF includes text objects, images, watermarks, and vector graphics such as animations or drawings. Extracting data from PDFs is crucial for saving time on manual inputting, and also because some organizations have policies related to documenting the origin of digital information. Typically, PDF exists as a file extension that communicates the content type to be opened in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader software. Extracting data from a PDF refers to removing text, images, sounds, etc. from a PDF document — tasks which can be done in different ways, such as with scripts and plugins on the PC, and also by using third-party software on macOS machines.

PDFs have steadily evolved to the point that they have now become more than just documents for storing information — they are now used for communication purposes.

IronPDF: C# PDF Library

IronPDF is a .NET library that can be used to create, edit and convert PDF files. It provides an easy-to-use API for developers to use in their applications. It is one of the most popular libraries for creating, editing, and converting PDF files globally. With IronPDF, you can create a straightforward and quick solution to PDFs. It provides a suite of functionalities specific to PDFs, giving you a straightforward and quick solution. Your text will be customized for each document, your layout will be set up for easy reading, and your graphics will be designed with help from the accompanying .NET program.

The IronPDF library has a fantastic feature for extracting data from PDF files. This article will look at how we can extract data using IronPDF. First, we have to create or open a C# Project. Let's move on to the next section.

Create or Open a C# Project in Visual Studio

For this tutorial, we recommend that you use the latest version of the Visual Studio IDE.

Once Visual Studio is opened, follow the steps below to create a new C# Project. If there is an existing project that you would like to use, then skip these next steps and proceed to the next section directly.

• Open Visual Studio
• Click on the "Create a new project" button.
• Select the "C# Console Application" from the templates.'
• Give a name to the Project and click on the "Next" button.
• Select s .NET Framework according to your project's requirements and click on the "Create" button.

Visual Studio will now generate a new C# .NET project.

Install the IronPDF Library

We can install the IronPDF library in multiple ways.

Using Package Manager Console

• Open the Package Manager Console by going to Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Package Manager Console.

• Run the following command:

  PM > Install-Package IronPdf

After installation, you will see the IronPDF dependency in the dependencies section of the Solution Explorer, as shown below.

Using the NuGet Package Manager

Another way to install the IronPDF library is by using Visual Studio's integrated NuGet Package Manager UI.

• Go to the Tools from the main menu. Hover on "NuGet Package Manager" from the drop-down menu and select the "NuGet Package Manager Solution".

• This will open the NuGet Package Manager window. Go to the Browse tab, write IronPdf in search, and press Enter.

• Select IronPDF from the search results and click on the "Install" button to begin the installation.

Extract Data from PDF Files

Let's have a look at the following code to see how we can extract data using IronPDF:

//Rendering PDF documents to Images or Thumbnails
using IronPdf;
using System.Drawing;

//  Extracting Image and Text content from Pdf Documents

// open a 128 bit encrypted PDF
using PdfDocument PDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("encrypted.pdf", "password");

//Get all text to put in a search index
string AllText = PDF.ExtractAllText();

//Get all Images
IEnumerable<System.Drawing.Image> AllImages = PDF.ExtractAllImages();

//Or even find the precise text and images for each page in the document
for (var index = 0; index < PDF.PageCount; index++) {
    int PageNumber = index + 1;
    string Text = PDF.ExtractTextFromPage(index);
    IEnumerable<System.Drawing.Image> Images = PDF.ExtractImagesFromPage(index);
    ///...
}

//Rendering PDF documents to Images or Thumbnails
using IronPdf;
using System.Drawing;

//  Extracting Image and Text content from Pdf Documents

// open a 128 bit encrypted PDF
using PdfDocument PDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("encrypted.pdf", "password");

//Get all text to put in a search index
string AllText = PDF.ExtractAllText();

//Get all Images
IEnumerable<System.Drawing.Image> AllImages = PDF.ExtractAllImages();

//Or even find the precise text and images for each page in the document
for (var index = 0; index < PDF.PageCount; index++) {
    int PageNumber = index + 1;
    string Text = PDF.ExtractTextFromPage(index);
    IEnumerable<System.Drawing.Image> Images = PDF.ExtractImagesFromPage(index);
    ///...
}

'Rendering PDF documents to Images or Thumbnails
Imports IronPdf
Imports System.Drawing

'  Extracting Image and Text content from Pdf Documents

' open a 128 bit encrypted PDF
Private PdfDocument As using

'Get all text to put in a search index
Private AllText As String = PDF.ExtractAllText()

'Get all Images
Private AllImages As IEnumerable(Of System.Drawing.Image) = PDF.ExtractAllImages()

'Or even find the precise text and images for each page in the document
For index = 0 To PDF.PageCount - 1
	Dim PageNumber As Integer = index + 1
	Dim Text As String = PDF.ExtractTextFromPage(index)
	Dim Images As IEnumerable(Of System.Drawing.Image) = PDF.ExtractImagesFromPage(index)
	'''...
Next index

Above, we first use the FromFile method to load the input PDF document in the program. We use an encrypted PDF file, so we write the password to access the file. Afterward, we extract text data using the ExtractAllText method to pull all text data into a String variable. From here, we can do with this variable as we wish: output it as plain text, dump it in a TXT file, store it in a database, etc.

IronPDF can extract text from PDF tables for inclusion in one or more CSV files.

Line 11 uses the ExtractAllImages method to extract all the embedded images from the PDF document.

IronPDF can also extract content from specific PDF pages. The remaining lines of code in the example above demonstrate how we can use the ExtractTextFromPage and ExtractImagesFromPage methods to fetch the text and images from a subset of pages. Both methods accept an integer argument that represents the zero-based index of the desired page.

Conclusion

IronPDF allows developers to extract text and images from PDF files in as little as one line of code. We can invoke ExtractAllText and ExtractAllImages to extract a PDF file's entire contents instantly. Alternatively, calling ExtractAllImage or ExtractAllText allows us to fetch text and images from just one PDF page in particular. In the previous sample code, we have seen a simple example of how we can use both methods to read text and images from a range of pages.

IronPDF is completely free for development. While payment is needed for commercial use, you can access the 30-day free trial for production without any payment.

Purchase the full suite of Iron Software's document libraries for the price of two ironPDF Lite Licenses.

Download IronPDF to start extracting data from PDFs today!