Google Drive – Cannot Copy Text from PDF Generated with Google Docs

google-drivepdf

I exported my document as PDF from Google Drive on the Web. When I try to Copy/Paste my content, I get this :

􏰁􏰂􏰃􏰄􏰂􏰅􏰆􏰇􏰈􏰀􏰉􏰊􏰇􏰋􏰆􏰌􏰀􏰆􏰊􏰀􏰍􏰄􏰎􏰆􏰏􏰐􏰑􏰑􏰆􏰒􏰆􏰂􏰊􏰀

Text is in French. I can visualize it with no difficulties. The font is Verdana. There is only two colors on the document. It is an A4 doc. There are 471 words. It does contain a profile photo.

I am trying to copy/view using Preview on Mac OS X Mountain Lion.

Please do you have any idea how to fix that?

Best Answer

Some PDF documents (especially with accented characters) get strange encoding. You can see this when you inspect the properties of the PDF file (e.g. in Acrobat). For more information, see this question.

  • One solution is to try another font in your source document that uses standard encodings.
  • Another solution (I've seen in Windows) is to print the PDF document to CutePDF (effectively re-saving it as PDF).
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