pdftotext input.pdf output.txt
Keep layout:
pdftotext -layout input.pdf output.txt
The xpdf-tools-win-4.04 package is a ZIP archive containing a set of compiled .exe files designed to run from the Windows Command Prompt (cmd) or PowerShell. When you download and extract this specific version, you gain access to the following critical utilities:
Unlike version 3.xx, version 4.04 is compiled natively for 64-bit Windows (x86_64), offering better memory handling for large PDFs and improved performance on modern processors.
Xpdf is a free, open-source suite of tools for extracting text, images, and metadata from PDF files, as well as converting PDFs to other formats.
Version 4.04 is a stable Windows build (for 32-bit and 64-bit systems).
Unlike PDF editors, Xpdf is fast, lightweight, and runs entirely from the command line — perfect for scripting and automation.
Need to convert 10,000 PDFs to text every night? Write a PowerShell or batch script around pdftotext. Want to extract every image from a batch of invoices? pdfimages handles it in seconds.
Summary
Key features
Pros
Cons
Performance and reliability
Usability
Security and licensing
Typical use cases
Verdict
Example basic commands
Related search suggestions (automatically generated terms that may help you explore further)
The xpdf-tools-win-4.04 package is a suite of command-line utilities designed for manipulating and extracting data from PDF files on Windows. While it has been succeeded by version 4.06 (released in November 2025), version 4.04 remains a popular choice for specific data automation tasks. What Makes It Useful?
The "story" of xpdf-tools is one of lightweight, no-nonsense utility. Unlike heavy PDF suites, these tools are small, portable, and easily integrated into scripts for bulk processing.
Data Extraction: The pdftotext utility is widely used in automated workflows to scrape text from invoices or reports. Users often prefer it for its ability to target specific coordinates (viewports) to extract data from precise locations on a page.
Conversion: It includes tools like pdftops (PDF to PostScript) and pdftoppm (PDF to image formats), which are essential for print workflows or web display.
Lightweight Nature: The command-line tools do not require the Qt GUI toolkit, making them ideal for server-side environments or lean Windows setups. Key Version 4.04 Features
Released in April 2022, version 4.04 introduced several quality-of-life improvements:
Smart State Saving: The reader now saves your current page number automatically, so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
Tab Management: Introduced drag-and-drop support for reordering document tabs. xpdf-tools-win-4.04
Metadata Visibility: A new document information dialog was added to easily view font details and metadata. How to Get It
While you can find version 4.04 in archives or via package managers like Winget and Chocolatey, it is generally recommended to use the latest version (4.06) from the official XpdfReader website to ensure you have the most recent bug fixes and security updates.
Do you need help setting up a specific command like pdftotext to extract data from your own PDF files? Download Xpdf and XpdfReader
14 Nov 2025 — Current version: 4.06. Windows 32-bit (Win 7 and newer): XpdfReader
xpdfreader · Issue #133508 · microsoft/winget-pkgs - GitHub
In the late '90s, when the digital world was still figuring out how to share documents without them breaking across different screens, a developer named Derek Noonburg released a small but mighty project called
. It was the first open-source PDF viewer, born in 1995 to give Unix users a way to actually read the "Portable Document Format" without needing proprietary software.
Decades later, while flashier apps have come and gone, the core tools in xpdf-tools-win-4.04
remain the "Swiss Army Knife" for power users and developers. The Mystery of the 4,000-Page Document
Imagine a data analyst tasked with extracting information from a massive, 4,000-page government report stuck in PDF format. Opening the file in a standard viewer and trying to "copy-paste" would be a nightmare of crashes and formatting errors. Enter the command-line heroes of version 4.04:
: In less than three seconds, it rips the plain text out of that 4,000-page monster and turns it into a searchable file.
: If that report is filled with hidden charts, this tool reaches into the code and pulls out every raw image as a separate file. pdftotext input
: Before you even open the file, this tells you who wrote it, what fonts were used, and if it’s encrypted. A Legacy Under the Hood
The story of Xpdf isn't just about its own interface—it’s the "engine" that powers a huge chunk of the internet's PDF infrastructure. Its code was so reliable that it was used as the foundation for
, the library that now runs PDF viewing for almost every Linux desktop (like GNOME and KDE). The 4.04 Chapter
Released around April 2022, version 4.04 wasn't just a maintenance update. It added "quality of life" features that felt like magic for veterans: Memory for Pages
: It finally remembered exactly where you left off, saving your current page number so you didn't have to scroll back through a 500-page manual. Better Links
: When converting PDFs to HTML, it finally learned to keep URI links anchored to the actual text, making the web versions of documents actually usable. Xpdf 4.04 release - forum.xpdfreader.com
Xpdf-tools-win-4.04 is a robust collection of open-source command-line utilities designed for manipulating and extracting data from PDF files on Windows. Released in April 2022, version 4.04 served primarily as a stability update but introduced several functional enhancements to both its GUI viewer and its core processing tools. Key Updates in Version 4.04
While much of the 4.04 release focused on bug fixes, it brought specific improvements to workflow and data integrity: Automatic Page Restoration
: The viewer now saves the current page number upon closing and automatically restores it when the file is reopened. Enhanced HTML Conversion
utility was updated to generate active HTML links for URI links anchored on text, improving the navigability of converted documents. Tab Management
: For users viewing multiple documents, the tab list now supports manual reordering via drag-and-drop. New Metadata Dialog
: A dedicated document information dialog was added to the viewer, providing a quick look at fonts and metadata. Core Utilities Included Keep layout: pdftotext -layout input
The Windows package typically includes several specialized tools that operate without a graphical interface, making them ideal for batch processing: XpdfReader
xpdf-tools-win-4.04 refers to a set of command-line tools for Windows that are part of the Xpdf package, version 4.04. Xpdf is an open-source PDF viewer and a set of tools for manipulating PDF files. Here’s a basic guide to get you started with the tools provided in this package: