[senit] converting PDF files

some pdfs without security (file-properties) seem to

I think David is on the right track here. I do a lot of conversion simply 
through "Save As Text." You might also try the virtual scanners in software 
such as Read-and-Write and WYNN (Freedom Import Printer, for example, which 
often works). 

If they are coming to you "secured" try, as David suggests, to ask them not 
to do that. Generally, if you own the book and are converting it to Braille 
(or whatever) as a service to a person with a disability, there is no 
copyright problem. Although I have seen publishers want a form signed by the 
student agreeing that the digital version is for their use only. 

Ira David Socol
Special Education Technology Scholar
CEPSE
College of Education
Michigan State University
socolira at msu.edu
http://speedchange.blogspot.com/ 

david fettes writes: 

> some pdfs without security (file-properties) seem to
> save out well as text by going file-save as text.
> maybe ask the author to remove any security for you?
> david
> --- Alice Chenneour Randall
> <alice.chenneour at btinternet.com> wrote: 
> 
>> We've tried cutting and pasting and just got
>> absolute rubbish so we were rather puzzled about but
>> thankyou. 
>> 
>> Claire Barnes <clairebarnes at willowdeneschool.co.uk>
>> wrote:  Hi Alice 
>> 
>> You can actually cut and paste text from pdf files
>> (e.g into MS Word) but
>> you lose all formatting and usually all the
>> diagrams. 
>> 
>> May or may not be appropriate in this instance? 
>> 
>> Claire Barnes
>> Willow Dene School 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Alice Chenneour Randall
>> [mailto:alice.chenneour at btinternet.com] 
>> Sent: 10 January 2008 21:54
>> To: aph at misnet.co.uk; senit at lists.becta.org.uk
>> Subject: RE: [senit] converting PDF files 
>> 
>> We need to prepare material in braille using
>> transcription software, remove
>> shaded text unwanted diagrams etc.
>> Alice 
>> 
>> Alex Hammerstein wrote:
>> The idea behind pdf files is that they CANT be
>> changed. 
>> 
>> How do you want to manipulate the material? 
>> 
>> Alex 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: senit-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
>> [mailto:senit-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf
>> Of Alice Chenneour
>> Randall
>> Sent: 10 January 2008 20:45
>> To: senit
>> Subject: [senit] converting PDF files 
>> 
>> I'm sorry that this might appear obvious to all you
>> technical wizards out
>> there - we are a VI service and have been relatively
>> fortunate in recieving
>> the PDF files of a number of text books, dierctly
>> from the publishers. The
>> difficulty is that we are having no success in
>> converting these files into a
>> format that allows us to manipulate the material.
>> Any help would be very
>> welcome.
>> Many thanks
>> Alice Chenneour Randall
>> Oxfordshire VISS