Plain text in, a PDF you can print or send out
A text file looks different in every editor. A PDF fixes the page, so the person who opens it sees what you saw. It also opens on phones and in browsers that have no text editor at hand.
TXT to PDF Converter
Add a .txt file and get a PDF back. Expect one fixed-width font and A4 pages, with the text kept as real, selectable text.
To convert txt to pdf, add the .txt file, keep PDF as the output format and download the result. In our test, a 3.9 kB UTF-8 text file became a one-page A4 pdf of 27.8 kB, set in a fixed-width font, with long lines wrapped instead of cut off.
Transfers use HTTPS, and files converted on the free tier are deleted after 24 hours, so the result is not a long-term archive. Quality depends on the source file, so open the PDF file once before you share it.
Need more PDF options? Open the PDF Converter hub.
FromTXTLossless
TXT (Plain Text)
A file that holds only characters. It has no fonts, bold or italic, images, tables or page layout, so every program shows the same words in its own default style. The characters can be stored in different encodings, which is why accented or non-Latin text sometimes appears garbled when a file is opened with the wrong one.
ToPDFLossless
PDF (Portable Document Format)
A fixed-layout document format published as ISO 32000. Each page records the exact position of every character, image and line, usually with the fonts embedded, so it displays and prints identically in any reader and is awkward to edit.
A UTF-8 text file of 75 lines with accents, Persian text and a long line, converted on indox.org
- TXTthe original, UTF-8, 75 lines
- 3.9 kB
- PDFfrom indox, 1 A4 page, fonts embedded
- 27.8 kB
- PDFfrom a 63-byte Windows-1252 file, accents lost
- 19.9 kB
Why use indox to convert TXT to PDF?
Text stays real, selectable text
In our test the words in the PDF could be extracted again, so you can search, select and copy them.
Accents, curly quotes and the euro sign came out right
Our UTF-8 sample held accented Latin letters, curly quotes, an em dash and a euro sign. All of them were correct in the PDF.
Long lines wrap, columns stay aligned
A 403-character line was wrapped at word boundaries into five lines and nothing was clipped. An ASCII table kept its columns, because the whole file is set in a fixed-width font.
Nothing to install
The conversion runs on indox servers, so it works from Windows, Mac, Linux, Android or iPhone with only a browser.
What happens to your text file
Stays
- Your original .txt file, which is not touched
- The words, accents, curly quotes and euro sign of UTF-8 text
- Line breaks and the alignment of a fixed-width table
- Selectable, searchable text in the PDF
Changes
- Font: the file is set in a fixed-width font, Liberation Mono in our test
- Page: A4 pages, with lines wrapped at about 80 characters
- File size: 3.9 kB became 27.8 kB in our test, with fonts embedded in the PDF
- Encoding: only UTF-8 is read correctly, and Windows-1252 accents were lost
- Links: web addresses stay plain text
How do I convert TXT to PDF online?
- 1
Add your .txt file
Drop the file on the box or choose it from your device. Save the file as UTF-8 first if it contains accents or non-Latin letters.
- 2
Confirm PDF, then start the conversion
Check that PDF is the output format, then start the conversion. In our test a 3.9 kB file took 11.1 seconds from the click to Completed, and a 63-byte file took 3.3 seconds.
- 3
Download the PDF and read it once
Save the PDF and scan the pages before you send it. Look at accents, non-Latin text and wide tables, which are the places a text conversion goes wrong.
What do I get from indox's TXT to PDF converter?
You hand over a plain text file and take away a PDF with the text kept selectable. The page says up front what is decided for you, which is the font, the page size and the encoding, so you know before you convert whether it fits the job.
- One PDF for the .txt file you add, in a few clicks
- Nothing installed on any device with a browser
- Wrapping, fonts and page size described from a measured run
- The encoding limit stated plainly, with the fix
- Your original .txt file is left as it was
What are the limits for TXT to PDF?
Size
The upload box shows the live size limit before you add a file. Signing in raises it; a paid plan does not change it.
Formats
TXT in, PDF out. Pick another output on the converter if you need a different format.
Privacy
Files are encrypted in transit over HTTPS and processed on indox infrastructure.
Deletion
Free-tier files are kept for 24 hours after the job finishes, then deleted automatically.
Limits worth knowing
- Only UTF-8 text is read correctly. In our test a Windows-1252 file with accented letters came out with every accented letter replaced by the Unicode replacement character, because no encoding detection took place. Save the file as UTF-8 before converting.
- The layout is not yours to set. We saw no choice of page size, font, margins or orientation, and the output was A4 in a fixed-width font.
- Persian and other right-to-left text is shaped correctly but not laid out as right-to-left. In our test the Persian sentence displayed correctly, but it sat at the left edge, and a text extraction returned its words in reversed order. Search and copy of such text can misbehave.
- Links are not made. A web address in the text stays plain text in the PDF.
- A PDF has fixed pages. It does not reflow on a small screen, so a book saved as plain text with hard line breaks is better read as EPUB.
- We did not test the file size limit for anonymous use, so this page makes no claim about it. A very large file may be refused.
When the result is not what you expected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Black diamonds or question marks instead of accents | The file is not UTF-8 and the encoding is not detected | Save the file as UTF-8 in your editor, then convert again |
| Persian text sits at the left of the page | The converter shapes the letters but does not set right-to-left alignment | Check the result before you share it, and keep the original text file. A document built in DOCX carries its own alignment |
| The font looks like a typewriter | A .txt file carries no font, so a fixed-width font is used | For a proportional font, convert from Markdown or DOCX instead |
| The URL is not clickable | Web addresses stay plain text | Copy it from the PDF, or start from HTML to PDF to keep links |
| The PDF is much larger than the text file | Fonts are embedded in the PDF, and a 63-byte file gave 19.9 kB in our test | This is normal for this converter, so judge by the page count rather than the size |
What do the free and paid plans add?
Free
- All converters
- Daily credit refresh
- Email support
Basic
- Access to all features
- AI Extract
- Priority conversions
- Email support
Highest priority
Premium
- Everything in Basic
- Highest priority queue
- Priority support
Pay-As-You-Go
- No subscription
- Credits never expire
- Opt-in auto-refill
- Access to all features
Which conversions are close to TXT to PDF?
TXT vs PDF: what is the difference?
| Compared on | TXT | |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | None, each program shows its own default | Fixed pages, the same in every viewer |
| Fonts | Not stored in the file | Embedded in the file |
| Encoding | Can differ, and the wrong one garbles text | Stored with the file, so the text reads the same everywhere |
| Editing | Any text editor | Needs a PDF editor |
| Typical use | Notes, logs, configs and code | Sharing, printing and archiving |
Who can use a TXT to PDF converter?
When to use it
- Attaching a log or config file to a support ticket as a PDF.
- Printing a plain-text note or draft with the same pages on every printer.
- Archiving a text file in a format that opens in every browser.
- Sending a README or meeting notes to someone who has no text editor on their phone.
Where can I read more about converting files?
Sources
- PDF 1.7, ISO 32000-1:2008Library of Congress
- RFC 3629: UTF-8, a transformation format of ISO 10646IETF
Facts checked on November 4, 2026
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TXT to PDF FAQs
How do I convert TXT to PDF?
Open the converter, add your .txt file, keep PDF as the output and download the result. There is nothing to install and the original file is not changed.
Why does my PDF show strange characters instead of accented letters?
The file was probably not UTF-8. In our test a Windows-1252 file gave a replacement character for every accented letter, because the converter did not detect the encoding. Open the text in an editor, save it as UTF-8 and convert again.
Can I convert text with Persian, Arabic or Chinese characters?
UTF-8 text with such characters can be converted. In our test a Persian sentence was shaped correctly, but it was left-aligned and a text extraction returned its words in reversed order. We did not test Arabic or Chinese.
Will long lines be cut off?
No. In our test a 403-character line was wrapped at word boundaries into five lines of about 80 characters, and no text was lost.
Is the text in the PDF searchable?
In our test the text could be extracted from the PDF, so it is real text and not an image. For right-to-left scripts the extracted word order was reversed, so search results can be unreliable there.
Can I choose the page size, font or margins?
We saw no such option during our run. The result was A4 with a fixed-width font. If you need a different layout, convert from DOCX or Markdown instead.
Can I convert a text file on my phone?
Yes. The converter runs in the browser, so you add the file, convert it and download the PDF on Android or iPhone.
Are web addresses clickable in the PDF?
No. The URL in our test file stayed plain text with no link in the PDF.
Should I use PDF or another format?
Use PDF when the pages must look the same everywhere or must be printed. If the text should reflow on a small screen, an EPUB or HTML file suits it better.