What happens when you convert TeX to TXT
- The LaTeX is read by pandoc, the open-source document converter, on our conversion server and written as UTF-8 plain text: headings, paragraphs and list items keep their own lines, lines are wrapped at 72 characters, tables are drawn with spaces and dashes, and images are replaced by their descriptions in brackets.
- LaTeX is read, not typeset: \input and \include of other files are not followed, macros defined in the file are expanded, and commands from packages pandoc does not know are dropped.
- Simple equations are written out in plain characters, such as E = mc², and the document's title block, bibliography and cross-reference numbers are not generated.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert TeX to TXT online
- Press "Choose TeX files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to TXT". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each TXT with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your TeX and the TXT by then.
Why convert TeX to TXT?
TeX files usually come from scientific papers, theses and maths-heavy documents. People convert them to TXT because plain text opens everywhere and is easy to search, copy, edit and paste into other tools.
In short, TeX is good at what it was made for, and TXT is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. TeX shows as plain text in browsers; LaTeX, Overleaf and TeX editors typeset it, while TXT opens in every browser, text editor and phone.
How to convert TeX to TXT on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your TeX files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each TXT is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the TeX files from Finder onto the drop zone and the TXT files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose TeX files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted TXT appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose TeX files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The TXT is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for TeX to TXT
There are no settings: pandoc writes standard, tidy UTF-8 text that any editor reads.
If something is missing, check whether it depended on a file outside the TeX; the converter reads the file alone.
TeX vs TXT: the differences
| TeX | TXT | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | LaTeX document | Plain text |
| Type | document | document |
| Created by | Leslie Lamport, on Donald Knuth's TeX | no single author |
| First released | 1984 | 1963 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | text with commands for structure, maths, references and layout | characters only, with no formatting |
| In a browser | shows as plain text in browsers; LaTeX, Overleaf and TeX editors typeset it | opens in every browser, text editor and phone |
| Common uses | scientific papers, theses and maths-heavy documents | notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere |
| MIME type | application/x-tex | text/plain |
About TeX and TXT files
What is a TeX file?
A .tex file is the source of a document, not the finished pages: commands such as \section and \begin{equation} are typeset into a PDF by LaTeX. It is the standard for papers in mathematics, physics and computer science.
What is a TXT file?
A TXT file holds nothing but characters: no fonts, images or layout. Modern text files are usually UTF-8, which covers every language.
TeX to TXT not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- "This file is not really in TeX format." The converter checks every file before it runs anything, so a file of another format renamed to .tex is refused. Choose the page for its real format.
Convert TeX to TXT from the command line
pandoc does the same on your own computer:
pandoc input.tex -t plain -o output.txtConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
TeX to TXT converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting TeX to TXT?
The words are kept exactly; only the markup around them changes.
Why is the TXT a different size from the TeX?
About the same as the TeX, or smaller: the words are identical and only the markup changes.
Are my TeX files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful TeX to TXT conversion needs pandoc, the open-source document converter, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the TXT as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several TeX files to TXT at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a TXT file?
TXT opens in every browser, text editor and phone. TXT is common for notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere.
Is this TeX to TXT converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert TeX to TXT on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the TXT is saved to your Downloads folder.