How to Convert Scanned PDF Documents to Editable Word Documents

In this day and age of technology, access to information is a matter of a few simple clicks away. However, you might find that you owe someone very important something such as a scanned version of a piece of important paper. I understand that not everyone has access to the same technology I do when they’re in the field and want to get documents converted into Word format.

You don’t need a scanner anymore to convert your scanned documents and make them editable. All you need is this simple document conversion technique. Once you are done with the conversion, a fresh copy of the word file will be created on your computer system. This file is easy to open, read and edit as per your requirement without any hassle. Let’s take a look at how to do this online conversion job.

If you scan a document, it is most likely in the PDF format. Converting scanned documents to editable word can be done but takes a bit of knowledge on your part. The good news is that it only takes a few steps to convert scanned PDF documents to editable Word Documents.

PDF is a file format that is widely used for digital documents, especially for their ease of distribution, their non-editable nature, and that most computers have the means to open them. But in some cases, users aren’t satisfied with a given PDF. In some cases, you may want to print certain parts of your PDF. There are also times when you need to edit your PDF file. Fortunately, there are tools that let you convert scanned PDF documents to editable word format files.

How to edit a scanned PDF document (on Mac)?

Editing a scanned PDF (or any PDF for that matter) can mean at least three completely different tasks (both in terms of complexity and execution). Good news is, Able2Extract Professional can perform all of them on Mac.

Let us explain.

  1. Adding text, graphics, Bates numbering to a scanned PDF: If you just want to add some content to your scanned PDF, simply open the file and go to the Edit Document tab to gain access to features such as Add Text, Add Shape, Add Bitmap, and Add Bates Numbering.
  2. Editing scanned PDF pages: To delete or rearrange pages, insert blank ones, add pages from a separate PDF, or modify pages size and rotation, open a document and click on the Edit Document tab in the Main menu. Click on the corresponding icon to activate features such as Merge, Split, Insert Pages, Delete Pages, Move Pages, Rotate Pages, Resize Pages.
  3. Editing scanned PDF text: The most difficult task would be to edit textual content from image-based PDFs. As explained in the answer to the previous question, you can convert PDF to DOCX with OCR, and edit the content in Microsoft Word before printing the edited PDF with the Able2Extract Professional printer. You can also print the converted PDF without modifying it, and open it in Able2Extract Professional to edit the text just like you would in any word processor application (make sure the Edit Document tab is active).

How to type on a scanned PDF document?

Typing on a scanned PDF is possible with a desktop PDF solution such as Able2Extract Professional. Since a scanned PDF is basically an image of a document, typing on it will add a new layer containing text on top of the original image layer.

To type on a scanned PDF document with Able2Extract Professional:

  1. Open a scanned PDF in Able2Extract
  2. Go to the Edit Document tab
  3. Click on the Add Text button
  4. Place your mouse cursor anywhere on the document, left click, and start typing

Note: You can change properties of the added text in the right-side panel, such as the font, font size, color, outline, line spacing, etc.

How to edit a scanned PDF document in Word?

First, you will need to extract content from a PDF to the editable file format compatible with Microsoft Word by using a software application with OCR technology.

To convert a scanned PDF to DOCX with Able2Extract Professional:

  1. Open a scanned document you’d like to edit in Word
  2. While in the Convert tab, look for a Word section in the right-side panel that will let you choose the Format (DOCX – Word 2007, RTF – Rich Text Format, ODT – OpenOffice Writer) and Formatting (Standard, Frames, Text Only)
  3. Click on the Word button under the Convert tab in the main toolbar
  4. Set a file name, choose location, and hit Save

Once the extraction is completed, just open the resulting document in Word and start editing as usual. Beats manual retyping every time!

Can I convert a scanned PDF to Word for free?

Yes, you can. If you don’t want to pay for a scanned PDF to Word conversion, free online tools will do the job (such as the one on this page).

Keep in mind that:

  • Free tools are not as accurate as the paid ones in most cases
  • Free tools might have limitations when it comes to file size, number of conversions per day, etc.
  • Since the conversion is taking place on a server, you’ll need to upload your file and download the resulting editable document
  • Free tools can be overloaded at any given time, making the conversion much slower than with a dedicated desktop software application that has OCR

To conclude, free online tools can help you convert a scanned PDF to Word for free. However, if you are not comfortable with their limitations, you should look into a desktop PDF converter with OCR such as Able2Extract Professional.

How to Convert PDF Image to Word with PDFelement

PDFelement can be used to convert various file formats to Word. Its OCR feature is one of the most outstanding on the market. The OCR feature can change scanned PDF files into editable files, which are also selectable and searchable. You can include as many elements as you want, like text, images, graphics, numbers, and many more objects.

Step 1. Open an image file

After Launching PDFelement – the best image to Word converter on the market, you can press the “Open files” button on the Home window to load the PDF image file you need to convert. Alternatively, drag and drop an image file into PDFelement is also a good way to open an image file.

pdf image to word

Step 2. OCR Settings before Conversion

After loading an image file, a notification bar will appear at the top of the window. Click the “Perform OCR” button. In the pop-up window, select the correct language of your PDF image content. If there are multiple languages within your PDF image, select multiple languages in the OCR list. Then click “OK” to begin the OCR process.

convert pdf image to word

Step 3. Convert PDF Image to Word

When the OCR process is done, you will be able to edit the image file. Then, to convert image to Word, select the “To Word” option in the “Convert” tab. Then click the “Save” button to start the conversion process.

pdf image to word converter

Convert PDF Image to Word in Batches

Wondershare PDFelement – PDF Editor also allows you to convert PDF image to Word in batches. Follow the steps below to help to do this.

Step 1. Load Multiple PDF Images

Launch this PDF image to Word converter and then click the “Convert” > “Batch Process” button. In the pop-up window, you can click “+ Add File”  to load a batch of PDF images for conversion.

how to convert pdf image to word

Step 2. Convert Multiple PDF Images to Word Files

After uploading files,  you can choose “Word” as the output format and you can choose an output folder for your converted files.  Then you can then press “Apply” to begin the conversion process.

pdf image to word converter online

Convert PDF Image to Word with PDF Converter Pro

Wondershare PDF Converter Pro is another PDF image to word converter that can help you complete this task quickly and easily with the help of OCR. And it can also convert PDF to HTML, EPUB, TIFF, JPG, and vice versa.

Step 1. Load a PDF Image File

After opening the program, drag and drop a PDF image file into it. Alternatively, click the “Add PDF File” to upload PDF files.

pdf image file to word converter online free

Step 2. Enable OCR Settings

Click the “OCR Settings” icon on the right-hand side. On the “OCR” tab, tick the top option to enable OCR. You can also select the correct language of your PDF image content in the OCR language list.

pdf image to word

Step 3. Convert PDF Image to Word

Select “Word” in the Output drop-down list. Hit the “Convert” button to start the conversion process. You will get the converted Word document in the output folder automatically.

convert pdf image to word

Convert PDF Image to Word with Google Drive

Google Drive is a PDF image to word converter online that can help you convert PDF image to word. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Upload a PDF

Upload the PDF into your Google Drive account.

pdf image to word converter

Step 2. Open with Google Docs

Right-click the PDF image file and open it with “Google Docs”.

how to convert pdf image to word

Step 3. Convert PDF Image to Word

Once it is opened, you can click the “File” > “Download” > “Microsoft Word (.docx)” button to save the word file on your computer.

pdf image to word converter online

Even though you can use the above steps to convert pdf image to word with Google Drive, however when your PDF image is opened by Google Docs, the layout and content may be changed, it cannot remain the same as your original PDF image. So it is better to use PDFelement to convert pdf images to word to keep the original content and layout.

How to Convert PDF image to Word Online

HiPDF is such an incredible tool. This website will be of use to you in a variety of ways. For instance, it allows you to unlock a PDF file with the creator’s password, thanks to its password remover. With its help, you will also password protect your PDF file by encrypting it. Consequently, you would then be able to choose the file to convert, upload, as well as double-check your OCR settings.

This converter lets you split, merge, and edit your PDF file however you like. Do not forget that you can compress the size of any PDF document with this tool. And last but not least, it will help you convert back and forth from PDF to PPT, image, Excel, and Word file formats. As a result, HiPDF is an amazing resource to have on hand. That way, you can manipulate your files however you need or like best.

If you want to utilize HiPDF to convert PDF images to Word online, you are going to have to follow these steps:

Step 1. Open on HiPDF, your OCR tool.

Step 2. Select the file to be converted, upload it, and double-check your OCR preferences.

Step 3. Check that you’ve selected the correct option (.docx/.doc) for your output format.

Step 4. To convert your PDF picture to Word, select the “Convert” option.

PDF Image to Word Converter

If you wish to use OCR technology to convert your PDF image into Word, here’s a quick and easy way to do it. These two excellent PDF to Word converters with OCR technology will help you do it.

Online PDF Image to Word Converter – Scannedpdftoword.com

Scanned PDF to Word online converter is a handy website. It will allow you to convert your scanned PDF files into Word documents online and for free. To join up, you will not be needed to provide any contact information or use your email address. In addition, there are no limits on how much you might use this website.

With the help of this converter and its OCR technology, you will be able to convert all your PDF images to Word documents online, free, and unlimitedly. It won’t matter the size of your file. Plus, you won’t need to download any type of software into your computer or device either. The only thing you will require is an active and stable internet connection to complete the whole process.

This website’s servers will only store your files for 6 hours tops after you finish your conversion. Once that period is up, all those files will be destroyed permanently. The website will be unable to access your files throughout the converting process. That’s because the conversion process is entirely automated, which ultimately guarantees your files’ privacy.

Additionally, you will indeed be capable of keeping your file’s original layout and selecting which portions of your PDF to transform. If you don’t want to convert it totally, that is.

Online PDF Image to Word Converter – Onlineocr.net

Onlineocr.net is a free online converter that offers a wide range of services. It will allow you to convert files using OCR technology (optical character recognition). That includes Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese files, as this website can support forty-six different languages.

With the help of this converter, you will be able to convert your PDF file or images into Excel, Word, or any other text output format.

You won’t have to download any browser extension or desktop software to do anything with it. Its OCR technology allows the converter to recognize characters and text from PDF files, images, and photographs. Plus, you will be able to maintain the original look of your documents throughout the entire process, including graphics, columns, tables, and others.

It does, however, have one problem. The size of your file cannot be over 15 MB. But only if you use it in “guest mode.” By doing so, you’ll be able to convert up to 15 files per hour and 15 pages to multipage files. On the contrary, if you register, you will be able to convert several PDF files and enjoy some extra features as well.

Scanned documents are great. They let you archive stacks of paper into folders on your computer, taking up far less space and being infinitely easier to organize, move, and copy. What’s not so great is finding content stored away inside one of your hundreds of scanned documents. By default, they’re little more than a picture of your document—and if you want to find info inside them, you’ll have to open each one and read it for yourself.

Or, you could let your computer do the heavy lifting for you, by turning your image into text and letting you search through your scanned documents as easily as you search through any other documents. That’s what OCR—Optical Character Recognition—does. It uses your computer’s smarts to recognize letter shapes in an image or scanned document and turn them into digital text you can copy and edit as needed.

Importing the PDF as an Image

If nothing else works, you can still get your scanned document into Word as an image, as described by Microsoft. Scan the document or take a picture of it with your smartphone and save it on your computer in an easy-to-find location. Go to the “Insert” tab on Word and choose “Pictures” from the “Illustrations” group. Navigate to your image in the window that pops up, highlight it and click “Insert.” Then, position and resize the image as needed.

Conclusion

These days, it’s a common routine for many students and business people to scan important documents and convert the documents into PDF format. But the problem with this method is that the content stored in scanned PDF might be in a bad condition. That’s why many companies provide their clients with the conversion service of PDF to Word file.

Convert scanned pdf to editable word document- Are you facing problem in scanning pdf into editable word document or image. You don’t need to worry most of the users facing this problem. There are multiple tools available to convert scanned pdf to editiable word.

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