How to Turn a PDF into a Word Document?

I'll cut the fluff and give you what you came here for - the fastest and easiest way to convert a PDF file into a Word document. But note that there are nuances with some PDF files which I will cover below.

Using Microsoft Word

You probably would have never guessed. MS Word literally has this feature built into Word 2013 and later. No need to download any third-party software or use online tools.

Mac Guide

1. Open Microsoft Word and click on "File" in the top menu bar. Select "Open" from the dropdown menu.

2. In the file dialog, navigate to the location of your PDF file.

3. Select the PDF file and click "Open".

4. Done!

Windows Guide

1. Open Microsoft Word.

2. Click on "Open" in the menu bar on the left and then "Browse".

3. Select the PDF file and click "Open".

4. Done!

Using Google Docs

You've probably used Google Docs before, but did you know it can also convert PDF files into Word documents? Here's how:

1. Open Google Drive.

2. Upload a PDF file either by dragging and dropping it into the Google Drive window or by clicking on the "+ New" button in the top left corner and selecting "File upload".

3. Right-click on the PDF file and select "Open with" > "Google Docs".

4. Done!

If you need to convert a Google Docs file to PDF instead, check out our guide on How to Convert Google Docs to PDF.

Nuances

As I mentioned earlier, there are some nuances with PDF files that can affect the conversion process. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Scanned PDFs

If your PDF document isn't created digitally (i.e., it's a scanned document), you'll likely face issues. Here's an example, take a look at this screenshot of a scanned PDF:

After converting it to Word via the native Word feature, take a look at an excerpt of the document:

Most of the document is fine, but there's quite a few obvious typos and formatting issues. For example, it converted "modulate" into "rrodulate" and "communications" into "connunications". This is because the Microsoft's OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology used to convert scanned documents isn't perfect.

And keep in mind, this was a simple document. If you have a slightly tilted document or written with difficult handwriting, the results will be even worse.

As for today, there isn't a perfect solution for converting scanned PDFs to Word documents. Your best bet is to convert and then manually fix the errors.

Layout Issues

If your PDF has a colored background, unorthodox table structure and other layout gimmicks - you're in for a ride.

PDF documents often contain unique formatting elements such as columns, sidebars, custom fonts, and intricate tables. When converting these into Word format, these layout nuances can easily become distorted or misaligned.

For example, multi-column PDF layouts frequently collapse into single-column text in Word, leading to an awkward reading experience. Unique fonts may also be replaced with generic ones, damaging the aesthetic and readability of your document.

Again, no quick fix for this. You'll have to manually fix the layout issues. Here's a quick checklist I'd look at after converting a PDF to Word:

• Adjust columns manually: After conversion, select the text and navigate to "Layout > Columns" in Word to recreate the original layout.
• Restore custom fonts: If the converted document's fonts have changed, manually select and reapply the original or closest-matching fonts in Word.
• Tables and graphics: Expect tables and graphics to shift slightly. Adjust these elements manually by resizing and repositioning them within Word.

Conclusion

If you're looking to convert a PDF to Word document, you'll probably want to use the native Microsoft Word feature. It's fast, easy, and doesn't require any third-party software.

Once Word has done the magic, beware of the common scanned document and layout issues I mentioned above.