PDF to Word

How it works

1. 1

   Choose the PDF Bring in your PDF by dropping it on the upload box or with the Choose a file button. Anything larger than 4 MB is refused on the spot, with a message giving the maximum size.

2. 2

   Check the document The page shows the file name, page count and size, with previews of the first eight pages.

3. 3

   Convert Press Convert and download. The button reads Converting... while the server rebuilds the pages.

4. 4

   Open the .docx The download starts on its own, with the PDF's name and a .docx extension. Open the file in Microsoft Word to edit it.

What the Word file contains

Every page of the PDF turns into a separate Word section of the same size. Text sits in boxes placed where it was on the page: a block of three or more evenly spaced lines of the same size, aligned on the left and filling most of the width, becomes one flowing paragraph, while headings, labels and short lines get a box each.

Lines, borders and colored panels are redrawn as shapes, and pictures are placed at their original position. Colors, bold and italic are kept, and the Word file names the PDF's fonts, with Helvetica mapped to Arial and Times to Times New Roman. Text looks closest to the original on a computer where those fonts are installed.

Because every element is positioned on the page, text you add does not push the rest of the page down: make room by moving the boxes below. The file is made for Microsoft Word; other word processors may place the boxes differently.

Tables and drawings

Tables are not rebuilt as Word tables: the text of each cell sits in its own box and the borders are drawn as separate lines. Adding a row or a column therefore means moving boxes and lines by hand.

Charts, logos and diagrams stored as pictures come through as pictures. Those drawn as vector shapes are simplified: filled shapes and slanted lines turn into plain rectangles, and most curves are left out. When such a chart matters, save its page as an image with PDF to PNG and insert that picture in Word.

If you get an error

• • A conversion that runs longer than about 30 seconds fails. Cut a long or complex document into smaller parts with Split PDF and convert each one.
• • A file that needs a password to open cannot be converted. Remove the password with Unlock PDF first.
• • A damaged PDF can fail as well. If the file opens normally in your PDF reader, wait a moment and try again.