Scanned PDF to Word: Easy Conversion Guide (Online & Offline Solutions)

Ever found yourself in a situation where you need to digitize handwritten notes – perhaps from a friend, a lecture, or a brainstorming session? You scanned them into a PDF, but now you’re stuck with an image-based file that’s impossible to edit.

Fear not! Today, we will discuss all the possible ways to convert PDF to Word. So keep reading this guide to walk through the best methods to convert your scanned PDF into a fully editable Word document, unlocking a world of possibilities for organizing, revising, and sharing your notes.

When You May Want to Convert Scanned PDF to Word

• Edit and Format: Easily modify, add, or delete text, change fonts, adjust spacing, and create a polished, professional look.
• Search and Find: Quickly locate specific keywords or phrases within your notes.
• Share and Collaborate: Seamlessly share your notes with others via email, cloud storage, or collaboration platforms.
• Accessibility: Improve accessibility for those with visual impairments by using text-to-speech software.

Ways to Convert Scanned PDF to Word

1] Offline Ways to Convert Scanned PDF to Word 

First, let’s discuss how you can convert a scanned PDF file into a Word document offline. This means you can download a software that will double as a scanned PDF to Word converter, or you can use Microsoft Word’s native functionality to do the same. Let’s dive into the ways to do that – 

Method 1 — Using A PDF Editing Tool (Recommended)

One of the best ways to convert a scanned PDF to Word is to use PDF editing software. Systweak PDF Editor is one such software that lets you convert a scanned document into text that is searchable, editable, and selectable. Once you have done that, you can edit the text, annotate the document, secure it, convert it into multiple formats, and do a host of other things. 

Here’s how you can convert a scanned PDF to Word offline using Systweak PDF Editor – 

Step 1 – Download Systweak PDF Editor, and run the installation file. 

Step 2 – From the top, click on OCR. 

To perform OCR, you will have to download the required components. These will be downloaded once you click on any of the options to perform OCR.

Step 3 – For this post, we already have a handwritten document that we had further scanned in PDF format.

Step 4 – Click on the Perform OCR option, and select OCR from PDF. 

Step 5 – Click on the Convert Mode dropdown and select Word.  

Step 6 – Check the other settings.

Step 7 – Finally, click on the Perform OCR. 

In a moment, your scanned document will be converted to a Word file. You can go ahead and start working with this file just as you would with any other Word document. 

Method 2 — Using Microsoft Word 

Did you know you can convert a scanned PDF to Word using Microsoft Word? The only prerequisite is that you should have Microsoft Word 2013 or later installed on your desktop. Here’s how simple it is to convert a scanned PDF to a Word document – 

Step 1 – Open Microsoft Word on your desktop or laptop. 

Step 2 – Click on Open from the left-hand side. 

Step 3 – Click on Browse from the right-hand side to go to the location where you have saved your scanned PDF document. You can also drag and drop the file directly into Microsoft Word. 

Step 4 – You will see a prompt saying that “Word will now convert the PDF into editable format”, and that it may take a while. 

Step 5 – Click on OK to continue. 

You can now edit the PDF document as if it were a Word document. And, once you are finished editing you can save it in any desired format. 

Method 3 — Adobe Acrobat Pro DC:

Step 1 – Open your scanned PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

Step 2 – OCR Accuracy: Utilize the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature to convert the scanned images into editable text.

Step 3 – Export and Edit: Export the document as a Word (.docx) file and make any desired edits.

2] Online Ways to Convert PDF to Word 

If you don’t want to install a standalone PDF editing software, you can instead convert scanned PDFs to Word online. All you would need in this case, is an active internet connection, and of course a reliable online platform. Although, the reason a PDF editing software is more advisable is because it offers a host of features that you might not be able to see on an online scanned PDF to Word converter.

Barring the limitations aside, here is how you can transform a scanned PDF to Word using a converter online –

Method 1 — Smallpdf (Free Trial Available)

Step 1 – Go to a platform like Smallpdf. 

Step 2 – Click on PDF to Word. 

Step 3 – Select the scanned PDF that you want to convert to Word format.

Step 4 – Select the option Convert text in scans (OCR). It is important to note that this feature is only available in Pro variants. 

Step 5 – Click on the Convert button. 

Step 6 – Download the editable Word file. 

Method 2 — Google Drive

Step 1 – Effortless Upload: Simply upload your scanned PDF to your Google Drive.

Step 2 – Google Docs Magic: Right-click on the PDF and select “Open with” -> “Google Docs.” Google Docs will attempt to automatically convert the scanned text into editable text.

Step 3 – Edit and Export: Once converted, you can edit the document directly within Google Docs and then download it as a Word (.docx) file.

Method 3 — Adobe Acrobat Online (Subscription Required)

Step 1 – Powerful Conversion: Upload your PDF to the Adobe Acrobat Online service.

Step 2 – Export to Word: Use the “Export PDF” feature and select “Microsoft Word” as your output format.

Step 3 – Download and Refine: Download the converted Word document and refine it further if needed.

Summing Up — Convert Scanned PDF to Word

At first glance, it may almost seem impossible to edit the information in a scanned document. But, with OCR technology you can convert a scanned PDF into an editable, searchable, and selectable document and make changes to it. 

In that effort, we have covered both online and offline ways to convert a scanned PDF document into an editable Microsoft Word document. If you found the information mentioned in this post helpful, do share your feedback in the comments section below and please like, share, and follow our Facebook page and keep visiting our website for such tutorials and guides.