PDF files are a great file format for storing digital documents without editing them. They are widely used for online publishing. You can find many research papers, books, and even eBooks in PDF form.
Even students use PDF file formats for turning in digital assignments. However, even with all of its uses, sometimes you just need a Word file instead. Maybe it’s because you need to create your own notes on it, or you need to edit a draft of your book but only the PDF is available.
In this article, we are going to discuss a simple method of converting a PDF file to Word format. This method does not require you to download, install, or even pay for anything. It’s completely free and all you will need is a working internet connection and a computer/smartphone.
Why Do You Need to Convert Your PDF to a Word File?
Before we can begin, it is important to go over some practical uses of the process.
- Word files are far easier to edit than PDF. To edit a PDF you often need a paid word processor, or you need to find a Word version of the file. With this process, you can convert the PDF quickly and without any hassle.
- Word files are more compatible with a wider range of systems. PDFs may be popular, but they don’t hold a candle to Word format. Nearly every word processor or typing tool in existence is compatible with Word files.
- Word files are more shareable. Some Word processors like Microsoft Word are capable of sharing a Word file online with others for live collaboration. You cannot do that with PDFs.
So, now that we know some real reasons for converting a PDF to Word, let’s take a look at the process used for it.
Simple Method of Converting a PDF to Word Format
You can convert a PDF to Word with the power of OCR tools. OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. This technology allows computers to understand that specific pixel configurations are, in fact, characters.
Then the computer can convert those pixel configurations into their UNICODE or ASCII equivalent of machine-understandable code.
A PDF to Word OCR tool can do so easily and provide you with the Word file. Here’s how you can use one.
- Find a PDF to Word OCR tool
The first step is to find a tool. This is really easy. All you need to do is to go online and type something like PDF to Word converter. You will see plenty of search results. Most of the top results are free and don’t require either an account or credit card information. So you can use them with peace of mind.
For this article, we chose the ‘ocr.best’ pdf to word converter as it is really easy to use and has a very high limit for conversions.
- Convert to Word
To convert your PDF, you need to simply upload it to the tool. In ‘ocr.best’, you can do it by either dragging the file to the input box, or you can upload it traditionally. That is you click on the “file” icon and a window of your file explorer will open up. There you navigate to the PDF file and select it to upload it.
- Convert the File from PDF to Word
After the file is uploaded, you need to complete a captcha and then click the “Submit” button. This will start the conversion process.
Soon, the appearance of the webpage will change, and you will be shown the output.
- Proofread
You don’t have to download the results to proofread them. Most tools let you read the output in their interface.
Just read the whole thing to make sure that none of the text is incorrect or incomplete. To do that simply scroll through the output.
- Download/Save the Output
When you have confirmed that the file is okay, then you can download or copy it. Of course, the download format will be in the Word format. However, some tools may only let you download stuff in the “TXT” format.
To circumvent that, you can copy the text into a Word file. Save the file and your PDF conversion is now complete.
Conclusion
This concludes our article on the simple process of converting a PDF to a Word file. We checked out a few reasons why converting a PDF file to Word may be necessary. We also listed five simple steps to use a PDF to Word OCR tool for the conversion process. Now, you should be able to convert all kinds of PDFs to Word easily.
