PDF files are one of the most commonly used extensions for saving documents but these files don’t open directly in Microsoft Word or any other rich text document editor and can’t be edited there in the same format either.
If you want to edit a PDF file to a Word document, there are plenty of websites and apps available that will help you do the same. If you’re looking for third-party PDF editors, you can check out this article that lists seven of the best ones. Here we’re going to talk about how you can convert a PDF to Word, using Microsoft Word, without the need for third-party software.
Microsoft Word allows users to convert PDFs to Word document format so that it can be edited, but the document might not appear exactly like the PDF version.
PDFs that contain mostly graphics or charts are likely to appear as a full-page image. In such a case, the text in these images can’t be edited. Some elements, like a footnote, might not get detected by Word and so it might treat it like regular text. Similarly, there are other elements that don’t convert well when using the built-in converter in Word to convert a file from PDF to Word and we’ve listed them below.
Also read: How to save a Word document as PDF?
Which PDF elements aren’t supported by Word?
Below we’ve listed all the elements that don’t convert well when using the built-in conversion tool to convert PDF to Word.
- Audio
- Video
- Endnotes
- Footnotes
- Frames
- PDF active elements
- PDF bookmarks
- PDF tags
- PDF comments
- Font effects (glow/shadow)
- Page colours
- Page borders
- Tracked changes
- Tables with cell spacing.
Also read: How to save photos as PDF in Photoshop?
How to convert PDF to Word without a third-party app?
Open Microsoft Word on your PC and follow the steps mentioned below to convert a PDF to Word without using any third-party software.
Step 1: Use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+O to directly go the the Open File page, or click on the File option at the top-left and then on Open on the next page. Here you can select and open the PDF you want to convert to Word.
Step 2: Next you’ll see a pop-up prompt by Microsoft Word. Click on the Ok button to continue with the conversion.
As mentioned above, some elements — especially graphics — might not appear as they do in the PDF file as the converted Word file will allow you to edit.
Examples of the same page of the PDF file (left) versus the same page on the converted Word document (right).
Also read: How to save an email as a PDF on Gmail?
