PDF is the most common file type that can be easily shared and opened in any operating system. Still, editing the PDF files is quite tricky. That is when Microsoft Word comes in handy. All you have to do is to convert your PDF file into DOC or DOCX, make necessary changes, and turn it back to the original format.
But how to turn PDF into Word? Today, we'll show how to do that with Preview, Google Drive, Automator, and some dedicated PDF converters.
How to convert PDF to Word online: Upload your file to our online PDF converter. Smallpdf will instantly start the extraction process. OCR will activate if you upload a scanned document. Wait for the converter to finish and download your Word file. Our software library provides a free download of PDF to Word Converter 5.1 for Mac. Our antivirus check shows that this Mac download is clean. PDF to Word Converter for Mac relates to Productivity Tools. The following versions: 3.5, 3.2 and 3.1 are the most frequently downloaded ones by the program users.
Consider copying and pasting as a low-tech approach? Sometimes it works surprisingly well, especially when the PDF is primarily text-based. Sometimes it's a real hassle — it all depends on the type of PDF file you have.
The Easiest and Professional Way to Convert PDF to Word on Mac. PDFelement Pro - The Best Way. Converting PDF Files to DOCX with Google Docs. Google Docs in an impressive web-based platform. Download PDF to Word Free for macOS 10.7 or later and enjoy it on your Mac. PDF to Word Free lets you quickly and easily convert PDF files to Microsoft Word document, and preserves original formatting well. So you can easily edit or reuse PDF data in Microsoft Word!
In any case, with such minimal effort involved, this method is worth a shot. Follow these steps to try it out:
Use Command‐A for Select All is you want to copy the entire document content, all at once.
Google Docs is a popular web-based editing tool, pretty good at transforming PDF files into Word. Here’s how to use it:
If a PDF file includes images, Google Docs might remove them from the final DOCX document. This method is preferable only for a text-based PDF file.
Google Docs can also be the answer to how to convert Word to PDF on Mac. The main downside to this method is that it requires an internet connection.
Automator is a built-in macOS utility developed for simple repetitive tasks like renaming files or resizing images. It helps make the same changes to multiple files at a time by creating a custom workflow.
Just like Preview, Automator can’t convert PDF to Word. But it is powerful enough to extract the text from your PDF and turn it into a plain or rich text format (RTF). Then you can edit it in any text editor. To use Automator:
Now, you can go to the folder you chose and find your converted file.
Using a dedicated converter is the way to go if you have tons of PDFs with lots of graphics and different types of text blocks to convert. But what’s the best one to choose?
By far, the highest quality solution is Adobe Acrobat by Adobe. No surprises the company has a tool to solve all your PDF editing needs, as they created this format. This tool can convert PDFs into almost all sorts of file types: from DOCX to RTF and beyond. Even if your document contains any scanned text, Acrobat will recognize it automatically.
The alternatives are PDFelement and Smallpdf. Both these services have free trials, so you can find out whether the tool works for you before purchasing.
If Microsoft Word glitches or runs sluggishly, deep Mac cleaning may help you fix the issue. Every computer needs it from time to time. System junk, temporary files, and old cache — all these can decrease performance a lot. Luckily, there are tools to help you out.
To keep my Mac safe from months-old clutter, I use CleanMyMac X. This powerful junk-cleaner offers a bunch of features to solve Mac-specific issues. ProductHunt even called CleanMyMac X “Marie Kondo for your Mac.”. That fact alone says a lot!
Here’s how to speed up the system with its help:
If Microsoft Word still malfunctions, I recommend using the Uninstaller feature of CleanMyMac X to reset the app.
Turning PDF to Word is a piece of cake if you have the right tool at hand. If you need to convert text-based PDF, using Preview, Automator, or Google Docs would be enough. But if you regularly deal with image-heavy files, consider using dedicated PDF converters like Adobe Acrobat Exporter.
PDFs are everywhere. But are they easy to deal with? Absolutely not. Unlike Microsoft Word or Google Docs where you can easily edit text and images, PDFs feel like “words carved in stone.” You need additional tools to change text, sign, or redact information. No wonder many people want to know how to change PDF to Word to make it more editable.
Indeed, Word documents give you more editing tools, so it makes a lot of sense to convert PDF to Word, make edits, and then convert it back. How to convert PDF to Word on Mac? You can use copy and paste, but it’s too much work — you’ll end up spending more time on transferring text than actually editing it.
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The point is you absolutely need to know how to convert PDF to Word on Mac — whether to sign your lease agreement or correct a file at work. So why not learn the best ways to convert PDF to Word doc now to make your life much easier later on.
So how do you turn PDF into Word quickly and seamlessly? Truth is there are a few ways to convert PDF to Word to make simple edits in your files. For example, you could convert PDF to Word doc using Google Drive or Adobe Acrobat Pro. You could also capture PDF text with a built-in Mac utility called Automator. But the real secret is to know a few advanced apps that do all the work for you. Let’s dive into all.
Google Docs is a popular online editing tool and there’s a good chance that you already store some PDFs within its storage solution called Google Drive, which also allows you to convert PDFs to Word docs without the need to download a PDF to your computer first. Just note that if your PDF includes lots of images, Google Drive might remove them in the final document.
Here’s how to set your Google Drive to read PDF files in Google Docs and then convert them into Word documents:
Google Drive works really well if you have a simple PDF text document that you need to edit in Word. However, if your PDF file is image-heavy, you’re going to need a more powerful PDF to Word converter for Mac.
Adobe Acrobat Pro is another complete solution to create and edit PDFs. The good thing about it is that your fonts and layout features, such as bullets and tables, will be left intact. Even when you’re out of the office, you can still export PDF to Word using a mobile version of Acrobat.
To convert from PDF to Word using Adobe Acrobat Pro:
If the PDF file contains any scanned text, Acrobat will recognize it automatically.
Garageband legacy presets. Automator is a Mac utility, built right into your macOS. It generally helps with menial tasks, such as renaming files in batches or moving files in bulk. For our purposes, Automator also offers to help with extracting text from PDF without converting the file to Word. You can then edit the text in any text editor, such as the Ulysses app.
To use Automator for extracting text:
Open the new Rich Text document in a word processor like Ulysses, a focused writing app. Ulysses helps you write with a clean distraction-free user interface as well as structure and format your piece in its Markdown editor. Conveniently, you’re also able to keep your side notes, sketches, and manuscripts in the app’s library. When you’re done, just export your work into a well-designed ebook or a new PDF file.
Ulysses can also be the answer to how to convert Word to PDF on Mac, since it’s able to open Word files and export anything as PDF too.
On another note, Automator works great for working with text files, but what can you do if you want to extract words from images in your PDF?
When you want to grab text embedded in an image, you need Prizmo.
Prizmo is an essential app that uses optical character recognition (OCR) to create searchable PDF documents. Download os x el capitan dmg. It also lets you edit or correct small errors or formatting mistakes in scanned files, just as you would be able to in your favorite word processor. All in all, Prizmo is your best friend if you’re looking to work with text in any printed papers, business cards, or even receipts.
Whether you are struggling to turn your PDF scans to text or wondering how to quickly capture text from a banner, landing page, video still, or other non-textual format, try TextSniper.
This precise tool works just like a screenshot, only for text. Use app shortcut Command + Shift + 2 or manually find the feature in the app’s menu in your Mac’s menu bar to prompt the selection tool.
Select any part of your screen with the text you need copied and in mere seconds, your text is copied to your clipboard. Use Command + V to paste the text to Word or any other text editor of your choice.
If figuring out how to export PDF to Word sounds like too much work — there’s another way to edit them as well, using PDFpen.
PDFpen is a powerful editor you can use to add new images, text, and even signatures directly to your PDF files. You can also erase and edit existing content, resize or move graphics, and copy and paste from other sources while retaining formatting.
Use PDfpen when you need to review and add feedback to PDF files. You’d be able to simply highlight, underscore, or add corrections to any file. With a simple drag and drop feature, you can add new pages, reorder existing ones, or combine separate PDF files into one. If you’re going to be editing PDF files on a regular basis, PDFpen is a must-have.
Now that you know how to export PDF to Word, extract text from PDF, and even edit your PDF file directly, you can take control of your important documents and make edits as needed.
Best of all is that all four apps mentioned above: Ulysses, Prizmo, TextSniper and PDFpen, are available absolutely free for seven days as part of the trial for Setapp, a collection of more than 160 Mac apps, all of which promise to make your day on Mac as productive as it can be. Try and see for yourself today!