# converting pdf to word



## Ynought (Aug 11, 2006)

What's the easiest and cheapest (free-est) way?


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## eric2006 (Aug 11, 2006)

See this thread:
http://macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=275092


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## fryke (Aug 11, 2006)

Doesn't _really_ answer it, though.  ... If it's about extracting text from PDFs, I'd say you "simply" copy and paste. Adobe Reader lets you easily copy text, although depending on the layout, results might be strange. There's _no_ direct PDF to Word converter AFAIK.


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## eric2006 (Aug 11, 2006)

You can print to PDF from word, with no additional software. You'd be better off getting a PDF editor if you want to change PDFs..


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## Ynought (Aug 11, 2006)

Here's the deal: I have an application for a scholarship that came as a pdf. There are no text fields so I can't answer directly in the PDF. I'd copy/paste but the granting institution has it's logo at the top of the application and I'd like to maintain the professional look. I know there are various work arounds but I'm looking for the most elegant solution.


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## fryke (Aug 11, 2006)

You mean all you want to do is to is to fill fields which are only intended to be filled out by hand by the computer in order to send them back the whole thing as a PDF? You should be able to do that with Adobe Reader. It can take notes, right? (Although I guess that's not the most elegant solution, either...)

You might want to try a design application. You should be able to open or place the original PDF's pages in Illustrator, InDesign, Stone Design's Creator etc. and add text above it. But I'm not entirely sure about any non-Adobe apps doing this well...


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## Natobasso (Aug 11, 2006)

pdf to word converter for pc: http://www.solidpdf.com/ (do you have a friend with a pc computer?)

mac based pdf to word converter reviewed here:
http://www.macworld.com/2005/04/reviews/pdf2office/

More links/options on yahoo:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=mi...=UTF-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&fr=moz2


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## Natobasso (Aug 11, 2006)

You can click and drag a pdf to word 2004, but it is still a placed image and isn't editable. You could conceiveably create text boxes on top of a placed pdf used as a page template...not elegant either.


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## Natobasso (Aug 11, 2006)

Not a pdf/word converter but one step better--a pdf editor that's not Adobe!
http://www.smileonmymac.com/PDFpen/


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## matthew80 (Sep 3, 2011)

I've had zero problems with the Adobe Acrobat Pro X, It does all that you're asking. but it is expensive, 
Skim and Preview are good, you can highlight the text or annotate your PDF with them, but they can only deal with basic editing. Once saved, the PDF will become un-editable again. If you wanna type on PDF, edit the text or change the images, you can try convert PDF to Word. Things will be much easiers in Word doc. That's what I do when I wanna edit a PDF. If you wanna do the conversion, you can try PDF to Word converter for Mac, cost $39.95 (While Win version is free), anyway, I've try some converters on Mac OS, this one is among the best. Hope it helps.


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## MisterMe (Sep 3, 2011)

matthew80 said:


> I've had zero problems with the Adobe Acrobat Pro X, It does all that you're asking. but it is expensive,
> Skim and Preview are good, you can highlight the text or annotate your PDF with them, but they can only deal with basic editing. Once saved, the PDF will become un-editable again.


You appear to be asking for more than the PDF format can give you. *Adobe Acrobat X Pro* is not intended to edit PDF files in the same sense that you can edit *Word* documents. It is intended for mark-ups, annotations, forms creation, signing, and such like. Actually, the mission-critical function of *Acrobat Pro is the creation of PDFs using the Distiller application. Immediately above your post is Natobasso's post in which he recommends SmileOnMyMac's PDFpen. At $59.95 for the regular version and $99.95 for PDFpenPro, SmileOnMyMac's appears to be fairly well align with Adobe's educational pricing.

Understand this about converting PDF files to Word or other editable formats: This functionality is a convenience. Primarily, it saves your having to retype massive amounts of text. It is not intended to facilitate the appropriation of the works of others. Nor is it intended to allow you to make changes to documents that facilitate the misrepresentation of the works of others. PDF files are used extensively in government, corporate, and educational affairs because the format can be trusted. If these files were as easily edited as you appear to want, then a more secure format for the purpose would have to be developed.*


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## midijeep (Sep 3, 2011)

This might work.  Open pdf in Preview.  Go to tools menu at top.  Go down to Annotate, then to add text.  A menu bar will appear.  Click in the icon that looks like a S and has a small x beside it.  From this point you will need to write out on a piece of paper each information you want to add to the pdf and use your iSight camera.  
Click on the small arrow beside the S and scroll to create new signature.  Again, do this for each piece of information you want to add.  Finally, once you have finished, all you need to do is click on the S and scroll down to the "signatures" you want to insert, then move and size.  Then save the pdf.


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## greggree (Nov 4, 2011)

Solid PDF to Word works well for me. 
http://www.mac-pdf-converter.com/

MacWorld review can be found here: http://www.macworld.com/article/150906/2010/04/pdf_conversion.html


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## berrech (Mar 12, 2012)

Hi,
The software sounds great.  I have a lot of online professional learning that is presented in PDF form and it would be great if I could turn it into word documents so I could add to the descriptions of different things and then resave/print the information.


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## jahan (Jun 24, 2012)

Whenever I need to convert PDF to .doc, I use PDF to Word Converter. Now understand this: file conversion is a convenience. It saves your having to retype document in Word from scratch. A converted file cannot be used as a final document. You will save yourself untold hours of frustration if you get your brain around this simple fact.


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## Wistfully (Jun 5, 2013)

I search some PDF to word tip in Google, and fond this topic, last week, I read article about the risk of online conversion service, so, I spend time to register a account and replay this thread, in order to tell more people about the risk of online conversion. 

All online conversion sites need users to upload their documents to server, and online services will send converted files by your emails, it is sometimes the case that your file will arrive hours or even days afterwards, that article is too long. People can read more from this article: how to convert PDF to MS word without risk.

Hope the admin can pass my reply and let more people knows this fact, stop converting your document online, it is dangerous.


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