How to convert a scanned document to Word

There might come a time when you will need to edit scanned images or PDFs. For example, you might need to fill a form or remove a certain object from a scanned image. There are countless solutions for these types of tasks. The most notable come from the Microsoft Word app or third-party image/PDF to Word converters.

You can also find various online solutions for converting scanned documents to formats that are supported by the Microsoft Word app. However, not many provide you with accurate results. So, this type of free PDF converter isn't the best solution for converting scanned documents to Word formats.

In this guide, I will show you how to complete various tasks associated with scanned images and PDF documents. You will learn how to edit text in a picture in Word, convert a PDF to DOCX, and other popular tasks involving the use of scanned files on Windows PCs.

Tutorial assets

You will need to download the following software to follow along with this tutorial.

Download Microsoft Office Word

Edit a picture in a Word document

Microsoft Office Word is a popular app that enables you to create documents incorporating text content and images, convert files between various formats, print DOC files with minimum effort, and so much more. Recent versions of the Microsoft utility provide you with an additional advantage: the ability to import and edit scanned images or PDFs.

Edit a PNG file in Word

Here's what you need to do in order to edit a PNG file in Word:

Step 1

The first thing you need to do is to import the PNG file. Go to Insert -> Picture and select the image you wish to import.

Step 2

Right-click on the imported picture to reveal the available editing options. You can crop the image, change its position on the document's page, add a frame to the picture, etc.

Editing PNG Image In Microsoft Word

Open a JPG file in Word

All you need to do in order to open a JPG file in Word is to go to Insert -> Picture and select the picture you wish to import. An alternative to this solution would be to use a third-party JPG to Word converter.

Insert Picture Option In Microsoft Word

Convert a PDF to a DOCX file

Here's what you need to do in order to open, edit, and export a PDF document to the DOCX format from the Microsoft Word program:

Open a PDF file in Word

Recent versions of the Microsoft Office let you import PDFs like you'd normally do with DOC or DOCX files. You will need to go to File -> Open -> Browse and select the PDF file you wish to import and click the "Open" button.

Opening PDF File In Microsoft Word

Edit a PDF in Word

You can work with the Microsoft Word application to edit the content of a PDF document like you do it when modifying DOC or DOCX files. The program enables you to select and delete text content, add new words or paragraphs to your document, change font style, insert tables, and so much more. Once you finish editing the imported file, you can convert the PDF to DOCX or DOC format. Unfortunately, the document might not look the same, especially if the original file contains many graphic elements.

Editing PDF In Microsoft Word

Still, in my opinion, WPS PDF to Word application is the best PDF to Word converter. Unlike the Microsoft Word utility, this third-party program preserves the original quality and text formatting styles. So, you should try this utility to convert PDF to editable Word format.

Open/upload a PDF file to Google Docs

Google Docs is a web-based word processor integrated into the Google Drive service alongside Google Sheets (spreadsheet editor) and Google Slides (presentation program). You can use Google Docs to create and edit text files while collaborating with other people in real-time. The text files can be shared, opened, and edited by multiple users and all of the project collaborators have access to past edits.

To open or upload PDF documents to Google Docs you need to complete the following steps:

Step 1

By using your default web browser, head to the Google Drive website and log in to your personal Google account.

Accessing Google Drive From Web Browser

Step 2

Drag-and-drop the PDF document over the Files field. Once the upload process is complete, simply right-click over the document and select the Open With -> Google Docs option. You will then be able to modify the document by adding new text content, change the style of your font, insert tables, alter the page arrangement options, and so much more.

Opening PDF In Google Docs

Conclusion

As you can see, it's very simple to work with scanned documents in the Microsoft Word application and the web-based Google Docs utility. It's up to you to decide which solution is the best for you when it comes to handling scanned documents on your Windows PC.

Alternative downloads

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC free windows Free PDF reader that lets you open and print PDF documents. Download
Microsoft Office Professional $499.95 windows The essentials to get it all done. Download
Microsoft Office Word $69.99 windows Program that allows you to create documents. Download
PDFMate PDF Converter Professional $39.95 windows Comprehensive PDF conversion application to help convert PDF to other formats for daily usage. Download
WPS PDF to Word $19.99 windows Superfast, Easy and High Quality PDF Converter Does exactly what you want and retains all formatting. Download