Converter Pdf To Word For Mac

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. How to convert PDF to Word using Adobe Acrobat Pro. Adobe Acrobat Pro is another complete solution to create and edit PDFs. As the inventor of the PDF file format, Adobe makes sure our Acrobat Word to PDF conversion tool preserves your document formatting. When you use the online tool, your fonts, images, and alignment will look as expected on Mac or Windows.

Best Free Pdf To Word Converter For Mac

Get all best apps via Setapp

Replace Mac defaults and discover new gems in one suite.

PDF is the most common format used to share files around, but it can be frustrating to deal with if you want to make changes to the text or images. Editing a PDF often requires special software. And this is where Microsoft Word can really come in handy. A great way to make changes to PDFs is to turn PDF into Word document, make any edits, and convert it back to a PDF.

What’s the easiest way to convert PDF to Word on Mac? Copy and paste could come to mind, but it’s a hassle. Oftentimes, the original formatting doesn’t make it to the new platform and you’ll have to spend your precious time tediously reflowing and adjusting text in Word, only to eventually send it back again.

Get the best PDF editor for Mac

Change anything in your PDF without converting it to other formats. PDFpen can handle OCR, signatures, images, and so much more.

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.

How To Convert PDF To Word On Mac

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.

How to change PDF to Word with Google Docs

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:

Click on the cog symbol at the top right in Google Drive and choose Settings
In the General tab, check the box in 'Convert uploads' that states 'Convert uploaded files to Google Docs editor format'
Find the desired PDF file within Google Docs and right-click on it.
Choose 'Open with' and select Google Docs
Once a new Google Doc window opens, click File in the top-bar menu and select Download as Microsoft Word

How to convert PDF to Word using Adobe Acrobat Pro

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:

Open your desired PDF file
Choose the Export PDF tool on the right sidebar
Select Microsoft Word as the export format and then Word Document
Click Export
Save and name your Word file in your desired location

If the PDF file contains any scanned text, Acrobat will recognize it automatically.

How to convert from PDF to Word using Automator

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 Automator via the Applications folder
Select Workflow and tap Enter
Click on Files and Folders in the left column
In the second column, select Ask for Finder Items and drag it into the right pane that says 'Drag actions or files here to build your workflow.'
Choose the PDFs in the left column and select Extract PDF Text located in the second column
Drag and drop Extract PDF Text to the right under Find Files and Folders
Select Rich Text instead of Plain Text to retain formatting
Choose where you want Automator to place your extracted text files
Save as an application, open the new Automator application, and select the PDF you want to grab the text from

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?

How to extract text from images with Prizmo

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. 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.

How to edit PDFs without converting them to Word

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 three apps mentioned above: Ulysses, Prizmo, 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!

Setapp lives on Mac and iOS. Please come back from another device.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

Read on

Setapp uses cookies to personalize your experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our cookie policy.

2020-10-30 17:19:09 • Filed to: PDFelement for Mac How-Tos • Proven solutions

It's often essential to be able to convert PDF to Word on Mac device, especially if you need to edit your PDF. Even though PDF documents are often the default format for sharing files online unless you have the right know-how or the right software, editing a PDF document can be a challenge. The best course of action is usually to change PDF to Word on Mac. This article offers you a complete guide on how to export PDF to Word on Mac (including macOS 10.15 Catalina) with PDFelement.

Steps to Convert PDF to Word on Mac

Step 1: Open PDF

Drag and drop your PDF file into PDFelement's main window to open the file. Or click on the 'Open File..' button to select and open the PDF.

Step 2: Convert PDF to Word on Mac

Once the file has been opened in PDFelement, click on the 'File' button to enable the 'Export To' function. You can then click the 'To Word' button to choose Microsoft Word as the output format. You can rename the file and select the output folder in the pop-up window. Once you are happy with all the changes, click 'Save' and your document will be converted within a few seconds.

Step 3: Convert Scanned PDF to Word on Mac (Optional)

To convert a scanned PDF file, you need to click the 'Perform OCR' button first. After recognized the scanned PDF, click on 'File' > 'Export To' and select 'To Word' in the menu bar. Then click 'Save' to start the conversion.

Video on How to Convert PDF to Word on Mac

Convert PDF to Word on Mac for Free with Google Docs

Another option is the widely used program, Google Docs. It can also help you export PDF to Word on Mac. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Login to your Google account on the Google Docs website.
2. Upload the PDF document that you want to convert to Word.
3. Navigate to the 'File' tab. Select ' Download as' > 'Microsoft Word(.docx)' to export your PDF to a Word document.

How to Export PDF to Word on Mac with Automator

There is also another free method available for Mac users to convert PDF to a word. This is the built-in Mac app Automator. It can help you convert a PDF file to a plain or rich text format.

1. Search for 'Automator' in your Application and open it.
2. Search for 'Extract PDF Text,' then select 'Rich Text' (RTF) or 'Plain Text' (TXT) on the right side to save your PDF. You can also set other options as needed.
3. Click the 'Run' button, and choose a PDF file to convert to a text document directly.

Preview Can't Convert a PDF to Word on Mac

If you are more interested in using a free PDF editor, you can try using Preview. However, despite the fact that it is an inbuilt Mac PDF editor, it tends to fall short when it comes to functionality and features. Below are a few of its best features. It allows users to edit, annotate, add images, and highlight sections of the text in a PDF file, but is a bit limited in terms of functionality. It enables users to combine files, and it is free to use. However, it can't convert PDF to Word in macOS, and it only supports converting PDF into JPEG, PNG, and TIFF.

Pros

It's a built-in app on Mac devices.
It enables users to combine files.
It's free to use.
It provides basic editing features.

Cons

The program lacks certain functions.
The program lacks an OCR feature.
The document conversion feature is difficult to use.

PDF Expert is unable to Convert PDF to Word on Mac

PDF Expert is unable to Convert PDF to Word on Mac. However, it is still a useful PDF app for Mac. Even though it lacks features compared to PDFelement, it is simple and cost-efficient. It operates at high speed and includes fairly annotation features, document signing tools, an impressive sharing feature, and form-filling capabilities. It is also compatible with most Apple devices (Macs, iPads, and iPhones). However, it does not support converting a PDF document to Word format on Mac. Learn more details about PDF Expert.