If you've created or received a business document in PDF format and need to repurpose its contents in Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Pro offers you options that can simplify your task and improve the quality of the results. Especially if you no longer have access to the source of the PDF file -- or didn't create it in the first place -- going back to the original document and trying to export it may not be an option. Acrobat Pro's advanced features convert your PDF in a form that matches the look, as well as the content, of the original.
- Open the "File" menu, locate the "Save As" submenu and choose the applicable file type, depending on whether you're saving your PDF for use in current or older versions of Microsoft Word. Once you choose the file type, you can access an additional flyout menu from which to choose either "Word Document," which exports to Word's XML-based DOCX format, or "Word 97-2003 Document," which targets Word's legacy DOC format.
- Choose a file location and enter a name for your Word export file. Click on the "Settings" button to access conversion options. Both file formats suitable for use in Microsoft Word offer choices that enable you to tailor the file you save to how you plan to use it.
- Choose from two radio buttons that select layout settings. The "Retain Flowing Text" option preserves text sequencing as a continuous flow from beginning to end. If you prefer to maintain the look of the PDF document's pages rather than ease of text editing, choose "Retain Page Layout" to create an output file with individual text boxes.
- Activate the check box for "Include Comments" to add strike-outs and highlights directly in the text of the Word file. Comments appear as individual text boxes.
- Turn on the check box for "Include Images" to export the PDF file's artwork in the Word file. Depending on the other options you choose, the images may not appear in the same places on the pages of your Word file as they do in the original PDF.
- Activate the check box for "Run OCR If Needed" so Acrobat Pro uses optical character recognition to turn the text included in the PDF's images into live text in the exported Word document. If you select this option, you can click on the "Set Language" button to stipulate the language Acrobat Pro uses for text conversion.
- Click the "OK" button to start the conversion process. If you're converting a multi-page PDF file with complex layout features, the export process may not be instantaneous.
- Examine your exported file in Microsoft Word to check the faithfulness of the conversion. If you notice any obvious flaws, correct them and re-save the file.
