PDF to Word that actually handles scanned pages
Most free converters only work on PDFs that already contain a text layer, and quietly return a blank or garbled document for scanned pages. This one detects that case automatically and runs OCR instead.
How scanned-page detection works
The tool checks whether the first few pages of your PDF contain a real, selectable text layer. If they do, text is extracted directly, which is fast and perfectly accurate. If not — meaning the PDF is really just photographs of pages, like most scanned documents — it switches to OCR automatically, reading the text off each page image instead.
When to use "Force OCR"
Some PDFs contain a text layer that looks present but is broken or from a bad scan-and-recognize job done elsewhere. If your converted document comes out garbled even though the PDF wasn't obviously scanned, re-run it with Force OCR to ignore the existing text layer and read the page images directly instead.
- Will formatting like bold, tables, or images carry over?
- Text and paragraph breaks carry over. Complex layout elements like multi-column text, tables, and embedded images are not preserved in this version — the focus is getting accurate, editable text out quickly.
- How accurate is OCR on scanned pages?
- Accuracy depends on scan quality. Clean, high-contrast scans typically convert very accurately; faded or skewed scans may need manual correction afterward.