Converting Adobe Acrobat PDF file to MS Word files for beginners

Sep 10
08:30

2007

Sam Miller

Sam Miller

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Changing a "Snapshot" to TEXT: Converting PDF files to Word Documents, a beginner's guide OR How to save hours in writing papers and presentations.

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In 1993 San Jose,Converting Adobe Acrobat PDF file to MS Word files for beginners Articles CA based Adobe Systems Inc, introduced what was originally known as Adobe Acrobat.  Using a PDF (Portable Document Format) its goal was to engineer software that would become the standard for the transmission for large documents.  Despite some early glitches and some stiff competition the PDF file eventually became the format of choice for business, educators and government.  Despite its great success, the PDF file format has one significant drawback; it is a WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) format.  It can't be altered from what you see on the computer screen without the original authoring password.  This is because the PDF format is essentially a “snapshot” or a graphic portrayal of text; it is not actually text itself.  This is terrific for companies that want to disseminate information like annual reports or educational institutions publishing papers.  It is not so great for those who want to “copy and paste” a portion of the script into a Word or other document.How does one go about converting PDF to Word documents?  Well, in order to convert PDF to Word one needs, reasonably enough, a PDF to Word Converter program.  As a matter of course PDF files are password protected specifically against such actions as “copy and paste.”  In order to covert PDF to Word (or another text document format) one must use an program that essentially interprets the “snapshot,” which is the PDF file and converts it into a text file recognizable by “Word” or other programs using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) or similar technology.A quick search of the internet will produce any number of PDF to Word converter programs that one can purchase for anywhere from $20.00 to $100.00.  They come from companies with names like, “pcwin.com” and “solidpdf.com.”   Often you can download a “free” 30 day trial so you can check the program out before paying for it as long as you are willing to put up with the advertising and “pop ups” that usually accompany “free” trials.  There are other “free” PDF to Word converter programs available for download also.   As always one must be careful about malware, spyware and other nasty bugs that you don't want to have in your computer that sometimes come attached to “free” programs..A good PDF to Word Converter program can be invaluable when doing research or presentations.  By converting PDFs to DOCs one can save hours of typing and editing (keeping in mind plagiarism and copyright issues of course!)  It is a good idea to try different converter programs, using the “Free Trial” offers, in order to find the best value and the one you're most comfortable using.  Remember, because you are dealing with two very different types of formats a good PDF to Word Converter program is essential to get the job done right.