convert pdf to doc

[fiat]

Hi,

Thought this is remotely possible, but make a try doesn't hurt, right?

Recently I had a need to review several important e-documents, e.g., old contract, legal paper, etc. Some of them are pdf files in a format that was made by scanning from original text file into an image file, then converted into pdf. Is there a software (prefer freeware or openware) that can convert such pdf file back to doc or txt file?

Thanks

[TonyMontana]

Open Office is what you need. The OSX Preview app has many options as well. Open the file in preview and choose "save as" for many different options.

http://www.openoffice.org/
_________________
MacMini 2.0GHz C2D (2009)
MacMini 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
Dell Mini 10v *OSX 10.6.4*

[fiat]

Tony,

I use Preview and NeoOffice to open and try to "save as" and "export". No doc or other txt format is given for conversion. Only image formats are given, which are not for my need. Thanks though.

[Bandit Bill]

He did mention OpenOffice, not NeoOffice. Perhaps that's the issue. I tried it too with NeoOffice and Preview and got the same results.

Obviously some sort of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) must take place.
Going the other way is easy, taking text and making a PDF.

[fiat]

Bill,

As you mentioned: "Going the other way is easy, taking text and making a PDF", there is the purpose and reason for this. Basically, converting a specific text file into a pdf is for the purpose of general, open reading or viewing of the message, not "editing" of the message; hence the inverse conversion: from pdf to text format, is for the purpose of "editing" the message., which I thought was remotely possible and deserved little attention from software developer due to the small-demand nature. But could there be some commercial software or even shareware for this? I would like to know if really no free/openware available. Thanks

[TonyMontana]

Maybe this?

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/access_onlinetools.html


If not, then maybe Acrobat Pro?
_________________
MacMini 2.0GHz C2D (2009)
MacMini 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
Dell Mini 10v *OSX 10.6.4*

[TonyMontana]

Humm...
Now that i think about this, you took text and turned it into an image file, then saved it as PDF. Basically you are trying to pull text out of an image, (even though it is now a pdf) not that easy. If it went originally text>pdf it would be easier.
_________________
MacMini 2.0GHz C2D (2009)
MacMini 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
Dell Mini 10v *OSX 10.6.4*

[fiat]

Tony,

It's true that you go easy from text - image - pdf, but then go back from pdf to text would be difficult. However, I tried even to export a doc file into a pdf (easily done w/o turn to image), but still no way to converse it back to doc by Preview or NeoOffice. I guess it would cost me much to do my task in this matter. Or any other solutions I am not aware of?

[fiat]

Ok, I found some useful freeware fir this matter: 1) Trapeze: convert regular pdf (non-scanned, unencrypted) into txt file, 2) PDF OCR: convert all pdf (scanned image, encrypted, ..) into txt file. However, the free version of PDF OCR allows only 1 page conversion a time. The paid version ($30?) allows no size limit conversion all times. Thought this may help others too.

[fiat]

Hi, Another question regarding pdf: How do you delete a page from a multiple-page pdf file? using which software program? specifically to delete a page, not delete the content of a page, i.e., a 5-page pdf file will become 4-page file, not 5-page file with one page empty. Of course after removing one page, the short file can be saved as a new pdf file. Any help? Thanks

[Cypher]

[fiat]

Cypher,

Thanks much. It works as you said. Actually I tried Preview in the wrong way: I open a pdf file in Preview and in the side bar I "right click" the page I want to remove and select "move to trash" --> the whole file is gone! My bad. You're the man.

[JonStark]

www.convertpdftoword.net/ you can try here

[fiat]