Convert PDFs to and from other formats
This article shows how to export the active PDF to other formats and how to create a PDF from other files. All conversions run on your computer, without Microsoft Office or an internet connection.
Requires Pro edition or higher
Exporting to images, text, HTML and EPUB, and creating a PDF from images, are available in the free edition. The other conversions in this article, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Markdown, CAD and camera, need Pro or higher. See pricing.
Where to find the conversion tools
Open a PDF, then select the Convert tab. The ribbon groups the tools you need:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| CAD to PDF | Converts DXF, DWG, DWF and DWFx drawings to PDF. |
| From Scanner / Camera | Captures pages with a camera and builds a PDF. |
| To MS Office | Exports to Word, Excel or PowerPoint. |
| To Image | Exports every page as PNG or JPG images in a ZIP file. |
| Export All Images | Extracts the photos and logos embedded in the PDF. |
| To Other Formats | Exports text as TXT, HTML, EPUB or Markdown. |
Conversions always use the active document tab. You do not need to choose the PDF again. When a conversion finishes, the Windows Save As dialog opens so you can pick the folder and file name. If you cancel that dialog, nothing is overwritten and you can try again.
You can also start from File › Save As. Choose a format in File format, then click Continue. The Office and image formats open the same settings shown below.
Convert a PDF to Word
- Select Convert › To MS Office › To Word.
- The PDF to Word dialog shows the file name and page count.
- Click Review before export to preview the reconstructed document page by page.
- Click Save reviewed Word to save the previewed result, or Convert to Word to convert directly.
- Choose a location in the Windows Save As dialog.
Text, tables, pictures and colored backgrounds are placed at their original positions, and the text stays editable. Font names from the PDF are kept. If a font is not installed on the computer that opens the file, Word uses a substitute.
Convert a PDF to Excel or PowerPoint
- To Excel reads the text lines of each page. Detected tables become real spreadsheet cells; other lines become rows. A scan without a text layer cannot be converted. Run OCR first.
- To PowerPoint turns each page into a full-slide image in a .pptx file. The slides look like the PDF, but the text on them is not editable.
Both commands start immediately and then open the Windows Save As dialog.
Export pages as images
- Select Convert › To Image. The PDF to JPG dialog opens on PDF to Images.
- Under Image format, choose PNG or JPG. For JPG, set JPG quality with the slider (85% by default).
- Click Convert & Download ZIP. Every page is rendered at 2× resolution and saved in one ZIP file.
To save a single page as an image, use Home › Snapshot and click the page. Click once to capture the whole page, or drag to capture an area. The snapshot is saved as PNG and the PDF is not changed.
Export All Images does something different. It pulls the embedded photos and logos out of the PDF into a ZIP of JPG files. A PDF without embedded images shows a message instead.
Export text to TXT, HTML, EPUB or Markdown
Select Convert › To Other Formats (also in the File menu), then choose To Text, To HTML, To EPUB or To Markdown. The export uses the active PDF and opens the Save As dialog when ready.
Create a PDF from other files
Open File › Create PDF and choose the source type:
- Blank PDF (
Ctrl+N) starts an empty document. - From Images opens the Images to PDF view. Add PNG or JPG files, up to 50 MB each.
- From Word accepts .docx files. Text, tables and images are converted locally. Review complex layouts after export.
- From Excel accepts .xlsx workbooks. From PowerPoint accepts .pptx presentations.
- From Web Page accepts a saved .html file. Headings, paragraphs, list items and table cells are typeset as text. Scripts, styles and the page design are not kept.
- From Template starts from a ready-made document template.
Drop the file onto the panel that opens, or click it to browse. The result opens as a new document tab, so you can check it before you save.
Convert CAD drawings to PDF
- Select Convert › CAD to PDF.
- Drop a DXF, DWG, DWF or DWFx file onto the panel, or click to browse.
- Check the preview and the object and layer count.
- Choose Paper size (A3 is recommended), Orientation and Margin (pt).
- Set the Line width. Optionally turn on Print in black only (ignore CAD colours) and Add a footer with file name and date.
- Under Layers, clear the layers you do not want to print. Toggle all switches every layer.
- Click Convert to PDF.
What each format gives you:
- DXF and DWFx become vector pages. Lines stay sharp at any zoom or print size, and text stays selectable.
- DWG is decoded by the CAD converter bundled with Farino PDF, then output as vector pages. Files up to 64 MB are accepted, and a conversion stops after two minutes.
- Use embedded preview only (lower detail) uses the small preview picture stored inside a DWG instead. It is faster but much less detailed.
Create a PDF with a camera
Convert › From Scanner / Camera uses a camera connected to the computer, such as a webcam or document camera. Point the camera at a page and click Capture Page for each page. You can also click Add photos from files. When all pages are captured, click Create PDF.
To make the result searchable, run Recognize Text (OCR) on the new PDF.