Convert PDF to DOC

What is PDF?

PDF (Portable Document Format) displays documents consistently across various platforms and devices. PDF retains a document's visual layout, meaning graphics, fonts, colors, and layout remain consistent across platforms. It is not easily editable because it is something like a finished document. You can edit it with some tools, but the idea is what you see on screen is exaclty what you print.

What is DOC?

DOC (Microsoft Word Binary File Format) is or "was" a proprietary document file format used by Microsoft Word. It was introduced in the 1980s. The DOC format was replaced by the DOCX format in 2007 with the release of Microsoft Word 2007. The difference between the Word document and PDF is that it focuses on the content creation and editing process. It may display differently on different computers due to, e.g., lack of fonts. But it is easily editable.

In summary, PDF is the ideal format for final-form documents intended for distribution, display, or printing, where a consistent presentation is critical. In contrast, DOC is suitable for documents still in the creation and editing phases, especially when using Microsoft Word.

You probably need to edit a PDF file, but you can't and want to convert it to a Word document to edit it.

Conversion of PDF to DOC using Microsoft Word (above 2007 version)

PDF files can be imported into editable form using today's Microsoft Word versions. The result may vary based on the complexity of the PDF file, but .doc is an ancient format today. The better way is to convert PDF to DOCX, but inside Microsoft Word, you can always save the document in an older .doc format (Word 97-2003 document).

Conversion of PDF to DOC using Adobe Acrobat

If you can access Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can also convert PDFs to Word documents. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro and click on File > Export To > Microsoft Word > Word 97-2003 Document.