Convert Scanned PDF to Word in C#

Introduction

Scanned PDF files often store text as images, which makes it impossible to select, edit, or copy the content. If you need to convert scanned PDFs into editable Word documents, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology provides an efficient way to extract text while preserving the original formatting. In this article, you’ll learn how to programmatically convert scanned PDFs to Word (DOCX or DOC) using C# with the Aspose.OCR for .NET and Aspose.Words for .NET libraries.

Why Convert Scanned PDFs to Word?

There are several compelling reasons to convert scanned PDFs to Word documents:

  • Easily Edit Scanned Documents: Modify text without the hassle of manual retyping.
  • Extract Text for Further Processing: Use the extracted text for analysis or other applications.
  • Maintain Layout and Formatting: Keep the original document’s structure while making it editable.
  • Automate OCR-Based Document Processing: Integrate this functionality into your C# applications seamlessly.

Table of Contents

  1. Set Up OCR API for Scanned PDF to Word Conversion
  2. Convert Scanned PDF to Editable Word Document
  3. Preserving Formatting in OCR Conversion
  4. Handling Multiple Pages in Scanned PDFs
  5. License for Full OCR Accuracy
  6. Conclusion and Additional Resources

1. Set Up OCR API for Scanned PDF to Word Conversion

To extract text from scanned PDFs and convert them into Word documents, we will utilize:

Installation

You can easily install these APIs via NuGet with the following commands:

PM> Install-Package Aspose.OCR
PM> Install-Package Aspose.Words

Alternatively, you can download the DLLs from the Aspose Downloads Page.

2. Convert Scanned PDF to Editable Word Document

Follow these steps to convert scanned PDF files to Word (DOCX or DOC) in C#:

  1. Initialize OCR with AsposeOcr.
  2. Extract text using DocumentRecognitionSettings.
  3. Store recognized text in a StringBuilder.
  4. Create a Word document using Aspose.Words.
  5. Apply formatting and save as DOCX or DOC.

Code Sample

Here’s a C# example demonstrating the scanned PDF to Word conversion:

3. Preserving Formatting in OCR Conversion

While OCR text extraction is powerful, it may not always preserve the original formatting, fonts, and styles. To ensure accurate formatting, consider the following tips:

  • Utilize Aspose.Words Paragraph Styles to apply consistent text formatting.
  • Set font properties such as size, bold, italics, and alignment.
  • Adjust page margins and layout for improved Word document output.

4. Handling Multiple Pages in Scanned PDFs

For multi-page scanned PDFs, it’s crucial to process and merge text from all pages into a single Word document. To achieve this:

  • Loop through each page in the scanned PDF.
  • Recognize text per page and store it in a StringBuilder.
  • Append recognized text to the Word document.

This approach ensures seamless multi-page PDF to Word conversion.

5. License for Full OCR Accuracy

By default, Aspose.OCR operates in evaluation mode, which may limit text recognition accuracy. To unlock the full potential of the API:

🔹 Request a Free Temporary License for evaluation purposes.

6. Conclusion and Additional Resources

Summary

In this guide, we covered:

✅ Setting up Aspose.OCR for scanned PDF processing
✅ Extracting text from scanned PDFs in C#
✅ Converting recognized text into a formatted Word document
✅ Handling multi-page scanned PDF to Word conversion

By leveraging Aspose.OCR and Aspose.Words, you can effortlessly convert image-based PDFs to editable Word files. Start building your OCR-powered PDF to Word converter in .NET today for just $99! 🚀