Convert Scanned PDF to Word in C#

Introduction

Scanned PDF files store text as images, making 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 and preserve formatting. This article walks you through programmatically converting scanned PDFs to Word (DOCX or DOC) using C# with Aspose.OCR for .NET and Aspose.Words for .NET.

Why Convert Scanned PDFs to Word?

  • Edit scanned documents easily without manual retyping.
  • Extract text from scanned PDFs for further processing or analysis.
  • Maintain document layout and formatting while making content editable.
  • Automate OCR-based document processing in C# applications.

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 use:

Installation

Install these APIs via NuGet:

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

Alternatively, 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 StringBuilder.
  4. Create a Word document using Aspose.Words.
  5. Apply formatting and save as DOCX or DOC.

Code Sample

The following C# example demonstrates scanned PDF to Word conversion:


3. Preserving Formatting in OCR Conversion

OCR text extraction may not always preserve the original formatting, fonts, and styles. To ensure accurate formatting:

  • Use 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 better Word document output.

4. Handling Multiple Pages in Scanned PDFs

For multi-page scanned PDFs, OCR must process and merge text from all pages into a single Word document. To handle this:

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

This ensures seamless multi-page PDF to Word conversion.


5. License for Full OCR Accuracy

By default, Aspose.OCR runs in evaluation mode, which may limit text recognition accuracy. To use the API without restrictions:

🔹 Request a Free Temporary License for evaluation.


6. Conclusion and Additional Resources

Summary

This guide 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 seamlessly convert image-based PDFs to editable Word files. Start building your OCR-powered PDF to Word converter in .NET today for just $99! 🚀