Fix PDF Tables Converting to Images in Word After Acrobat Update
Question details
Users are experiencing an issue where exporting a PDF to Word using Adobe Acrobat results in tables being converted into uneditable images, despite the standard text remaining editable.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Exporting a PDF document containing tables to a Microsoft Word format for editing purposes.
- Observed behavior
- The text in the document exports normally, but tables are rendered as flat, uneditable images instead of structured Word tables due to potential changes in the conversion engine or PDF tagging.
Before troubleshooting, ensure your PDF document contains actual text-based tables rather than scanned images of tables, as scanned documents require OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to become editable.
Update Acrobat and Run OCR for Scanned Documents
Updating your software and ensuring OCR is applied can resolve issues caused by a recent update's conversion engine.
If this issue started immediately after an Acrobat update, it may be due to a bug in the updated conversion engine. Applying the newest patch or forcing the software to re-recognize the text structure via OCR often resolves it.
Open Adobe Acrobat, go to the 'Help' menu at the top, and select 'Check for Updates' to install the latest software patch.
If the PDF is a scanned document, go to 'Tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'Recognize Text' to ensure Acrobat identifies the table structure properly.
Go to 'File' > 'Export To' > 'Microsoft Word' > 'Word Document' and verify if the table now exports correctly instead of as an image.
Export from the Original Source Document
If the PDF conversion engine is failing, returning to the original source file is the most reliable way to preserve table structures.
Convert PDFs to Editable Word Documents with WPS Office
Avoid broken tables and formatting issues by using WPS Office's built-in PDF to Word converter. It accurately recognizes table structures, texts, and layouts, ensuring your exported Word documents are fully editable.
- 1. Open PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your target PDF file containing the tables.
- 2. Select PDF to Word: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon and click on the 'PDF to Word' conversion feature.
- 3. Adjust Conversion Settings: Ensure your conversion settings are set to preserve formatting, layouts, and tables.
- 4. Start Conversion: Click 'Convert' to seamlessly transform your PDF tables into a fully editable Word document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do PDF tables turn into images when exported to Word?
This typically happens if the PDF's internal structure or tagging is damaged, if the document is a scanned image without OCR text recognition applied, or due to bugs in a recent software update's conversion engine.
How can I make sure my PDF tables remain editable in Word?
Ensure that the original PDF contains selectable text. If it is a scanned document, run an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tool before exporting. Using a reliable PDF converter like WPS Office can also help preserve complex table layouts.
Does running OCR guarantee tables will convert correctly?
While OCR identifies text within scanned images, highly complex table structures might still occasionally lose formatting. Verifying the source document's quality and using advanced conversion software improves the accuracy significantly.
