You’ve likely read from or created a PDF document. Depending on your experience, it may have been a one-time thing or a daily occurrence. Irrespective of which it is, you may need to modify a document at any point, and without a reliable PDF editor, you will struggle.
But what if you had a Word document, GIF, JPEG, or any other file type and needed to make it a PDF? That becomes a different ball game entirely.
You can create PDFs from many file types with the best free PDF editor. And if you are unsure when you’d ever need to, this article will outline how to convert and edit PDF files and the instances when you’d need those features.
What is a PDF converter?
Many apps let you open and view PDFs. But to tweak documents and other PDFs, you need a robust tool—a PDF converter. These converters are compatible with different file types and allow conversion from those formats to PDF and vice versa.
You can get a standalone PDF converter or a feature-laden PDF editor with a built-in conversion feature. By choosing the latter, you can edit PDF files, add signatures and watermarks, and compress and combine PDFs.
When do you need a PDF converter?
You need a PDF converter in the following scenarios:
When you want to keep your data safe
PDFs allow you to control who can access the information you want to distribute. They are also superior in terms of long-term file storage because of their excellent security features.
Using a Word to PDF converter, you can convert Word and Excel files to PDFs and vice versa. Then adding a password with superior encryption can protect your details from unauthorized persons. That way, you can keep your data protected for longer.
When you need to go digital
Converting paper documents to digital format is time-consuming, but you can speed up the process with PDF converters. You can scan your papers rapidly, even with a free PDF converter, and transform them into digital forms instead of re-typing by hand.
For electronic signing
Almost all transactions by big enterprises happen online. Today, you can create contracts digitally with an online PDF converter instead of sending paper contracts through the mail.
An excellent online PDF converter will let you either sign with your finger or add an already saved signature to your document.
To make changes to your documents
Converting PDFs to Word and other formats can save time and help you make specific changes quickly. For instance, you can use Microsoft Excel’s features for data storage and calculations when a PDF document is converted to XLSX format. When everything is up to date, you can use the converter to change the file back to a PDF for safe storage in a simple process.
When you need to compress files
Files may be significantly compressed using a PDF converter. With an online PDF editor, you can reduce the size of a document and still maintain its original quality.
You can significantly reduce the file size of images, spreadsheets, and word processing documents by converting them to PDF. Due to the small size of the PDF file, you can easily send and save the file, saving you costly email server storage and bandwidth congestion.
How to convert PDFs from and to other formats online for free
You can convert your PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, and Word documents to and from PDF in simple ways below.
Convert PDF to Word and Word to PDF
You can use text processors like Microsoft Word to convert Word documents to PDF. Converting PDF to Word is best if the document’s content is mainly in text format. But for converting PDFs to Word format, you should use PDF converters, as book chapters and photos may become distorted using MS Word.
To convert your PDF to a Word document, take these steps:
- Run your conversion software and click on “File.”
- Open the PDF file you wish to convert (to make it easier to locate the file, select “Browse” to find the document).
- Tools like MS Word notify you that they will create a duplicate of the PDF document and convert its information into an editable format. Click on “OK.”
- After making all the necessary changes, select your preferred document format from the save menu and click “OK” to save.
Converting Word files to PDF is pretty straightforward.
- Click “File” on the ribbon or toolbar to open the document in your converter or Word processor.
- Click “Open” and choose the document you want to convert.
- Depending on the tool used, you can either hover on “Download” or click “Save as” to see available formats.
- Choose the PDF extension (.pdf) and hit “Save.”
Convert JPG to PDF and PDF to JPG
Take the following steps to convert from JPG to PDF with an online PDF converter.
- Upload the JPG image to your PDF converter.
- Adjust the size, margin, orientation, and other elements you want.
- Click on create PDF option and wait for your conversion to finish.
- Save the new PDF to your computer or mobile device.
You can also convert a PDF to JPG in a few steps.
- Drag and drop the PDF file to your converter.
- Click on “Convert” to start the transformation from PDF to JPG.
- Save the JPG file on your device.
Convert PDF to Excel and Excel to PDF
You can toggle a document between PDF and Excel with an online converter that supports XLSX format.
- Click the “File” option to select the PDF you wish to convert, or drag and drop the document to the converter.
- Click on “Convert” and give the tool some time to produce an editable Excel version of your document.
- Save the document or share it directly from the converter.
To convert Excel files to PDF, follow the same steps for converting from MS Word to PDF but select (.XLSX) before saving.
Convert PPT to PDF and PDF to PPT
You can create a PDF document in a few steps.
- You can drag and drop the PDF document or click on “File.”
- Choose the document from your storage.
- Select “Convert,” and choose PowerPoint (PPT) format.
- After conversion, download the new file.
To convert PowerPoint files to PDF, follow the same steps for converting from MS Word and MS Excel to PDF but select (.PPTX) before saving.
Conclusion
PDF converters give you more control over PDF files by letting you transform them into other formats. You can rely on top conversion tools irrespective of the circumstances spurring your change of document formats. And if you get stuck in the process, always return to this article to see the quickest steps to converting PDFs to other file types and vice versa.