How to converts a PDF document with scanned images to Word in C# and .NET

  1. Add SautinSoft.Document from Nuget.
  2. Set options to load invisible text.
  3. Load a PDF document.
  4. Change the color for all text to black.
  5. Save the document in DOCX format.

This example shows how to extract only text from scanned PDF.

Suppose we have a completed car rental agreement in a Scanned.pdf There is also hidden text that duplicates the contents of the image.

The task is to create the corresponding Word document by making the text visible and remove all the images.

Download the resulting file: Result-Scanned PDF to Word.docx

Complete code

using SautinSoft.Document;

namespace Example
{
    class Program
    {        
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Get your free 30-day key here:   
            // https://sautinsoft.com/start-for-free/

            ScannedPdfToWord();
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// The method converts a PDF document with scanned images to Word. But it works only if the PDF document contains a hidden text atop of the images.
        /// </summary>
        /// <remarks>
        /// Details: https://www.sautinsoft.com/products/document/help/net/developer-guide/from-customers-scanned-pdf-to-word-in-csharp-vb-net.php
        /// </remarks>
        static void ScannedPdfToWord()
        {
            // Actually there are a lot of PDF documents which looks like created using a scanner, 
            // but they also contain a hidden text atop of the contents. 
            // This hidden text duplicates the content of the scanned images. 
            // This is made specially to have the ability to perform the 'find' operation.

            // Our steps:
            // 1. Load the PDF with the these settings: 
            // - show hidden text;
            // - skip all images during the loading. 
            // 2. Change the font color to the 'Black' for the all text.
            // 3. Save the document as DOCX.
            string inpFile = @"..\..\..\Scanned.pdf";
            string outFile = @"Result.docx";

            PdfLoadOptions pdfLO = new PdfLoadOptions()
            {
				// 'Disabled' - Never load embedded fonts in PDF. Use the fonts with the same name installed at the system or similar by font metrics.
				// 'Enabled' - Always load embedded fonts in PDF.
				// 'Auto' - Load only embedded fonts missing in the system. In other case, use the system fonts.
                PreserveEmbeddedFonts = PropertyState.Enabled,
                PreserveImages = false,
                ShowInvisibleText = true,                
            };

            DocumentCore dc = DocumentCore.Load(inpFile, pdfLO);

            dc.DefaultCharacterFormat.FontColor = Color.Black;
            foreach (Element element in dc.GetChildElements(true, ElementType.Paragraph))
            {
                foreach (Inline inline in (element as Paragraph).Inlines)
                {
                    if (inline is Run)
                        (inline as Run).CharacterFormat.FontColor = Color.Black;
                }
                (element as Paragraph).CharacterFormatForParagraphMark.FontColor = Color.Black;
            }
            dc.Save(outFile);

            // Open the result for demonstration purposes.
            System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(new System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(outFile) { UseShellExecute = true });
        }
    }
}

Download

Imports SautinSoft.Document

Namespace Example
	Friend Class Program
		Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)
			ScannedPdfToWord()
		End Sub
        ''' Get your free 30-day key here:   
        ''' https://sautinsoft.com/start-for-free/
        ''' <summary>
        ''' The method converts a PDF document with scanned images to Word. But it works only if the PDF document contains a hidden text atop of the images.
        ''' </summary>
        ''' <remarks>
        ''' Details: https://www.sautinsoft.com/products/document/help/net/developer-guide/from-customers-scanned-pdf-to-word-in-csharp-vb-net.php
        ''' </remarks>
        Private Shared Sub ScannedPdfToWord()
			' Actually there are a lot of PDF documents which looks like created using a scanner, 
			' but they also contain a hidden text atop of the contents. 
			' This hidden text duplicates the content of the scanned images. 
			' This is made specially to have the ability to perform the 'find' operation.

			' Our steps:
			' 1. Load the PDF with the these settings: 
			' - show hidden text;
			' - skip all images during the loading. 
			' 2. Change the font color to the 'Black' for the all text.
			' 3. Save the document as DOCX.
			Dim inpFile As String = "..\..\..\Scanned.pdf"
			Dim outFile As String = "Result.docx"

			Dim pdfLO As New PdfLoadOptions
			With pdfLO
				' 'Disabled' - Never load embedded fonts in PDF. Use the fonts with the same name installed at the system or similar by font metrics.
				' 'Enabled' - Always load embedded fonts in PDF.
				' 'Auto' - Load only embedded fonts missing in the system. In other case, use the system fonts.
				.PreserveEmbeddedFonts = PropertyState.Enabled
				.PreserveImages = False
				.ShowInvisibleText = True
			End With

			Dim dc As DocumentCore = DocumentCore.Load(inpFile, pdfLO)

            dc.DefaultCharacterFormat.FontColor = Color.Black
			For Each element As Element In dc.GetChildElements(True, ElementType.Paragraph)
				For Each inline As Inline In (TryCast(element, Paragraph)).Inlines
					If TypeOf inline Is Run Then
						TryCast(inline, Run).CharacterFormat.FontColor = Color.Black
					End If
				Next inline
				TryCast(element, Paragraph).CharacterFormatForParagraphMark.FontColor = Color.Black
			Next element
			dc.Save(outFile)

			' Open the result for demonstration purposes.
			System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(outFile) With {.UseShellExecute = True})
		End Sub
	End Class
End Namespace

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