Conversion of one file format to another used to be a very cumbersome exercise. At some point we all have had to convert Word files into PDF and vice versa. There are various apps and online converters (discussed below) to make your job easier in converting PDF files into Word format for free:

Nitro PDF to Word Converter (Web / Free)

This is an easy to use solution available from Nitro, which is renowned for making digital document solutions for enterprises and businesses. It has an intuitive interface; simply click on ‘Select your file’ mentioning the folder where the PDF file is, once the file is uploaded for conversion purposes, put in your email address to which the converted Word document will be emailed and click on ‘Convert Now’. Wait patiently for the conversion process, which will depend on the document size; once done you will receive an email on the address you provided earlier on. You can also convert from Word, Excel, Powerpoint to PDF format. This website is accessible at the URL: https://www.pdftoword.com

Zamzar PDF to Word Converter (Web / Free)

Zamzar is a very old website that provides conversion into a variety of file formats, including PDF to Word, up to 50MB in size. Click on ‘Choose files’ in step 1 and point to the folder where the PDF file is stored. Then in step 2, click on ‘Convert files to’ from drop down menu by selecting the PDF option. Step 3 requires an email address to be provided where the converted document will be sent to. Lastly in step 4, click on ‘Convert’ to complete the process. Depending on the document size, once the conversion process is completed you will be emailed the link to the document for download purposes. The website is accessible at this URL: http://www.zamzar.com

UniPDF (Offline / Free)

UniPDF provides a great free offline option to convert PDF files into Word documents in an intuitive package. Download the app using the URL: http://unipdf.com/download/ and install it on your computer. Once successfully installed, open the app, drag and drop the PDF file you want to convert into Word or any file format listed, including PDF to JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIF, GIF, PCX and TGA. It also has the ability to batch-convert documents into desired formats of your choice, along with image resolution settings.

The writer is a freelance columnist with diversified interests in technology, finance & history. He tweets @MohammadFarooq_

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, May 8th, 2016