Converting scanned text files, help needed

[ainslie]

Through my failure to back up, or losing backed-up files, in a PC collapse, I lost lots of Word files.  Some had been printed out, and using a new printer/scanner (HP Deskjet 3520) I have started re-creating files to store in my computer.  So far I have managed to scan individual pages and saved them as PDF files.  I had the option of saving them as Photo/JPEG but thought I should be able to reunite the pages into one editable document, using PDF.
So far, no success, but Adobe offered a pop-up, paid-for option of a conversion system.
Is that necessary?
Any help would be welcome.
Thanks in advance.  I'm confident of good advice being offered!
A

[alanmack]

Hi Ainslie,
              Not long ago I rediscovered PDFCreator which has an adjunct program, PDF Architect, which will make composites from single PDF pages. Very long established, good and freeware.

Alan

[ITBookworm]

Using Alan's program you should be able to get a PDF file with multiple pages without any real problem BUT (there always is a but  ) I am not sure if you will be able to edit the result.

What you need is to scan with OCR (optical character recognition) which will convert the characters on the paper into characters in the computer file rather than convert the characters on paper to a 'computer picture' of characters on paper.

I know there is free scanner software that will do that and it is possible that your own printer scanner software has that option as well. I have tried it before but not recently so not best placed to advise on that bit.

Good luck.

[alanmack]

ITB,
      I'd tend to agree with everything you say!

Alan

[kevinf2349]

I seem to recall that there is an online facility that will convert a PDF back into a word document.

I remember using it for a PDF I had and it did OK except for diagrams which it had some issues with in terms of page layout. As I recall it doesn't handle more that a certain number of pages (but I think it was in the 100's).

I will see if I can find the URL for you.   http://www.pdftoword.com/

Kevin

[confusion]

ainslie:

try www.zamzar.com free online file convertor

The vagaries of converting pdf to text documents can sometimes be disappointing.
You may need to re-edit the data. This is due to the difference in the file formats.

As an example, I send text documents as pdf files only, as they cannot be edited/changed
easily.

Hope this helps.

Jim

[ainslie]

Thanks for those clues, something to keep me busy tomorrow.
A