Converting a Scanned Math PDF to Word with Equations

Many math exams exist only as scans or photos: you can't select the text or copy it. To edit one, the text and equations have to be recognized from the image. This post covers how to handle a scanned PDF and end up with an editable Word file.

How is a scanned PDF different?

A normal PDF contains real text, so a tool can read it directly. A scanned PDF is just an image of each page, so it needs recognition (OCR) first. For math exams that step is harder than usual, because equations, subscripts and symbols all have to be recognized.

How to tell your file is a scan

• You can't highlight text with the mouse.
• Ctrl + F can't find any keyword.
• Zoomed in, the text looks blurry or grainy.

Preparing for better results

1. Scan at a clear resolution, straight on, without tilt or shadows.
2. Avoid phone photos in dim light.
3. If the exam is separate image files, merge them into one PDF before converting.
4. Select only the pages you really need.

Converting a scanned PDF with MathCopy

MathCopy's PDF to Word reads image-based PDFs too. The sharper the scan, the more accurate the result. Equations come out as editable MathType or Equation, and tables and figures stay in place. A failed conversion doesn't use pages, and every computer gets 10 free pages to try.

What to check afterwards

• Easily confused symbols: the digit 1 and the letter l, 0 and O, minus and dash.
• Exponents, subscripts, root signs and multi-level fractions.
• Accented Vietnamese text.
• Variation tables and figures against the original.

See also: digitizing a math exam from PDF to Word, step by step.