You have a scanned document or a photo of text that you need to edit in Word. Typing it manually is slow and error prone. Word includes a built-in OCR feature that extracts text from images and places it directly into your document. This article explains how to use the Insert Picture from File and the Convert to Text commands to turn any image into editable text.
Key Takeaways: Converting Images to Editable Text in Word
- Insert > Picture > This Device: Places the image into your document so Word can analyze it.
- Right-click image > Make Text Accessible (or Convert to Text): Triggers Word’s built-in OCR engine to extract text.
- File > Save As > PDF (for high-quality scans): Using a PDF intermediate can improve OCR accuracy on dense or low-contrast images.
How Word’s Built-in OCR Feature Works
Word uses Optical Character Recognition technology to identify letters, numbers, and symbols in raster images such as JPG, PNG, and TIFF files. The feature is part of the Microsoft 365 desktop app and is not available in Word for the web or in older standalone versions like Word 2016 or 2019. When you insert an image and use the Convert to Text command, Word scans the image, recognizes each character, and inserts the resulting text into a new location in your document. The original image remains unchanged. For best results, use images with a resolution of at least 300 DPI, clear contrast between text and background, and minimal skew or rotation.
Steps to Convert an Image to Editable Text in Word
Method 1: Using the Built-in OCR Command
- Insert the image into Word
Open your document in Word. Go to Insert > Pictures > This Device. Select the image file that contains the text you want to extract. Click Insert. - Position the image
Click the image to select it. Use the layout options that appear next to the image to set it as In Line with Text. This ensures the OCR command works correctly. - Right-click the image
Right-click the selected image. In the context menu, look for the option labeled Make Text Accessible or Convert to Text. The exact wording depends on your Word version and update channel. If you see Picture Format or Format Picture at the top, you may need to click the Picture Format tab on the ribbon and then click Convert to Text in the Adjust group. - Wait for OCR processing
Word analyzes the image. A progress indicator may appear briefly. When finished, a new text box or inline text block appears below or beside the original image. The extracted text is now editable. - Review and correct errors
Read through the extracted text. OCR is not perfect. Fix misrecognized characters, missing punctuation, or formatting issues such as line breaks that do not match the original image. Use Word’s Find and Replace (Ctrl+H) to fix repeated errors quickly.
Method 2: Using a PDF Intermediate for Higher Accuracy
If the image has complex layouts, small fonts, or low contrast, converting it to a PDF first can improve OCR accuracy. Word’s PDF reflow engine often handles multi-column documents better than the direct image OCR.
- Convert the image to PDF
Open the image in any application that can print. Choose File > Print and select Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer. Click Print and save the file as a PDF. - Open the PDF in Word
In Word, go to File > Open > Browse. Change the file type filter to PDF (pdf). Select the PDF file you created and click Open. Word displays a message that it will convert the PDF to an editable document. Click OK. - Edit the converted text
Word inserts the extracted text into a new document. The original image is not retained. Review and correct any OCR errors as described in Method 1.
What to Do When OCR Results Are Poor
Word Extracts Only a Few Characters or Garbage Text
This usually happens when the image resolution is too low or the text is heavily stylized. Make sure the image is at least 300 DPI. If the image is a screenshot, increase the screen resolution before capturing. Avoid images with decorative fonts, watermarks, or text over busy backgrounds. Try Method 2 using a PDF intermediate.
The Convert to Text Option Is Grayed Out or Missing
This feature requires a Microsoft 365 subscription. It is not available in Word 2021, Word 2019, or older perpetual license versions. If you are on a Microsoft 365 version, ensure you have the latest update installed. Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now. If the option is still missing, the image may be in a format Word cannot process. Convert the image to PNG or JPG using an image editor and try again.
Word Freezes or Crashes When Processing the Image
Large images over 20 MB can cause Word to hang. Reduce the image size before inserting it. Use an image editor to scale the image down to 2000 pixels on the longest side and save it as a JPG with compression. Then repeat the OCR steps. If Word still crashes, disable hardware graphics acceleration: go to File > Options > Advanced > Display and check Disable hardware graphics acceleration. Restart Word and try again.
Direct Image OCR vs PDF Reflow: Accuracy Comparison
| Item | Direct Image OCR in Word | PDF Reflow via Word |
|---|---|---|
| Input file | JPG, PNG, TIFF, BMP | PDF generated from image |
| Accuracy on simple layouts | Good (single column, clear fonts) | Very good |
| Accuracy on multi-column layouts | Poor (often merges columns) | Good (preserves column order) |
| Retains original image | Yes | No (image is discarded) |
| Requires Microsoft 365 | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Single-page forms, receipts, signs | Multi-page scanned documents, books |
Conclusion
You can now extract text from images using Word’s built-in OCR tools. For simple images, use the right-click Convert to Text command. For complex documents, convert the image to a PDF first and open that PDF in Word for better accuracy. After extraction, always proofread the text and use Find and Replace to fix repeated OCR errors. As an advanced tip, enable the Read Aloud feature (Review > Read Aloud) to hear the extracted text read back to you, which helps catch errors you might miss when reading silently.