Finally, Google Docs fixes its biggest problem with PDF conversions

Here’s what we could do with Google Docs already—be able to edit PDF files by selecting the “Open with Google Docs” option. But the files would usually look a bit unrefined. These are what improvements Google are making to help make the conversion better.

Three areas of improvement

Google is making three big updates that are meant to make PDFs to Google Docs conversions better:

• Image imports, including the image itself and text wrapping related to images. 
• Text styles and formatting, such as importing underline and strikethrough, background colour, and more fonts. 
• Layout conversion, including support for multi-column layouts, custom page sizes, tables with borders, and improved content ordering.

Google wrote that there would be no admin control for this feature. The feature will also be on by default—and you can learn how to convert PDF and photo files to text here.

Currently, you’re able to convert a PDF, JPEG, PNG, or GIF file to text in Google Docs by going to Google Drive on your computer, right clicking your desired file, and clicking “open with Google Docs”. However, files can usually turn out to look less neat and more jumbled up (like seen above).

The Google Docs improvements are rolling out online today. But they will only be fully available later this week for G Suite Basic, Business, Education, Enterprise for Education, and Nonprofits customers—as well as Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus editions.

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