# How to translate a PDF

To decide how to translate a PDF, first check whether you can select its text. Google Translate takes text PDFs up to 10 MB and 300 pages but leaves scanned pages untranslated[1]. For a scan, a photo saved as a PDF or a file with many tables, an OCR translator such as LoreAI reads the page first and returns a Word file.

## Which method fits your PDF?

These five methods cover almost every PDF. Compare their support for scans and their file limits, then check what you can download.

*Ways to translate a PDF, checked on November 2, 2026*

| Method | Scanned pages | Size and length | What you get back |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Google Translate, Documents tab | Shown in the output but not translated[1] | 10 MB, and PDFs up to 300 pages[1] | A translated file. Not available on phones or small screens[1] |
| DeepL | Through its desktop and mobile apps, with a note that OCR raises the error rate[2] | Set by your DeepL plan | Pro users choose .pdf or .docx[2] |
| Microsoft Word | Word converts the PDF to a document first, which works best with mostly text[3] | Set by Word | A translated copy in a new window, with Microsoft 365 or Office 2021[4] |
| Copy and paste into a translator | Only text you can select | Set by the translator | Plain text without the layout |
| LoreAI | Read with OCR, then translated | Free: 3 pages. Pro: up to 100 pages and 25 MB | An editable Word file with tables and headings in order |

## Why did my PDF translate as blank, garbled or still in the original language?

Check first whether the PDF is a scan. A scanner or phone app saves each page as a picture, and a picture has no letters for a translator to read. Try to select one word with the cursor. If you cannot, the file needs OCR before any translation. Google's help page says text in scanned pages appears in the output but is not translated[1].

Garbled output has other causes. Some PDFs embed custom fonts that map letters to the wrong characters, and DeepL notes that custom fonts and large images can lower the quality of a PDF translation[2]. A page made mostly of charts or graphics may open in Word as a single image, and then its text cannot be edited at all[3]. In both cases, an OCR translator reads what is printed on the page instead of the hidden text layer.

## How do I keep the formatting and tables?

Expect to repair some layout after translation, whichever tool you use. Microsoft says most PDFs contain no information about paragraphs, tables or columns, so Word guesses the structure. Tables with cell spacing, frames and footnotes that span pages often convert badly[3].

LoreAI rebuilds headings and lists as Word elements. A grade table becomes an editable Word table rather than text lined up with spaces. Check dense tables with merged cells by hand.

## How do I translate a large PDF?

Check the page limit before you upload. Google Translate stops at 10 MB and at 300 pages for PDFs[1]. LoreAI's limits depend on the plan. Basic takes up to 30 pages and 10 MB per document, and Pro up to 100 pages and 25 MB.

For a file above every limit, split it into parts at chapter breaks, translate each part and join the Word files. Splitting at a chapter keeps a table or a footnote from being cut in half. Compress large scans to a lower image quality only if the small print stays sharp.

## How to translate a PDF with LoreAI

1. **Open the upload page and sign in.** The first document is free, up to 3 pages and 3 MB.
2. **Choose the PDF.** A PDF with text, a scanned PDF and a phone photo of a page are handled the same way.
3. **Pick the target language.** Choose one of 105 languages. The source language is detected for you.
4. **Run OCR + Translate.** The Word file is ready to download when OCR and translation finish.
5. **Download the Word file and proofread it.** Compare names, dates, amounts and table rows with the original before you use it.

## When the translation needs a signature

You can use a translated PDF to read a contract, manual or letter. To submit it to an immigration office, court or university, you may need a certified translation. For USCIS, the translator certifies that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent in both languages[5].

LoreAI is not a certified translation service and does not sign translations. The [guide to getting a certified translation](https://www.loreai.org/how-to-get-a-certified-translation) covers who can sign and what the statement says.

## Questions people ask

### How do I translate a PDF for free?

Use Google Translate's Documents tab for a text PDF up to 10 MB and 300 pages[1]. For a scanned PDF, LoreAI translates your first document free, up to 3 pages.

### Can I translate a PDF on my phone?

Google says document translation is not available on smaller screens or mobile[1]. LoreAI works in a phone browser, and you can upload a PDF or a photo of the page.

### Can Microsoft Word translate a PDF?

Yes, in two steps. Word converts the PDF into a document[3], then Review, Translate, Translate Document opens a translated copy, with Microsoft 365 or Office 2021[4]. Scanned pages may stay images.

### How do I translate PDF documents to English?

Choose English as the target in any of the methods above. The [guide to translating a PDF to English](https://www.loreai.org/translate-pdf-to-english) covers that case in detail.

## Sources

1. [Google Translate Help: Translate documents and websites (computer)](https://support.google.com/translate/answer/2534559?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop), accessed November 2, 2026
2. [DeepL: Translate PDF documents](https://www.deepl.com/en/features/document-translation/pdf), accessed November 2, 2026
3. [Microsoft Support: Opening PDFs in Word](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/opening-pdfs-in-word), accessed November 2, 2026
4. [Microsoft Support: Translate text into a different language](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/languages/translate-text-into-a-different-language), accessed November 2, 2026
5. [8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), Translations, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-103/subpart-A/section-103.2), accessed November 2, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 2, 2026