# How to Convert a PDF Into Handwritten Notes (Free)

> A step-by-step guide to converting PDF notes into handwritten notes online for free: which PDFs work, how to pick pages, clean up imported text, format it as notes and download a PDF under 1 MB.

Source: https://edesy.in/blog/convert-pdf-to-handwritten-notes

**Short answer:** open [PDF to Handwritten Notes](https://edesy.in/tools/pdf-to-handwriting), drop in your PDF or
Word file, keep the pages you need, tidy the text, then pick a handwriting style and notebook paper
and download a PDF. It works for PDFs made on a computer; scanned PDFs need OCR first.

## Which PDFs work

| Your file | What happens |
|---|---|
| PDF exported from Word, Google Docs or a website | Its text imports cleanly |
| Word document (.docx) or a .txt file | Imports directly |
| Scanned PDF or a photo of a page | No text inside: run [OCR PDF](https://edesy.in/tools/ocr-pdf) first |
| Password-protected PDF | [Unlock it](https://edesy.in/tools/unlock-pdf) first |

## Step by step

1. **Import the file.** For a long PDF, set the page range (for example one chapter) and click
   "Import these pages".
2. **Clean up the text.** It lands in the editor. Delete headers, footers and page numbers you do
   not want written out, and fix any lines a multi-column PDF put in the wrong order.
3. **Format it as notes.** Turn titles into headings with `# `, number questions with `Q1.` (the
   number goes in the margin), make lists with `- ` and underline key terms with `**stars**`. The
   toolbar under the text box does this for you.
4. **Choose the look.** Pick a handwriting style, blue or black ink and ruled paper. For a phone
   photo look, choose "Photo of a notebook" under Paper.
5. **Check and download.** Page through the preview, then create the PDF. "Under 1 MB" keeps it
   small enough for most upload portals.

## Notes in Hindi and other languages

Notes in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and six more Indian languages are written with matching
handwriting fonts, with conjuncts joined correctly. Our guide to
[text to handwriting in Hindi](https://edesy.in/blog/text-to-handwriting-in-hindi) covers the details.

## In your own handwriting

Under "My handwriting" you can upload a handwriting font made from your writing, or draw each
letter once. See [how to use your own handwriting](https://edesy.in/blog/use-your-own-handwriting-font).

## Related tools

- [Text to Handwriting](https://edesy.in/tools/text-to-handwriting): type or paste instead of importing
- [OCR PDF](https://edesy.in/tools/ocr-pdf): make a scanned PDF readable first
- [Handwritten Notes to PDF](https://edesy.in/tools/handwriting-to-pdf): the reverse, photos of real notes to a PDF
- [Compress PDF to a size](https://edesy.in/tools/compress-pdf-to-size): shrink any PDF for a portal

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why did my PDF import with no text?

It is probably a scan or a photo of a page, which is a picture with no text inside. Run it through OCR first to add a text layer, then import the OCR'd file.

### Will the handwritten notes keep my PDF's images and tables?

No. Only the words are imported and written out fresh. Images, tables and columns are left out, so check the imported text and keep the parts you want to revise from.

### Can I convert only one chapter of a long PDF?

Yes. After choosing the file, set the From and To pages and import just those. Up to 50 PDF pages are read at a time.

### Is the PDF uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is read in your browser and the handwritten pages are drawn there too.