Mathpix: PDF to Word

A Complete Guide for Converting PDFs with Complex Equations

Author

Dr. Md Abdus Samad

Published

May 30, 2025

If you have ever tried converting a PDF full of mathematical equations to Word, you know the pain. Standard converters butcher formulas, turn integrals into gibberish, and somehow transform your carefully formatted thesis into a mess. That is where Mathpix changes everything.

After converting hundreds of academic papers and technical documents, I can tell you Mathpix is hands-down the best tool when you are dealing with complex math.

TipPerfect for:
  • Scientific research papers with complex formulas
  • Academic textbooks loaded with equations and diagrams
  • Technical documentation with mathematical expressions
  • Engineering reports with calculations
  • Thesis and dissertation documents

The difference? Mathpix uses AI trained specifically on mathematical notation. While Adobe Acrobat might be okay for text-heavy documents, Mathpix actually understands what complex integrals and equations mean.

Getting Started with Mathpix Snip

Download and Set Up

First things first, grab the software:

  1. Head to mathpix.com
  2. Download Mathpix Snip for your OS (works on Windows, Mac, and Linux)
  3. Install it and make an account

The free version gives you 50 snips per month, which is decent for occasional use. If you are converting regularly, their paid plans start at $4.99/month for unlimited conversions. Honestly worth it if you are a grad student or researcher.

Configure Your Settings (This Matters!)

Before you start converting, spend two minutes setting this up right. Trust me, it will save you headaches later.

Open Mathpix Snip settings and tweak these:

  1. Default format: Set it to Microsoft Word (.docx)
  2. Equation format: I usually go with “Microsoft Word Equations” since most people use Word. Pick “LaTeX” if that is your thing.
  3. Image handling: Bump the DPI to 300 or higher. Low-res images = bad equation recognition.
  4. Table recognition: Turn this on. Tables are tricky enough without fighting the software.

How to Actually Convert Your PDF

There are two ways to do this, depending on your situation:

The Quick Way (Screen Capture)

This is what I use 90% of the time:

  1. Open your PDF in any viewer (Adobe, Preview, whatever)
  2. Hit the Mathpix hotkey (Ctrl+Cmd+M on Mac, Ctrl+Alt+M on Windows)
  3. Select the part you want to convert - can be a paragraph, an equation, or a whole page
  4. Mathpix does its magic:
    • Grabs all the text
    • Converts equations perfectly
    • Keeps formatting intact
  5. Click “Export” and choose Word (.docx)

Done. Takes like 5 seconds per section.

Batch Processing (If You Paid for It)

Got a 50-page paper? The paid version lets you batch process:

  1. File → Import PDF
  2. Pick your PDF
  3. Select which pages you want (or just do the whole thing)
  4. Hit “Convert to DOCX”
  5. Wait a bit - usually 10-30 seconds per page depending on complexity

Then grab coffee while it works.

Do Not Skip This Step: Review Your Work

Look, Mathpix is good but it is not perfect. Always check your output before calling it done:

  1. Open that Word doc and skim through it
  2. Pay special attention to:
    • Subscripts and superscripts (these sometimes get wonky)
    • Greek letters and special symbols
    • Fraction bars and integral signs
    • Matrix brackets and how things align
  3. Check your tables - they are usually the first thing to break
  4. Fix any formatting weirdness

I usually catch 1-2 small errors per page, mostly in really complex nested equations. Way better than manually retyping everything though.

Tips That Will Save You Time

Start with a Good PDF

Garbage in, garbage out. If your PDF is a blurry scan from a 1990s copier, even Mathpix cannot work miracles.

What you need:

  • Quality source: High-res PDF, not a crappy scan
  • Resolution: At least 150 DPI, but 300+ is way better
  • No restrictions: Some PDFs have security settings that block OCR - remove those first
  • Correct orientation: Make sure pages are not sideways (sounds obvious, but you would be surprised)

Getting Equations Right

Here is what works from my experience:

What Mathpix handles like a boss:

  • Fractions and radicals: a/b, √x
  • Integrals and summations: ∫₀^∞, Σᵢ₌₁ⁿ
  • Matrices (properly formatted with brackets)
  • All the Greek letters: α, β, γ, Δ, you name it
  • Subscripts/superscripts: xᵢ², e^(-αt)
  • Functions: sin, cos, log, lim

Pro tips:

  • Typed equations > handwritten (though Mathpix handles both)
  • For super complex equations, break them into smaller chunks
  • Double-check Greek letters - sometimes ν (nu) becomes v
  • Multi-line equations need a quick review for alignment

Handling Big Documents

Converting a whole thesis? Here is my workflow:

  1. Go page by page for anything important - it is more accurate
  2. Check your section breaks and headings
  3. Verify references did not get scrambled
  4. Look at figure captions - numbering sometimes gets messed up
  5. Tables are finicky - these need the most attention

Mixed content strategy:

  • Regular text sections: Convert in bigger blocks
  • Heavy equation sections: Take it slower, check carefully
  • Diagrams and figures: Sometimes it is easier to just re-insert these manually

After You Convert

Do not just export and forget. I use this checklist:

  1. Quick scan - catch obvious problems
  2. Equation check - compare each one to the original
  3. Formatting pass - make everything consistent with Word styles
  4. References - make sure citations are all there
  5. Final read - catch any OCR weirdness

When Things Go Wrong (And How to Fix Them)

Equations Look Terrible

This happens. Try this:

  • Bump up your source PDF quality
  • Convert problem equations one at a time using the snip feature
  • Really messy nested equations? Sometimes you just gotta fix them manually in Word
  • Export as LaTeX first, then convert to Word equations if nothing else works

Tables Are a Disaster

Tables are Mathpix’s weak spot sometimes:

  • Convert complicated tables as separate snips
  • Check if there are specific table settings in Mathpix you can adjust
  • Really complex tables? Consider keeping them as images
  • Or just rebuild them in Word - sometimes that is faster

Formatting Is Weird

Yeah, formatting can get wonky:

  • Try exporting with minimal formatting, then apply Word styles yourself
  • Look for formatting templates in Mathpix settings
  • Convert sections individually to figure out where the problem is
  • Do a find-and-replace for extra spaces and line breaks

Missing Special Characters

Annoying but fixable:

  • Check your Unicode settings in export options
  • Make sure you have the right fonts installed in Word
  • Use Word’s equation editor for mathematical symbols
  • Consider LaTeX export if symbols keep disappearing

Level Up Your Workflow

Combine Tools for Better Results

Do not just rely on Mathpix alone. I usually chain tools together:

PDF → Mathpix (equations) → Word → Grammarly (clean up) → Final doc

Makes a huge difference for polished documents.

Use Templates

Save yourself time:

  • Create Word templates with your preferred styles already set
  • Import Mathpix output into these templates
  • Everything looks consistent across multiple documents
  • No more reformatting every single time

Quality Check Before You Submit

Do not submit without checking:

Seems like overkill until you find a critical error after submission.

How Does It Stack Up?

I have tried pretty much every PDF converter out there. Here is the honest comparison:

What Matters Mathpix Adobe Acrobat Word Built-in Online Converters
Equation Accuracy Excellent Decent Pretty bad Pretty bad
Complex Math Amazing Struggles Terrible Terrible
LaTeX Support Perfect Barely No Sometimes
Table Recognition Good Good Okay Okay
Batch Processing Good (paid) Great Nope Sometimes
Speed Fast Fast Fastest Fast
Cost $5-10/mo $15-30/mo Free Free to $$

Bottom line: For equations, Mathpix wins. For basic text PDFs, Word’s built-in converter is fine. Adobe’s good for professional documents without heavy math.

What It Costs

As of 2024, here is the pricing:

  • Free: 50 snips/month (good for trying it out)
  • Snip Plus: $4.99/month - 5,000 snips (plenty for most people)
  • Unlimited: $9.99/month - No limits

My take:

  • Students and occasional users: Stick with free or get Snip Plus
  • Heavy users (researchers, professionals): Unlimited is worth it
  • The free tier is generous enough to know if you like it

Worth It?

Yeah, absolutely - if you work with mathematical documents. Mathpix changed how I handle PDF conversions. The equation recognition is legitimately impressive, and the time savings are real.

Is it perfect? No. You will still need to review and fix things. But it beats manually retyping equations by a mile, and it is way more accurate than standard OCR tools.

NoteQuick Summary
  • Best-in-class equation recognition
  • Professional output quality
  • Huge time-saver for technical documents
  • Free tier is good enough to test it properly

Getting started:

  1. Download Mathpix Snip
  2. Try the free version first
  3. Upgrade if you need more conversions
  4. Integrate it into your workflow

You will know pretty quickly if it is worth the money for your use case.

Last updated: October 2025