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How to convert a PDF to DWG (vector and editable)

November 2, 2026 · Guides

Receiving a drawing as a PDF and needing it as an editable DWG is common. With LinceCAD there are two routes, depending on how the PDF was made, and both produce real CAD geometry (lines, polylines, text and layers), not a pasted image.

1. Vector PDF → PDFIMPORT

If the PDF was generated from a CAD program (most “native” drawings), it contains vectors. The PDFIMPORT command turns them directly into drawing entities:

1. Type PDFIMPORT and choose the PDF file and the page.
2. Set the scale and the insertion point.
3. Outlines, text and hatches come in as lines, polylines, text and fills, on their layers.

This is the more accurate method: the geometry is exact because the PDF already contained it.

2. Scanned PDF (image) → vectorization + OCR

If the PDF is a scan (a picture of the drawing), there are no vectors to import: they have to be rebuilt. LinceCAD does it in two steps:

• Vectorize (VECTORIZAR): detects the lines and arcs in the image and turns them into CAD entities.
• OCR (OCRIMAGE): recognizes the text in the scan and turns it into editable text.

The result is not as exact as with a vector PDF (it depends on the quality of the scan), but it saves you from redrawing the plan from scratch.

Which one should I use?

Try PDFIMPORT first: if the PDF contains vectors, it is immediate and exact. If no geometry appears after importing (only an image), it is a scan: use VECTORIZAR + OCRIMAGE.

LinceCAD includes PDF to DWG, vectorization and OCR as standard, with a perpetual license. See pricing · See all features.