Convert to Scanned PDF in WPS on Windows: Introduction

Convert to Scanned PDF in WPS on Windows turns a regular PDF into a scanned-style PDF. This guide covers 2 core tasks, with 0 available without membership and 2 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	2	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	0	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	2	Matches the number of membership-required rows in the index
Version requirement	No specific version limit	No version gate is stated for this feature

About This Feature

Overview

Convert to Scanned PDF is a PDF conversion feature in WPS Office for Windows. It turns a regular PDF into a scanned-style PDF file. Before conversion, you can choose the output color mode and save location. This is useful for PDF archiving, document submission, print copies, and scanned-copy style delivery.

Core capabilities include:

Convert a PDF into a scanned-style PDF file.
Set output options such as color mode and output folder before conversion.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows device that can run WPS Office normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office
Network	No mandatory network connection is required for local conversion; internet access is needed when signing in to a membership account
Other	You need to be able to open PDF files and save files locally

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Check after installation	Launch WPS Office, open a PDF file, and check whether the Convert tab shows the Convert to Scanned PDF entry

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	Converts an opened PDF into a scanned-style PDF and lets you choose output color and save location.	Microsoft officially documents saving Office files as PDF, but the cited page does not describe converting an existing PDF into a scanned-style PDF.	Google Docs officially documents downloading or printing files as PDF, with a focus on document export rather than scanned-style conversion of an existing PDF.	Notion officially documents exporting pages or databases as PDF, focusing on content export instead of scanned-style processing for an existing PDF.	Adobe Acrobat officially documents scanning documents to PDF and converting PDFs to image formats, covering a broader PDF processing workflow.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: WPS provides a direct path inside the PDF workflow to turn the current PDF into a scanned-style PDF and set output color and destination before conversion.	Compared with WPS: Microsoft's official guidance here focuses on exporting Office documents to PDF rather than scanned-style conversion for an existing PDF.	Compared with WPS: Google Docs is better aligned with online document export and PDF download, not scanned-style conversion for an existing PDF in the cited help page.	Compared with WPS: Notion is centered on exporting workspace content and pages, not converting an existing PDF into a scanned-style file.	Compared with WPS: Adobe covers more PDF processing scenarios overall, while WPS offers a more direct entry for converting the current PDF into a scanned-style PDF.
Official Source	—	Save or convert to PDF or XPS	Create, view, or download a file	Export your content	Convert PDFs to image formats

Overall Conclusion: If your goal is to quickly turn an existing PDF into a scanned-style file on Windows, WPS offers a more direct workflow. Adobe provides a wider range of PDF scanning, recognition, and export-related tools, while Microsoft, Google, and Notion officially emphasize document export rather than scanned-style conversion of an existing PDF.

Use Cases

#	Scenario	Target Users	Core Pain Point	Solution
1	Archive preparation	Administrative staff and records teams	Need a file that looks closer to a paper scan for storage	Use Convert to Scanned PDF to generate a scanned-style file
2	Scanned-copy submission	Students, job seekers, and applicants	Only a regular PDF is available, but a scanned-copy style file is needed	Choose the output color and start the conversion
3	Print retention	Office users	Want printed output to look closer to a scanned copy	Export a black-and-white or color scanned-style PDF before printing
4	Original file protection	Users who still need the original PDF	Want to avoid changing the original layout during later handling	Keep the original file and distribute the scanned-style PDF
5	OCR preparation	Users who plan to recognize text later	Need a scanned-style file before a later OCR step	Convert first, then run OCR on the result

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Feature	Free User	WPS Member
Edit PDF files	Limited	Available
Convert to Scanned PDF	Requires membership	Available
Basic PDF reading	Available	Available
Some PDF conversion tools	May be limited or vary in scope	Broader access

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Use Case	Recommended Plan	Reason
Occasional PDF viewing	Free	Suitable when you mainly read and review PDF files
Need scanned-style PDF conversion	WPS Premium	This feature requires membership to edit PDF files
Frequent PDF conversion and organization	WPS Premium	Better suited for ongoing PDF editing and conversion work

WPS membership center: Subscribe now