How to Convert DOCX to PDF Using Python

Converting Microsoft Word documents (DOCX) to PDF is a common task in automation workflows. Python makes this process simple with powerful libraries. In this guide, we'll use the python-docx and pdfkit modules to achieve this conversion efficiently.

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Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Python 3.6 or later
• python-docx library (for reading DOCX files)
• pdfkit library (for converting to PDF)
• wkhtmltopdf (a dependency for pdfkit)

Install the required Python packages using pip:

pip install python-docx pdfkit

Download and install wkhtmltopdf from the official website.

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Step-by-Step Conversion Process

1. Reading the DOCX File

First, we'll use python-docx to extract text and formatting from the DOCX file:

from docx import Document

def read_docx(file_path):
    doc = Document(file_path)
    full_text = []
    for para in doc.paragraphs:
        full_text.append(para.text)
    return '\n'.join(full_text)

content = read_docx('input.docx')

2. Converting to PDF

Next, we'll use pdfkit to convert the extracted content into a PDF:

import pdfkit

# Configure pdfkit to use the wkhtmltopdf executable
config = pdfkit.configuration(wkhtmltopdf='/path/to/wkhtmltopdf')

# Convert text to PDF
pdfkit.from_string(content, 'output.pdf', configuration=config)

Note: Replace /path/to/wkhtmltopdf with the actual path where you installed wkhtmltopdf.

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Alternative Method: Using docx2pdf

For a simpler approach, you can use the docx2pdf library, which handles the conversion in one step:

pip install docx2pdf

Then use the following code:

from docx2pdf import convert

convert("input.docx", "output.pdf")

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Handling Common Issues

• Missing Fonts: Ensure all fonts used in the DOCX are installed on your system.
• Formatting Errors: Complex layouts may not convert perfectly. Test with simpler documents first.
• Path Errors: Always use absolute paths for input/output files to avoid confusion.

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Summary: Converting DOCX to PDF in Python is straightforward with libraries like python-docx and pdfkit. For quick conversions, docx2pdf provides a simpler alternative. This automation is useful for batch processing documents in business workflows.

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