How to check an HWP to Word conversion
A DOCX can open cleanly and preserve the words while still moving a table or changing page breaks. Review content and layout separately, beginning with the parts whose position or meaning is important to the recipient.
First decide what “correct” means
For a translation draft, preserving all sentences may be the main requirement. For an application form, the placement of a signature box and the size of a response cell may matter just as much. Decide which of those requirements your file has before making corrections.
Keep the source and the converted copy open side by side, using a trusted reference if you have one. Compare the title, first and final paragraphs, table headings, dates and totals. A successfully opened file is the beginning of this review, not a substitute for it. Avoid overwriting your only original while investigating a difference.
Merged tables need one consistent grid
A table that looks like three columns on one row may have different cell boundaries on another row. DOCX describes shared vertical boundaries using a table grid. When a cell continues vertically through subsequent rows, the continuation must cover the same set of grid columns.
HanOpen reconstructs a shared grid when source rows disagree and records that adjustment in the warnings. A narrow extra column in the result may represent a source boundary rather than a new piece of content. Before dragging borders, compare which text belongs in each cell and check the merged area from top to bottom.
Review column widths after checking cell contents
Start with missing or duplicated cell text, then inspect merges, and only then adjust widths. Moving a border to improve one row can affect several rows that share the same grid. Check nested tables separately; they are independent structures inside the outer table.
The recorded Word checks found matching table counts for all 41 converted test documents. Matching counts do not prove that every column has the intended width. Our earlier checks also did not establish a five-percent visual width guarantee. Treat tight forms, approval boxes and narrow number columns as places for a deliberate manual comparison.
Font substitution can change the entire page
A font choice changes how much room each line needs. If the document’s intended font is unavailable where you open the DOCX, a replacement may move the last word of a line, expand a paragraph, and push a table onto the next page. Adjusting the table alone can hide the symptom without fixing the cause.
HanOpen offers font mapping options when producing DOCX. Choose the option that fits the receiving environment, then check the result there. Keeping a font name does not install or embed that font. We have not measured every mapping on every operating system or office application.
Follow each note reference to its text
Footnotes and endnotes are document structures, not ordinary paragraphs with small numbers. Check that a reference has the expected note text, that the order makes sense, and that the note belongs to the intended passage. Look again after substantial editing, especially if you moved paragraphs across sections.
HanOpen writes supported footnotes and endnotes to DOCX note parts. Some source note appearance settings do not have a complete mapping, and a page can reflow around notes. The conversion summary reports the detected and written elements. Use that count to guide inspection, then read the actual notes instead of checking numbers alone.
Pictures and text boxes can move
Supported raster pictures are carried into the DOCX, but a floating picture can become inline content near its source anchor. Text boxes are simplified into a single-cell table. Those choices preserve useful content for editing while changing the way the object occupies the page.
Inspect logos, stamps, captions and text inside shapes. WMF and EMF graphics use a placeholder in this version, and crop appearance is not preserved. OLE objects and charts are also represented by placeholders. A present picture count cannot establish that the same crop, alignment or visual relationship survived.
Check section changes, numbering and equations
Margins, page orientation and columns can change between document sections. After conversion, inspect the boundaries where those changes occur instead of checking only the first page. Repeated headers and footers, a first page with a different header, or a long table crossing a page deserve individual attention.
Equations in the DOCX are preserved as their source script text, not editable native Word equations. Numbering is mapped where supported, but detailed numbering appearance and restart rules can simplify. If the document depends on a mathematical expression or a legal clause number, read that element against the source and rebuild it when necessary.
Use the measurements at their actual scope
On 7 September 2026, 41 converted files opened in Word 16 without repair, matched expected table counts, and achieved text coverage of at least 99%. Separate checks validated the generated table XML and repeated output bytes. These checks cover a defined set of sample documents, not a visual comparison of every finished page.
These Word results do not establish support in other office applications or on every physical device. Before submitting a converted form, reopen the saved copy in the recipient’s intended workflow. Review the last page and any corrections you made after conversion.