You've been reviewing a contract and the margins are full of useful comments. You want the recipient to see the comments alongside the document. Or — equally common — you want a clean PDF with no comments visible. The difference is in the source.
Comments convert as PDF annotations
By default, Flint's Word to PDF preserves Word comments as PDF sticky-note annotations. They appear in the PDF margin (or in a comment pane in the PDF viewer) with the author and date.
This matches Word's own File > Save As PDF behaviour.
Strip comments for a clean version
Two ways to convert without comments. In Word: Review tab > Delete > Delete All Comments in Document. Then convert. In the PDF: edit the PDF and remove the comment annotations after conversion.
The in-Word route is cleaner — the source DOCX stays as the canonical commented version, and the PDF stays clean.
Track changes vs comments
Track changes (insertions/deletions) are a separate feature. By default they convert as visible markups in the PDF. To convert without showing track changes, accept or reject them in Word first (Review > Accept All / Reject All), then convert.
This is the most common confusion in Word-to-PDF: someone sends a "clean" PDF that still shows tracked changes because the source DOCX had pending changes.
Threaded comment conversations
Modern Word supports threaded comments — replies to comments. These convert as related annotations, but viewers vary in how they display the thread structure. Adobe Acrobat handles threads natively; some lighter PDF viewers show all comments flat.
FAQ
Can I convert without comments in one step?
Not directly. Delete the comments in Word first, then convert. Or remove them from the PDF afterwards.
Will comment authors show up?
Yes — each PDF annotation includes the author name and date from the Word comment.
What if I want to keep some comments and not others?
Delete the unwanted ones in Word first. The PDF reflects whatever's in the source.
Are comments searchable in the PDF?
Yes — comment text is searchable in most PDF viewers.
Comments yes or comments no — control it in Word first. Convert your Word to PDF either way.