Have you ever wondered how to convert a PDF file into an Excel document? If you have, you’re not alone! Many people find themselves needing to convert PDF files for various reasons, such as extracting data from tables or graphs. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to do this. In this article, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to transfer PDF files to Excel without using any application, as well as answer some frequently asked questions about the process.
How to Transfer a PDF to Excel?
Before we begin, make sure you have a PDF file and an Excel document open and ready to go. Please note that the following steps may vary slightly depending on the version of Excel you are using. Nonetheless, the overall process remains the same.
Step 1 – Exporting the PDF
The first step to transferring a PDF file to Excel is to export it as a text file. Here’s how to do it.
- Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.
- Click on the “File” menu and select “Export to” and then “Text”.
- Choose the location where you want to save the file and then click “Save”.
Step 2 – Converting Text to Columns in Excel
After exporting the PDF file as a text file, it’s time to insert it into Excel. You’ll first have to convert the text into columns. Here’s how to do it.
- Open a new Excel workbook, or just select a new sheet in an existing one.
- Click on the “Data” menu and select “From Text/CSV”.
- Locate the text file you saved in step 1, and then click “Import”.
- Choose “Delimited” as the file type and click “Next”.
- In the “Delimiters” section, select “Tab” and “Comma”, and then click “Next”.
- In the “Data preview” section, click on the first column header to select the entire column, and then choose “Text” as the column data format. Click “Finish”.
- The data from the PDF file should now be inserted into the Excel sheet.
Step 3 – Cleaning up the Data
Sometimes, the data from a PDF file can be quite messy and needs to be cleaned up before analysis. To do this, you may need to delete unnecessary rows and columns, adjust column widths, and format cells. Here are some things you can do to clean up the data:
- Delete the header and footer rows that contain information not relevant to the data you need.
- Delete columns that contain duplicate or unnecessary data.
- Adjust column width so the data fits properly.
- Format cells to display the data in the appropriate format (e.g. date, currency, etc.).
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I convert a PDF file to Excel without using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC?
Yes, you can use other software or online converters to convert PDF files to Excel. However, these options may not always be reliable and could result in data loss or errors.
2. What types of data can I extract from PDF files to Excel?
PDF files can contain a wide variety of data, including tables, charts, and graphs. You can extract any of this data and convert it into an Excel document for analysis or reporting purposes.
Video Tutorial – Convert PDF to Excel
Conclusion
Transferring PDF files to Excel doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. By following the step-by-step guide provided in this article, you can easily extract data from PDF files and use it for analysis or reporting purposes. We hope that this article has been helpful to you and answered any questions you may have had about the process.
