Let’s Excel in converting PDFs to Excel

We are in the technology era, where the smallest to biggest businesses are being run by technology. From planning to execution, from data generation to data maintenance, technologies are sitting at the center to make our lives easy. One of the mainly used tool to store, share, convert data is PDFs. PDFs are secure, compatible for mostly all devices and easy to use. However, Excel still holds an important rank in data generation and data management.

Learn to convert PDFs to Excel and improve your day-to-day data management.

Manual Method:

For minimal data extraction needs, the manual copy-paste method can be a quick solution.

Pre-requisite: None

Steps to convert PDFs to Excel in Manual Method:

1. Start by opening your PDF document.

2. Highlight the data you want to extract.

3. Right-click and select 'Copy.' (Win: ctrl + c; mac: ⌘ + c)

4. Open an Excel file and paste the copied data. (win: ctrl + v; mac: ⌘ + v)

Advantages:

1. This method is straightforward.

2. Easy to use.

3. Can be performed with little computer knowledge.

Disadvantages:

1. Useful for small data extraction only and not suitable for complex data and big files.

2. Time consuming.

3. Chances of error is high, which may affect data accuracy.

With Microsoft Office Software:

Microsoft Office provides whole bunch of applications which we use in day-to-day life to perform our tasks. Let’s check how to convert PDFs to Excel using Microsoft Office. MS Word can act as an intermediary for extracting data from PDFs.

Pre-requisite: MS Word as an intermediary.

Steps to convert PDFs to Excel using MS Office:

1. Open a Microsoft Word blank document.

2. Select 'Open,' and browse to your PDF file. Your PDF will open in MS Word format.

3. Select the data in MS Word and Copy the data. (Win: ctrl + c; mac: ⌘ + c)

4. Paste the data into an Excel sheet using 'Paste Special' and select 'Text.'

Advantages:

1. Easy functioning.

2. Faster than manual process.

3. Organize data well.

Disadvantages:

1. It may require extra formatting in the Excel.

2. Useful for medium size data extraction.

3. Not suitable for complex data and big files.

Online PDF Converters Tools:

As you know, above mentioned methods are not so effective when it comes to complex and big data extraction. Currently, there are many PDF converters available online, which can help you to extract your complex PDFs in your desired file or format.

Pre-requisite: Good Internet Connection.

Steps to convert PDFs to Excel using online PDF converters:

1. Open the internet browser.

2. Open an online PDF to Excel converter.

3. Upload your PDF file from your device to the converter.

4. Click 'Convert' and download the Excel file.

Advantages:

1. Online PDF converters are highly effective.

2. User-friendly.

3. Able to handle complex data extraction to Excel.

Disadvantages:

1. May not handle bulk data.

2. Limited functions are available.

Tabular Data Extraction:

Above-mentioned methods are useful for day-to-day data management. However, in business,  we often store data in a tabular format. Tabular format contains data in table and chart forms, which is easy to use, remember and effective. Extracting tables from PDFs to Excel is a complex task. We have to be cautious while converting data and make sure all details falls on correct places. 

There are several tools and platforms available online to deal with tabular data.

Pre-requisite: Good Internet Connection.

Steps to convert PDFs to Excel using online PDF converters:

1. Open the internet browser.

2. Choose a PDF table extraction tool.

3. Use the tool to circle the table in your PDF.

4. Convert the table data directly to Excel.

Advantages:

1. They are specialized extraction tools.

2. Handle structured data well.

3. Offers a high accuracy rate.

Disadvantages:

1. Require some expertise in using specialized tools.

Author’s Message:

Choosing the right method for extracting data from PDFs to Excel depends on the complexity and volume of your data. For businesses, efficient data extraction ensures better data management and decision-making.

HEMI Technologies offers expert data extraction services, ensuring accuracy and efficiency for your business needs. We, at HEMI Technologies, handle all types of documents conversion into PDFs as per our client’s requirement.