Using PDF Files is an easy and secure way to send and share documents. When you want to keep the formatting and details of the table, you should convert the document to a PDF file. However, extracting tables from a table is quite a difficult task if you are receiving a PDF file.
Of course, you’ll want to save time and don’t want to create a new table from scratch. So how do you extract tables from PDF without copying and pasting? Here are a few ways you can achieve that.
Use Online Converter
The fastest way is to use online file converters to change the PDF file to any other document format you want. Several free online tools convert PDF to Excel to extract tabular data. Common examples are cometdocs and Smallpdf. However, most of these tools only provide basic extraction capabilities.
Disclaimer: We strongly recommend that you avoid using online converters while dealing with PDF files containing confidential and sensitive information.
Here’s how to extract a table from a PDF using Smallpdf:
Step 1: Go to Smallpdf website.
Step 2: Select the conversion to perform.
Step 3: Drag the PDF file to be converted into the PDF converter.
Step 4: Once the file is uploaded, click Convert to Excel.
Step 5: Click Download to save the PDF file to your device.
Step 6: Launch the downloaded excel to confirm if your table has been converted correctly.
Extract a table using Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft BI is another useful tool for extracting table data from PDF files. In particular, the Power Query feature on Power BI makes it easy for users to import PDF files and extract table data inside the document.
However, this only works for those with an Office 365 subscription. Additionally, you’ll have to purchase the Power BI plan separately.
The Power Query feature is also available in the Power BI free trial. Here’s how to use it to extract tabular data:
Step 1: Download, install and launch Microsoft Power BI.
Step 2: Select Get Data in the Home section on the desktop of the application.
Step 3: Click File and then select PDF.
Step 4: Click Connect to browse the location of the PDF file on your computer.
Step 5: Choose the location of the PDF file to import it into Power BI.
Step 6: Once the file has been imported into Power BI, you will see a Navigator with a table number and a Page number. Select Number of tables to be loaded.
Step 7: Select Load to create a Table on Power BI.
Using Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel like Power BI has a Power Query feature that can be used to load PDF files and extract tabular data. However, this feature is only available on Excel 2016 or later versions. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Launch Microsoft Excel.
Step 2: Select Data on the Ribbon.
Step 3: Select Get Data to launch the drop-down menu.
Step 4: Select From File and From PDF.
Step 5: Select the location containing the PDF file to import into Excel.
Step 6: Once the file has been imported into Excel, you will see a Navigator with table numbers, page numbers, or a preview of the data in the PDF. Select Number of tables to be loaded.
Step 7: Select Load to create a table on Excel.
If you’re using Microsoft Office 2016 or a later plan and you notice that your data tab doesn’t contain the Power Query feature. Here’s how to install it.
Step 1: Visit the Microsoft website.
Step 2: Select the Language of the utility.
Step 3: Select Download.
Step 4: Select the version of the add-in that you want to download.
Step 5: Select Next to start the download.
Step 6: Once the downloaded file is complete, run the file to install the add-in.
Using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is another tool that can be used to extract tabular data from PDF files or convert PDF files to other file types like excel for data analysis. The tool has a 7-day trial version and a professional version and can be used online or downloaded to the device.
Adobe Acrobat web version
Here’s how to use the web version to extract tabular data:
Step 1: Access the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC web link.
Step 2: At the top of the page, select the Convert menu.
Step 3: Scroll down the website and find PDF to Excel.
Step 4: On the new pop-up menu, drag and drop the PDF file you want to convert.
Step 5: Once the file is uploaded, select Export to XLSX.
Step 6: Select the Download icon at the top of the page to save the converted file to your device.
Adobe Acrobat on PC
Here’s how to use the PC version to extract tabular data:
Step 1: Launch the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC application.
Step 2: On the application, select Open a File.
Step 3: Using the file library select the PDF file to be imported into the application.
Step 4: Once the file opens, use the cursor to highlight the table data.
Step 5: Right click on the highlighted area and choose Export Selection As.
Step 6: On File Library enter details of File Name and select File Type.
Compare two PDF files
Extracting tables from a PDF file is not an impossible task. Using Power Query on Excel and Power BI, you can import file types other than PDF. On the other hand, using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, you can compare two PDF files side by side.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
