Learn how to prepare PDF tables for Excel and why scanned or complex tables may need OCR.
Use readable PDFs
PDF tables convert better when text can be selected and copied. Scanned tables need OCR before rows and columns can be recovered accurately.
Expect cleanup
Merged cells, repeated headers, footnotes, and wrapped text can shift column alignment. Review the spreadsheet after conversion.
Check numbers
Verify totals, dates, currency, decimals, and leading zeros before using converted spreadsheet data for decisions.