Looking for ways to copy from PDF to Excel and keep columns? Then, this is the right place for you. Sometimes, we want to use a specific table or tables with multiple columns from a PDF file. Copying from PDFs to Excel you can easily edit and use these tables for different purposes. Here, you will find 3 easy ways to copy from PDF to Excel and keep columns.

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3 Easy Ways to Copy from PDF to Excel and Keep Columns

Suppose you have a PDF file named Mark Sheet containing the Student ID, Name and Marks of some student. Now, we will show you how you can copy this dataset from the PDF file to Excel keeping the columns.

1. Apply Get Data Feature to Copy from PDF to Excel & Keep Columns

In the first method, we will use the Get Data feature to copy from PDF to Excel and keep columns. Using this feature, you can import data from different kinds of files (such as Excel Workbook, CSV files, PDF, etc.). Here, we will import data from our desired PDF file and then open it in the Power Query Editor to copy the dataset and keep columns.

Steps:

• Firstly, go to the Data tab >> click on Get Data >> click on From File >> select From PDF.

• Now, the Import Data box.
• Then, select the PDF which you want to import. Here, we will select the Mark Sheet PDF file.
• Next, click on Import.

• After that, the Navigator toolbox will open.
• Further, select the table you want to import. Here, we will select Table001 from Page 1 of the PDF.
• Lastly, click on Transform Data.

• Now, the table will open in the Power Query Editor.
• Using this Editor you can edit your dataset according to your wish.

• Then, to load this dataset into your Excel worksheet, click on Close & Load >> select Close & Load To.

• After that, the Import Data box will appear.
• Next, you will see that the Table has already been chosen. If it is not selected, then click on it.
• Afterward, click on the Existing worksheet and insert Cell B4 in the box.
• Lastly, click on OK.

• Finally, you will see that the dataset has been copied from the PDF file keeping the columns in Excel.

2. Copy Table from PDF to Microsoft Word Then Paste It to Excel

You can also use Microsoft Word to copy the dataset keeping the columns from PDF to Excel. To do that, we will first open the PDF file in Microsoft Word and then copy our desired dataset and paste it into an Excel file. Follow the steps given below to do it on your own.

Steps:

• To start with, open a Microsoft Word file.
• Then, click on File.

• Next, go to the Open option >> click on Browse to get the PDF file.

• Now, the Open box will appear.
• After that, select your PDF file. Here, we will select the Mark Sheet file.
• Then, click on OK.

• Afterward, a MsgBox will open to inform you that Word will convert your PDF to an editable Word document.
• Now, click on OK.

• Thus, you can open a PDF file in Microsoft Word.

• After that, select the dataset and press Ctrl + C from your keyboard to copy it.

• Then, go to your Excel worksheet and select the Cell where you want to paste the dataset.
• Lastly, press Ctrl + V to paste the dataset.

• Finally, the dataset will be copied with the columns from the PDF to Excel.

• Additionally, you can format or edit the dataset in Excel if you want as we did in the image given below.

3. Use Paste Special Feature to Copy from PDF with Columns to Excel

In the last method, we will use the Paste Special feature to copy the dataset from PDF to Excel and keep columns. The Paste Special feature is used to paste the copied data in different ways according to the user’s choice.

Here are the steps to use this feature to copy a dataset from a PDF with keeping columns.

Steps:

• Firstly, select the dataset from the PDF file and press Ctrl + C to copy it.

• Then, go to your Excel Worksheet and select the Cell where you want to paste the dataset.
• After that, go to the Home tab >> click on Paste >> select Paste Special.

• Now, the Paste Special box will open.
• Next, select Text.
• Lastly, click on OK.

• After that, you will see that the dataset has been copied to the Excel file.
• However, you may see some errors while separating the columns.
• So, edit those errors manually.

• Here, we will edit the data in Row 4 (See screenshot) as you can see that Student and ID have been separated into 2 different columns.

• Finally, you can format the copied dataset from PDF according to your wish.

Conclusion

So, in this article, we have shown you 3 ways to copy from PDF to Excel and keep columns. I hope you found this article interesting and helpful. However, if something seems difficult to understand, please leave a comment. Additionally, please let us know if there are any more alternatives that we may have missed. And visit ExcelDemy for many more articles like this. Thank you!

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