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This week, I've learned how to successfully copy data from a PDF table into a spreadsheet. It sounds easy and straightforward, but it's not. The few times I've attempted this in the past were a disaster.
It turns out that I tried to do what most people do — that is, I tried to copy and paste directly from the PDF itself. But that just results in the text being copied over with formatting all askew. No, a better way to do it is to use Excel's built-in data copying feature. Not only is it simple and easy to do, but the data will be copied over with perfect formatting as well.
What to do:
Open the PDF document and make a note of where the table with the data is located and the number designation for the table. For this exercise, I'm using a PDF of a review guide for a laptop I reviewed.
Now open Microsoft Excel. Also open a new Excel document by selecting File New Blank Workbook.
In the top menu of Excel select Data Get Data From File From PDF.
Browse your files and select the PDF with the table in it. Now select Import.
Choose the table from the list that appears and click Load. The table you want will now load into the Excel document with perfect formatting.
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