How to Convert Scanned PDF to Excel without Losing Formatting

Scanned PDFs are essentially images, and the text within them is not editable or searchable. Therefore, you cannot easily search for specific words, phrases, or data within the document. What if you want to extract important tabular data from a scanned PDF for your business or academic task? 

For this purpose, you need to convert scanned PDF to Excel format. This article will introduce the best AI PDF converter for this purpose to make the process easier and more accurate.

Part 1. How to Convert a Scanned PDF to Excel Accurately

Converting a scanned PDF to Excel format can be highly beneficial, especially if you want to extract, organize, manipulate, or integrate tabular data. Meanwhile, using UPDF would be ideal because this is the best scanned PDF to Excel converter. Ideally, in the converting process, the formatting of the original file won't get damaged.

This tool also provides a robust OCR tool with advanced and innovative algorithms to make your scanned documents editable and searchable within seconds. It also supports over 38 languages, making it a versatile tool for users worldwide. To convert scanned PDF to Excel with UPDF, follow these simplified instructions:

Step 1: Access the Scanned PDF Document

Launch the AI UPDF software on your computer and click the "Open File" button from the main screen to import your scanned PDF file.

Step 2: Apply the Innovative OCR Feature

Continue to click the "Recognize Text Using OCR" icon from the toolbar on the screen's right side.

Select the "Document Type" from categories like "Searchable PDF" and "Image-only PDF."

Make sure to adjust your selected category within different parameters further.

Finally, press "Perform OCR" to save your editable and searchable document in the desired location.

Step 3: Convert the Editable and Searchable PDF to Excel

After OCR, your new editable and searchable document will open in a new tab. Now click on the "Export PDF" icon from the right-side toolbar. From the "Export PDF" expanded menu, select "Excel." Finally, click the "Export" button to save the Excel file in the desired location of your computer.

Video guide on How to Convert Scanned PDF to Excel on Windows

Part 2. How to Batch Convert Scanned PDF to Excel 

If you have multiple scanned PDF files that you want to convert into Excel format, a lot of your time would be spent processing every conversion separately. A better and more reliable way is to batch-convert PDFs through UPDF.

Hence, you can convert multiple scanned PDFs into Excel format at once, follow these easy-to-perform steps:

Method 1. Batch Convert PDFs to Separate Excel Files

Step 1: Choose the Batch Converter Tool

Once you've performed OCR to all your PDF files, access the "Batch" tab from the middle right of the screen. Continue to select "Convert" as your "Popular Batch Actions." 

Step 2: Add All the Scanned PDF Documents

By clicking the "Add Files" button, import all your scanned PDFs. From the "Add Files" drop-down, you can also import a complete PDF folder by tapping on the "Add Folders" option.

Step 3: Perform the Batch Conversion Process

From the panel on the screen's right side, set the "Output Format" to "Excel," enable "Text Recognition Settings," and customize "Document Language." Finally, click "Apply" from the bottom-right corner to save the Excel files in the desired folder on the system.

Method 2. Combine and Export

If you don't mind getting a whole Excel file, then you can use this method to help you combine multiple scanned PDFs into one single Excel file.

Instructions: First of all, you need to combine all your scanned PDF files by clicking Batch > Combine > Add Files > Apply. This will help you merge all your PDF files into a single one. Then open this single PDF file, and perform OCR. After performing OCR, you need to click the "Export PDF icon > Excel >Export" as we explained in Part 1.

Part 3: What Makes UPDF a Good Scanned PDF to Excel Converter? 

When it comes to PDF editing and management, UPDF takes the lead over all its competitors. Certainly, its scanned PDF to Excel conversion is what you need because of its reliability and optimal functionality. To determine what makes UPDF scanned PDF to Excel conversion a trusted choice, let's find reasons here:

1. Top Conversion Accuracy with Great Formatting 

Accuracy is one of the factors that makes UPDF scanned PDF to Excel conversion a special tool. Overall, the PDF files are converted into Excel accurately while maintaining the document's original layout and formatting. Hence, you won't have to worry about the document's quality or compromise on the level of your content.

2. Batch Processing

With the availability of batch processing function, convert all your scanned PDF files into Excel format at once. This way, you don’t have to convert every file separately, which would consume a lot of your time. So, if you want to extract, organize, manage, or manipulate data from multiple scanned PDFs, batch Excel conversion will help you perform your tasks quickly.

3. High Speed for Conversion

The platform is blazing fast when converting scanned PDFs to Excel format. With increased efficiency and optimized speed, your scanned PDF documents will be converted into Excel formats in minimal time. Thus, you don't have to wait for minutes and hours while the conversion is taking place. Interestingly, the speed remains optimized even if you're converting multiple PDFs to Excel.

4. Multiple OCR Languages

OCR is recognized as the most exquisite tool of UPDF because it helps convert scanned PDFs into editable yet searchable documents. Moreover, the OCR tool of UPDF is available for 38 languages, so you can go global by having your PDFs targeted for multiple regions worldwide. The OCR tool also comes with 3 different layouts. 

5. Other Supported Features

UPDF is not only limited to PDF format conversion. In fact, you can also edit PDF documents by modifying text, images, and links. You can also annotate PDFs by adding comments, text boxes, underlining, stamps, stickers, or even electronic signatures. The possibilities also include combining multiple PDFs into one document. Organizing pages in a PDF with UPDF is also possible.

Part 4: FAQs on Converting Scanned PDF to Excel 

1. Is it free to convert scanned PDFs to Excel?

Generally, you need the help of OCR technology to convert scanned PDFs into Excel format. Meanwhile, almost all good OCR technologies are paid, so there isn't any free method. However, the cost-effective solution for this purpose is UPDF.

2. How can I convert scanned PDF to Excel with Adobe Acrobat?

To convert scanned PDF to Excel format with the help of Adobe Acrobat, you need to open your PDF file and click "Scan & OCR" from the left panel. Now navigate to the "Recognize Text" section on this next window and tap "In this File."

Choose the targeted pages and language on the pop-up box and click "Recognize Text" to start the OCR process. Once it is complete, return to "All Tools" and press "Export a PDF." On the next screen, choose Microsoft Excel as the desired format and tap "Convert to XLSX." Now select the location and name for the new file to start the conversion process.

3. What is the best scanned PDF to Excel converter?

UPDF is the best AI PDF tool to convert scanned PDF to Excel format. After all, the platform is fast, maintains document formatting, supports batch processing, and provides extensive OCR support. 

Wrapping Up

Converting scanned PDF to Excel format is essential if you’re looking to extract tabular data from PDF documents. Meanwhile, in this article, you learned how to convert scanned PDF to Excel format using UPDF, the best PDF editing and management tool. You learned about both simple and batch conversion processes using UPDF.