How to Create a Table in PDF? (6 Ways to Follow)

Have you ever needed to create a table in a PDF, but you're not sure of the best way to do that?  It's very common that someone would need to add a table to a PDF. Sometimes you need to add a table if you want to present certain data, such as sales numbers or survey results. Or maybe you need to add a schedule or dates to a PDF, and a table is the best way to present that information.

But sometimes it can be difficult to figure out how exactly to create a table in a PDF, especially if you have never tried to create a table in a PDF before. In order to save time, this article will show you six easy ways to follow to quickly create a table in PDF,  including pictures and steps for each different method.

Part 1. How to Create a Table in PDF with UPDF? (5 Methods)

You can use UPDF to easily create a table in a PDF. UPDF has five different methods of creating a table in a PDF, so you can choose the method that is best and easiest for you. With UPDF, you can use the rectangle shape tool, the line shape tool, add an image, or the create PDF feature to add a table to a PDF. In addition, you can also use UPDF to create a fillable table in a PDF.

UPDF also has many other features to help you edit and customize your PDFs. With UPDF, you can also annotate the information in the table, add security tools such as password protection to your PDFs, or use AI to summarize, translate, explain, and generate content for your PDF.

Watch the below video to learn more about UPDF, and click the button below to download UPDF and start your free trial. Be sure to do this before you read the tutorial because we will show all five ways of adding a table in UPDF.

Way 1. Create a PDF Table With a Rectangle Shape

The first method of creating a PDF table is by using the rectangle shape tool in UPDF.  Follow the directions below for this method.

Step 1 - Open New PDF

Open UPDF, and select "File" > "Create" > "Blank Page" to start a new blank PDF.

Step 2 - Select Rectangle Tool

After opening a new blank PDF, from the tools on the left, select "Comment",  then from the tools at the top, choose the rectangle tool. Before you start your table, you can adjust the rectangle color, opacity, or thickness.

Step 3 - Draw Rectangle

Click anywhere and drag your cursor to create your rectangle. After drawing the rectangle, you can then adjust the size and shape of the rectangle.

Step 4 - Copy and Paste Rectangle

You can now copy and paste the rectangle as many times as you need to create a table in your PDF. You will need to manually arrange the rectangles into the desired shape of your table. When you are done, click "Save as Other" on the right side to save your pdf.

This method is best for when you only want to create a small table in your PDF, or if you need to customize the shape of a table. because this method requires you to manually copy and paste each rectangle, it's not good for large tables.

Way 2. Create a Table in PDF With a Line Shape

You can also use the line shape tool to draw a custom table in your PDF. Follow the steps below for this method.

Step 1 - Select Line Tool

Click the below button to download UPDF and then, open it. In UPDF, create a new blank PDF using the steps above. Select "Comment" > "Rectangle", and then choose the line tool. Before drawing the line, you can adjust the color, opacity, and thickness of the line.

Step 2 - Draw and Copy Line

Click anywhere on the page, and drag your cursor to create a line. Then, you can copy and paste that line to add another beneath it.

Step 3 - Add Vertical Lines

You can now use the line tool to also add vertical lines. you can copy and paste as many vertical lines as you need to create the table sections. You can also use the distance measuring tool in UPDF to measure the distance between vertical lines. Just copy and paste the line measurements as many times as needed, and place the vertical lines at each measurement.

Now you can add text to the table, or save the PDF. this method is best for small tables that you need to customize for specific uses. It may take a long time to copy and paste the horizontal and vertical lines in all the places you need them to create a big table.

Way 3. Add Table in PDF With Adding Image

If you have an image of a blank spreadsheet, you can easily add that to a PDF to create a table. Follow the steps below for this method of creating a table in a PDF.

Step 1 - Take Screenshot

Open your favorite spreadsheet tool, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Spreadsheet, and take a screenshot of a blank spreadsheet.

Step 2 - Add to UPDF as Image

Open a new blank PDF document in UPDF.  From the left side select "Edit PDF" " and then from the tools at the top select "Image". Click anywhere on the page to add an image, and then select the spreadsheet screenshot from your files. Once you've added the spreadsheet as an image, you can adjust the size or copy it to create another table.

You can now also add text to your table by clicking the "Text" tool at the top of the interface and adding a text box. Remember to save your PDF when you are done.

This is a good method to use if you want to quickly create a standard table in your PDF. However, this method does not allow you to customize your table.

Way 4. Create PDF Table With Creating PDF

You can also create a table in your PDF by directly uploading a Word document or Excel spreadsheet. Follow the steps below for this method.

Step 1 - Open Spreadsheet

Open UPDF, and then drag and drop your spreadsheet file into the "Open File" box. The file will automatically convert to a PDF, and open in a new window.

Step 2 - Edit as Needed

You can now edit the table as needed by going to "Edit PDF" to add text, images, and links, or by clicking on "Comment" to add sticky notes, highlight text, and more. When you're done with your PDF table, select "Save as Other" to save your PDF.

This method is best for when you already have an Excel spreadsheet of information or data that you quickly need to convert into a PDF document. However, you can only do this method if you have already input the data into a spreadsheet, otherwise you will have to create a brand new spreadsheet.

If you're ready to turn your Excel spreadsheets into an editable PDF, click the button below to download UPDF and start editing today.

Way 5. Create a Fillable Table in PDF

If you want to create a fillable PDF table, you can add fillable fields with UPDF. Follow the steps below for this method.

Step 1 - Open Table

You can use any of the methods above to either create a new table in a PDF, or upload a table to your PDF.

Step 2 - Add Text Field

From the left side, click "Prepare Form",  and from the tools on the top select the text field. Click anywhere to start the text field, and drag the text field to the desired size and shape. You can add as many text fields as you need for your table. When you're done, select "Save as Other" from the right side to save your PDF.

Now that you know all the different ways to create tables in your PDF using UPDF, click the button below to download UPDF and purchase a license at a very affordable price (and UPDF is on sale right now!)

This is the best method if you want to create tables in your PDF to send to other people to fill with their specific data or information.

Part 2. How to Add Table in Adobe Acrobat?

If you already have a license for Adobe Acrobat, you can use Adobe to add a table to your PDF. Follow the steps below for this method.

Step 1 - Create Table in Word

Adobe Acrobat does not have a built-in tool to create tables, so you will need to create your table in Microsoft Word first. When you are satisfied with the table and word, you will need to take a screenshot of just the area of the table. Make sure to save the screenshot in a location you can access later.

Step 2 - Copy into Adobe

Open Adobe Acrobat and upload the PDF that you want to add the table to. On the right side of Adobe, you will click "Edit PDF", and then from the top select the "Add Image" tool. Choose the screenshot of the spreadsheet that you want to add to the PDF.

Step 3 - Adjust and Save

Now that your table is in your PDF in Adobe, you can adjust the size and location of the table image. When you're done, click the Save icon to save your PDF.

This method is very easy to do because you only need a screenshot of your table. However this method is only good if you already have an Adobe license because the license can be very expensive to purchase.

Final Words

Now you know six different easy ways to create a table in PDF. Our best recommendation is to use UPDF because it is an all-in-one PDF editing tool that can help you customize your PDFs to your exact requirements, and it has five different ways to quickly add a table to your PDF. You can also add a table to a PDF in Adobe Acrobat if you already have an Adobe License.

Ready to try all of UPDF's amazing features right now? Click the button below to download UPDF and start your free trial today, or purchase a UPDF license at a very affordable price!