Free Tools for Converting OCR PDFs to Excel Spreadsheets

Are you looking for ways to convert your OCR (Optical Character Recognition) PDF files to Excel spreadsheets? If so, there are several free tools available that can help you achieve this. In this article, we'll explore the different scenarios and options you have when it comes to converting OCR PDFs to Excel.

Basic Conversion

The most basic application of zonal OCR is capturing multiple data points from each document and exporting them as a single row of data. This process is simple and straightforward, but may not be suitable for complex documents that include header/detail data, multiple tables, nested tables or tables with overlapping columns.

Data Capture Software

Another scenario uses data capture software that identifies common data elements across multiple documents and maps them to columns in your Excel, CSV or database output. This process is more advanced than basic conversion and can handle complex documents, but may not perform well when it comes to data validation or appending multiple documents to a single spreadsheet.

Output Options

The output of these applications typically includes one Excel or CSV file per document, which requires some clean-up to remove extra text on the document that isn't part of the table. However, these tools can convert standard table data to individual spreadsheets, making them useful for simple tables and reports.

Desktop OCR Applications

If you need more advanced functionality, there are desktop OCR applications like ABBYY FineReader, ReadIRIS and Kofax OmniPage that can manage complex conversion scenarios. These applications can handle a wide range of document formats, including PDFs, and offer advanced features such as data validation and append functionality.

Converting OCR PDFs to Excel spreadsheets doesn't have to be a complicated process. With the right tools and techniques, you can easily convert your documents into usable Excel files. Whether you need simple conversion or more advanced functionality, there are free tools available that can help you achieve your goals.

Ocr pdf to excel free