How to format and extract tables from PDF

2 min read·25 July 2026

Tables in PDF are notoriously tricky — text bleeds across cells, columns misalign. Learn how to correctly process tables in a PDF.

Why tables are tricky in PDF

PDF is a presentation format: text sits at fixed X/Y coordinates on the page. There is no table structure like in HTML or Word. A table in PDF consists purely of lines and adjacent text fields. When you copy text from a PDF table it often comes back as loose fragments without structure.

Extract table data with PDF to text

For tables with numeric data: use the PDF to Text tool on PDFrust to extract the content. Paste the result into a spreadsheet like Excel or Google Sheets. Use "text to columns" (delimiter: space or tab) to separate columns. Manually check and correct where needed.

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Extract table via OCR from scanned PDF

Is the PDF a scan (image)? Then you cannot copy text. Use the OCR tool on PDFrust to make the scanned PDF searchable. After OCR the text is extractable. Note: OCR sometimes makes errors in column order for complex table layouts — always verify.

Using form fields as table input

If you want others to fill in a PDF table, create a form. Use the Fill Form tool on PDFrust to fill existing form fields. For creating new form fields in a PDF that has none, you need Adobe Acrobat Pro or LibreOffice Draw.

Formatting tables for printing

If a table is too wide for the page, adjust margins with the Margins tool to create more width. Or use the Resize tool to change page size to A3 for wide tables. Another option: use the Rotate tool to switch the page to landscape orientation.