Export pdf form to excel and keep same layout

[linh-chin35044780]

Hello, I'm quite new with Adobe Pro. I'm trying to export a pdf prepare form into excel but the layout is completely screwed out. (I would like to send the screen printed pages of what I'm talking about but didn't find the attachment button)

for example (orginal form)

name : ABC

first name: DEF

phone numebr: 111-11111

comes out as (in excel)

ABC

name

first name

phone number

DEF

111-1111

Once I opened the form in adobe, I click file-export to - spreadsheet. Both xml and excel workbook layouts are not good.

how can we keep the same layout as the original form?

Thanks for your help.

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Converting from PDF to Word, Excel or any other format is one of the most complex things you can try to do with a PDF file. It works very well in some cases, in other cases the output has very little to do with the original file. The key for success is that the PDF file needs to be "tagged" - which means that it contains information about the information that is displayed in the file. The best way to make sure that a PDF file is tagged correctly is by using the PDFMaker in Acrobat to create the PDF file from Word or Excel (that's the Acrobat ribbon or toolbar).

Unfortunately there is not much you can do to improve the output without spending a lot of time (e.g. by manually tagging the file). Also, if you are using Adobe's ExportPDF service and don't have access to Acrobat, that is not even an option.

The only thing you can do is complain to the original author of the file and tell them that they used a bad PDF generator to create the PDF file.

Sometimes it helps to save the PDF file as a set of high resolution (e.g. 600dpi) images, then import these images back into Acrobat, run OCR and then export to Word or Excel again.

[linh-chin35044780]

Thank you Mr Kremer for your quick reply. For the details of the form, I am the author of the form from scratch. So I am creating a PDF form that client will fill out (and the PDF form was exported from an excel file). Then once the client has fillout the form, the PDF will be exported back to an excel file. So step 1 (creating pdf form from excel file) is ok, step 2, create a prepare form is ok, step 3, client fillout form and send back the pdf file, is ok, but step 4, convert fillout form to excel is not working so good as the layout is all modified.

Let me tell you my steps exactly. step 1, save excel file as pdf. step 2, open Adobe reader pro, open ''prepare form''. save. step 3, client fill out form with standard adobe reader. save file. step 4, open file with adobe reader pro, export to spreadsheet.

I apologize that you may have to explain some concepts that I don't know since I'm quite new with the Adobe pro, for example what exactly is "tagged'', and what exactly is ''run OCR''. Thank you for your patience

Sincerely,

[Test Screen Name]

You have form fields? If so you need to export the form fields not use convert to Excel.

[linh-chin35044780]

Hi, this can be used in this example of 3 fields that I have used, but for a form of 10 pages, it won't be possible to select the fields on such a long form. But thanks for the idea.

[Test Screen Name]

Sorry I dont understand your point about selecting fields. Have you found and tried the export form data option?

[linh-chin35044780]

Ok got it! I'm not sure where the export form data was, but I typed in the help button and found it. What I initially did was manually selecting the fields and right click, and then export selection.

Could be a solution but still is not exactly back to the initial excel file that was created for the form (not filled).

The best is still to obtain the layout of the original excel file.

Thank you for your help.