How to convert PDF to Excel with online OCR tools

UPDATED: Aug 21, 2025

The need to digitize handwritten structured data, such as tables, forms, key-value lists, and similar formats, has become a real necessity. Advanced handwriting OCR tools allow users to efficiently convert scanned structured data from PDF to Excel or similar formats.

Whether for a professional business, an individual, a teacher, or a student, understanding how to convert PDF to Excel with handwriting OCR online tools can significantly enhance your productivity and document management capabilities and save valuable time on data entry.

1. Scan handwritten structured data to a PDF File.
   The first step in the conversion process is to scan your handwritten tables, forms or lists into a PDF file. Use a scanner or a smartphone to capture clear and legible images of your notes. Ensure that the scanned images are well-aligned and free from any shadows or distortions to achieve the best OCR results.
2. Choose a tool according to your needs.
   Once you have your data scanned into a PDF, the next step is to select a handwriting OCR online tool that suits your needs. Pen to Print offers two distinct tools for converting scanned handwritten structured data from PDF to Excel: Tables & Forms Digitizer and Form Data Processor. The Tables & Forms Digitize is designed to interpret and digitize handwritten tables and forms accurately, ensuring that every element is transferred from PDF to Excel spreadsheet. The result is a document that retains the structure of the original structure but is now fully editable and ready for analysis. The Form Data Processor is tailored for extracting data from hand-filled forms with a pre-defined template for consistent data extraction. The extracted data is converted from the scanned form to an Excel spreadsheet ready to be analysed.
   Tables & Forms Digitizer

   Form Data Processor

   Using the Form Data Processor requires extra steps, check out the Form Processing Step by Step Walkthrough for more details.

3. Drag and Drop the Scanned PDF into Pen to Print's Online OCR Input Box and Convert.
   Upload or drag and drop the scanned PDF into the designated area. Upload up to 50 pages at each session and continue to extract the text from PDF to Excel.
4. Review the Text vs. the Scanned Notes.
   After the conversion is complete, review the extracted text against your original scanned notes. This step is recommended to ensure that the OCR tool has accurately captured the content. Check for any discrepancies or errors in the text, particularly with handwritten documents where handwriting styles might vary.
5. Make Corrections, if Needed.
   If you notice any mistakes or inaccuracies during your review, make necessary corrections to maintain the integrity and accuracy of the converted data.
6. Download as Word to Your Device, Where You Can Edit, Search, and Store.
   Once you are satisfied with the accuracy of the converted data, download the document in Excel format to your device. By doing so, you have transformed your structured handwritten data into a fully editable Excel document, which you can now easily edit, search for specific information, and store digitally for future reference.

Converting PDF to Excel using handwriting OCR online tools provides a practical and efficient way to digitize and edit scanned structured handwritten data, and enhance productivity and document management.
By following the detailed steps and selecting the right tool for the task, users can convert scanned handwritten tables, forms and lists efficiently, from PDF to Excel, save hours of manual data entry and get accurate results in minutes.