GUIDE · CHECK THE TEXT LAYER FIRST
Is my PDF a text PDF or a scanned PDF?
A PDF can contain positioned text, page images, or both. The difference matters before table extraction: PdfTableKit reads an existing text layer, while image-only scans need OCR that is not live here. Check the actual table page, not just the filename or how sharp it looks.
What a text PDF contains
A text PDF stores characters and their positions. A PDF exported from a document or spreadsheet often has this structure. The extractor can use those positions to propose rows and columns, but visual alignment does not guarantee a correct grid.
What a scanned PDF contains
An image-only scanned page stores pixels rather than usable characters. Zooming may reveal the image texture, but appearance alone is not a reliable test. Saving a photograph as PDF does not turn it into selectable text, and PdfTableKit cannot OCR that image today.
A quick selection and copy check
Open the table page in a PDF reader. Try selecting one word and a few table cells, then paste into a plain-text editor. Useful characters suggest a text layer; a page-sized selection or no copied text may indicate an image-only scan. Reader restrictions can also block copying, so this check is a clue rather than proof.
Scans with an OCR layer
A scanned page may already have an invisible OCR text layer. Selecting text then works, but the characters or coordinates can still be wrong. PdfTableKit may read that existing layer; it does not create or repair it with OCR. Check digits, signs and decimal separators against the page image.
Mixed PDFs need page-by-page checks
A single PDF can combine text pages and scanned pages. Test each page that contains a table, especially when a report includes scanned appendices. A selectable cover page does not make an image-only table extractable.
Choose the next step
For a usable text layer, open the text-PDF extraction workflow, select a page, inspect the proposed grid and correct cells before XLSX export. For image-only scans, obtain an original text PDF or use a separate OCR process first, then verify its output. No built-in image or scan OCR is live here.
Questions
How can I tell a text PDF from a scanned PDF?
Try selecting words on the actual table page and pasting them into a plain-text editor. Usable text suggests a text layer, while an image-only scan needs OCR. Copy restrictions and broken character mappings can make this check inconclusive.
Does selectable text guarantee accurate table extraction?
No. Text order, coordinates and column spacing may still produce split or merged cells. Compare the extracted grid with the original and proofread before downloading XLSX.
Can a scanned PDF have selectable text?
Yes, if another process has added an OCR layer. That layer can contain errors. PdfTableKit reads existing text; it does not run scan OCR in this version.
Will converting a JPG to PDF make its table extractable?
Not by itself. Wrapping an image in a PDF does not create characters or table coordinates. The image still needs OCR, which is not live in PdfTableKit.
What if only some pages contain text?
Check each table page separately. Use the current extractor for pages with a usable text layer; image-only pages need a separate OCR workflow and review first.