You converted a financial PDF to Excel. The numbers landed as text — left-aligned, no formatting, can't be summed.
What's actually going wrong
PDFs don't differentiate numbers from text — they're all characters drawn on the page. Converters have to recognise number patterns and tag them as numeric in Excel. Weak tools just dump everything as text.
Good converters detect numeric formats (currency, percentages, decimals) and apply Excel number formatting automatically.
The quick fix
Convert PDF to Excel with Flint. The converter recognises numeric data and applies appropriate cell formatting — currency, percentages, dates, decimal numbers.
For cells that landed as text but should be numeric, Excel's 'Convert to Number' option fixes them in bulk. Select the range, click the warning indicator, choose 'Convert to Number'.
If that didn't work
For PDFs with mixed number formats or unusual currency symbols, automatic detection may miss some. Manually format problem cells in Excel after conversion.
For data where exact preservation matters (financial reports, audits), validate every total against the source PDF. Conversion is convenient but not infallible.
Prevent it next time
Source data in Excel when possible. Convert from Excel to PDF for distribution, not the reverse. And for PDFs you'll regularly extract numbers from, ask the source for Excel directly.
FAQ
Why are my numbers left-aligned in Excel?
Excel left-aligns text and right-aligns numbers. Left-aligned numeric content is being treated as text. Convert via 'Text to Columns' or use Excel's 'Convert to Number' option.
How do I bulk convert text to numbers?
Select the range, click the warning triangle on any cell, choose 'Convert to Number'. Excel converts the whole selection.
Will currency symbols transfer?
Yes, Flint preserves currency formatting where possible. Some currency symbols (less common ones) might need manual reapplication in Excel.
Can I preserve formulas during conversion?
PDFs don't contain formulas — only computed values. Formulas have to be reconstructed in Excel after conversion.
For numeric PDFs, use Flint's PDF to Excel — numbers stay numeric.