Table Tool

Table Tool

Why to use our Table tool?

By using our Table Tool, important details such as row, column headers and descriptions, can be added to the table, making it easier for screen readers to accurately interpret the content and convey it to the user. This can improve the overall accessibility and usability of the PDF document.

Today, we will share how to use our Table tag to properly tag and set up any tables in your document. Again, the Table tool comes to play when you want to specify any additional information about your tables.

Watch the video for a step-by-step explanation of the entire process.

Fixing the rows

After loading PDFix and opening your document, locate the Tags panel on the left and examine your table. Now, you might see the table in your PDF is not tagged properly. It is possible to resolve this issue by manual tagging, but for complex tables, we suggest using our Table tool. To accomplish this, select the Table tool option from the top panel, and use it to select the desired table.

Fixing the rows

Dragging your entire table now lets you see its current structure as the tag tree specifies. This also allows you to easily adjust the columns and rows to get a better view of your table.

To start, let’s first focus on fixing the rows. Rows might be split into two and also has some redundant columns which might mislead the important data within the table. To delete a row and span empty columns in a table, right-click anywhere in the selection and choose “Delete row.” To span the empty columns, follow the same steps by right-clicking and now choosing “Merge cells.” See? Easy as it is. Your table is now accurately structured into rows and columns.

Cell Properties

Still, do not forget to make sure that all headers need to be specified. It then allows the screen readers to do the job and properly identify the individual parts of the table. To check, right-click and open “Cell Properties” which allows you to see additional data for every single cell within the table.

In the case that header cells are set incorrectly, as in our case as data cells, you might easily fix this by right-clicking and choosing “Set Row Header.” This easy step automatically specifies correct set and scope.

Cell Properties

Add Associated Header

Even after these steps, the table might have some divided rows which may cause difficulties for screen readers. To adjust this, select the rows from a single subpart, right-click, and choose “Add Associated Header.” After that, just click on the row cell on the top of this subpart and additionally follow this step to process all subparts. Done? Great! Your table is now set up correctly.

Tag the table

To finish this process, all that is left is to tag the object as a table, move it into its proper place in the Tag tree and delete the empty tag made in the process. In case your table is picture-perfect but you still need to modify a single thing, you can easily fix that just by locating the issued table tag in the Tags panel. After, by right-clicking, open the “Table Editor” and easily set correctly the header cells and simple data cells. Once all is done and your table is fixed, again right-click and choose “Tag As a Table.” To make the process perfect, do not forget to delete the additional empty tag.

Are all the steps properly done? Well, that’s it! Here comes your flawless table.