A customer sent a request for quotation PDF with a long item list; how do I move it into my quotation without retyping?
Extract the pages with the item table. Each row comes back as one line with spaces between the cells, so the description and the quantity sit on the same line. Copy each description into a line item of your quotation and type its quantity beside it, fixing any merged cells, and check the quantities against the original, since columns are not preserved.
How an item table comes out
The tool builds lines from the height of each piece of text, so everything in a table row at the same height becomes one line, left to right. Here is what its rule actually produces for a two row table with the description in one column and the quantity in a column further right:
Row one: Steel shelf, then the quantity 12. It comes out as one line: Steel shelf 12
Row two: Plastic crate, then 40. It comes out as: Plastic crate 40
If the row also has a unit column, such as Steel shelf 5 tiers, then pcs, then 12, it comes out as: Steel shelf 5 tiers pcs 12
Look at the third line: the 5 belongs to the description and the 12 is the quantity, and the line itself does not say so. Your eye tells them apart, which is why the check matters.
The steps
- Open the PDF text extractor and type only the table pages, such as 2-3, so the items do not mix with the terms and customer details.
- Choose One combined text, extract and copy all the text.
- Paste into a text editor and delete the column heading line and any header repeated on page two.
- Open the Quotation generator and add a line item per row: copy the description into the description field, type the quantity, then enter your unit price.
- Before sending, compare the number of items and the quantities with the original request.
What you actually save
The quotation tool takes items row by row; it does not import a ready list in one go. The real saving is in the descriptions: long names, sizes and part numbers the customer asked for, letter for letter. Copying them instead of typing removes slips such as M10 for M12, and your quote uses the customer's own wording, which makes it easy for them to match. A quotation holds up to 200 items.
Cases that need extra care
- A long description wrapping onto two lines within one cell may come out as two separate lines, the second with no quantity. Join them before copying.
- Items in Arabic may come out reversed or with broken letters in some files. If so, type the Arabic description yourself and take the number and size from the extracted text.
- An RFQ that is scanned or sent as a photo: no text will come out, and the tool will say the pages have no text layer.
- Empty cells: if the quantity cell in a row is empty, nothing in the line shows it was there.
Common questions
Does the tool carry over prices too, if the request has them?
It carries any text in the row, figures included, but only as text. Enter prices in the quotation yourself and check them.
Does the quotation total itself up?
Yes. The quotation tool calculates each line total, the subtotal, discount and tax at the rate you enter.
Is the customer's data sent anywhere?
No. Both the extraction and the quotation are built in your browser.