A bar chart is a type of graph that represents categorical data using rectangular bars. It is somewhat like a column chart, but with bars that extend horizontally from the Y-axis. The length of each bar corresponds to the value represented by a particular category or group, and changes, trends, or rankings can be quickly identified by comparing the lengths of the bars. In this article, you will learn how to create a clustered or stacked bar chart in Excel in Python using Spire.XLS for Python.

• Create a Clustered Bar Chart in Excel in Python
• Create a Stacked Bar Chart in Excel in Python

Install Spire.XLS for Python

This scenario requires Spire.XLS for Python and plum-dispatch v1.7.4. They can be easily installed in your Windows through the following pip command.

pip install Spire.XLS

If you are unsure how to install, please refer to this tutorial: How to Install Spire.XLS for Python on Windows

Create a Clustered Bar Chart in Excel in Python

The Worksheet.Chart.Add(ExcelChartType chartType) method provided by Spire.XLS for Python allows to add a chart to a worksheet. To add a clustered bar chart in Excel, you can set the chart type to BarClustered. The following are the steps.

• Create a Workbook object.
• Get a specific worksheet using Workbook.Worksheets[index] property.
• Add chart data to specified cells and set the cell styles.
• Add a clustered bar char to the worksheet using Worksheet.Chart.Add(ExcelChartType.BarClustered) method.
• Set data range for the chart using Chart.DataRange property.
• Set position, title, category axis and value axis for the chart.
• Save the result file using Workbook.SaveToFile() method.

from spire.xls import *

# Create a Workbook instance
workbook = Workbook()

# Get the first sheet and set its name
sheet = workbook.Worksheets[0]
sheet.Name = "ClusteredBar"

# Add chart data to specified cells
sheet.Range["A1"].Value = "Quarter"
sheet.Range["A2"].Value = "Q1"
sheet.Range["A3"].Value = "Q2"
sheet.Range["A4"].Value = "Q3"
sheet.Range["A5"].Value = "Q4"
sheet.Range["B1"].Value = "Team A"
sheet.Range["B2"].NumberValue = 3000
sheet.Range["B3"].NumberValue = 8000
sheet.Range["B4"].NumberValue = 9000
sheet.Range["B5"].NumberValue = 8500
sheet.Range["C1"].Value = "Team B"
sheet.Range["C2"].NumberValue = 7000
sheet.Range["C3"].NumberValue = 2000
sheet.Range["C4"].NumberValue = 5000
sheet.Range["C5"].NumberValue = 4200

# Set cell style
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].RowHeight = 18
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].Style.Color = Color.get_Black()
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].Style.Font.Color = Color.get_White()
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].Style.Font.IsBold = True
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].Style.VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignType.Center
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].Style.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignType.Center
sheet.Range["A2:A5"].Style.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignType.Center
sheet.Range["B2:C5"].Style.NumberFormat = "\"$\"#,##0"

# Add a clustered bar chart to the sheet
chart = sheet.Charts.Add(ExcelChartType.BarClustered)

# Set data range of the chart
chart.DataRange = sheet.Range["A1:C5"]
chart.SeriesDataFromRange = False

# Set position of the chart
chart.LeftColumn = 1
chart.TopRow = 6
chart.RightColumn = 11
chart.BottomRow = 29

# Set and format chart title
chart.ChartTitle = "Team Sales Comparison per Quarter"
chart.ChartTitleArea.IsBold = True
chart.ChartTitleArea.Size = 12

# Set and format category axis
chart.PrimaryCategoryAxis.Title = "Country"
chart.PrimaryCategoryAxis.Font.IsBold = True
chart.PrimaryCategoryAxis.TitleArea.IsBold = True
chart.PrimaryCategoryAxis.TitleArea.TextRotationAngle = 90

# Set and format value axis
chart.PrimaryValueAxis.Title = "Sales (in Dollars)"
chart.PrimaryValueAxis.HasMajorGridLines = False
chart.PrimaryValueAxis.MinValue = 1000
chart.PrimaryValueAxis.TitleArea.IsBold = True

# Show data labels for data points
for cs in chart.Series:
    cs.Format.Options.IsVaryColor = True
    cs.DataPoints.DefaultDataPoint.DataLabels.HasValue = True

# Set legend position
chart.Legend.Position = LegendPositionType.Top

#Save the result file
workbook.SaveToFile("ClusteredBarChart.xlsx", ExcelVersion.Version2016)
workbook.Dispose()

Create a Stacked Bar Chart in Excel in Python

To create a stacked bar chart, you just need to change the Excel chart type to BarStacked. The following are the steps.

• Create a Workbook object.
• Get a specific worksheet using Workbook.Worksheets[index] property.
• Add chart data to specified cells and set the cell styles.
• Add a clustered bar char to the worksheet using Worksheet.Chart.Add(ExcelChartType.BarStacked) method.
• Set data range for the chart using Chart.DataRange property.
• Set position, title, category axis and value axis for the chart.
• Save the result file using Workbook.SaveToFile() method.

from spire.xls import *

# Create a Workbook instance
workbook = Workbook()

# Get the first sheet and set its name
sheet = workbook.Worksheets[0]
sheet.Name = "StackedBar"

# Add chart data to specified cells
sheet.Range["A1"].Value = "Quarter"
sheet.Range["A2"].Value = "Q1"
sheet.Range["A3"].Value = "Q2"
sheet.Range["A4"].Value = "Q3"
sheet.Range["A5"].Value = "Q4"
sheet.Range["B1"].Value = "Team A"
sheet.Range["B2"].NumberValue = 3000
sheet.Range["B3"].NumberValue = 8000
sheet.Range["B4"].NumberValue = 9000
sheet.Range["B5"].NumberValue = 8500
sheet.Range["C1"].Value = "Team B"
sheet.Range["C2"].NumberValue = 7000
sheet.Range["C3"].NumberValue = 2000
sheet.Range["C4"].NumberValue = 5000
sheet.Range["C5"].NumberValue = 4200

# Set cell style
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].RowHeight = 18
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].Style.Color = Color.get_Black()
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].Style.Font.Color = Color.get_White()
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].Style.Font.IsBold = True
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].Style.VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignType.Center
sheet.Range["A1:C1"].Style.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignType.Center
sheet.Range["A2:A5"].Style.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignType.Center
sheet.Range["B2:C5"].Style.NumberFormat = "\"$\"#,##0"

# Add a clustered bar chart to the sheet
chart = sheet.Charts.Add(ExcelChartType.BarStacked)

# Set data range of the chart
chart.DataRange = sheet.Range["A1:C5"]
chart.SeriesDataFromRange = False

# Set position of the chart
chart.LeftColumn = 1
chart.TopRow = 6
chart.RightColumn = 11
chart.BottomRow = 29

# Set and format chart title
chart.ChartTitle = "Team Sales Comparison per Quarter"
chart.ChartTitleArea.IsBold = True
chart.ChartTitleArea.Size = 12

# Set and format category axis
chart.PrimaryCategoryAxis.Title = "Country"
chart.PrimaryCategoryAxis.Font.IsBold = True
chart.PrimaryCategoryAxis.TitleArea.IsBold = True
chart.PrimaryCategoryAxis.TitleArea.TextRotationAngle = 90

# Set and format value axis
chart.PrimaryValueAxis.Title = "Sales (in Dollars)"
chart.PrimaryValueAxis.HasMajorGridLines = False
chart.PrimaryValueAxis.MinValue = 1000
chart.PrimaryValueAxis.TitleArea.IsBold = True

# Show data labels for data points
for cs in chart.Series:
    cs.Format.Options.IsVaryColor = True
    cs.DataPoints.DefaultDataPoint.DataLabels.HasValue = True

# Set legend position
chart.Legend.Position = LegendPositionType.Top

#Save the result file
workbook.SaveToFile("StackedBarChart.xlsx", ExcelVersion.Version2016)
workbook.Dispose()

Apply for a Temporary License

If you'd like to remove the evaluation message from the generated documents, or to get rid of the function limitations, please request a 30-day trial license for yourself.

RTF (Rich Text Format) is a versatile file format that can be opened and viewed by various word processing software. It supports a wide range of text formatting options, such as font style, size, color, tables, images, and more. When working with RTF files, you may sometimes need to convert them to PDF files for better sharing and printing, or to HTML format for publishing on the web. In this article, you will learn how to convert RTF to PDF or HTML with Python using Spire.Doc for Python.

• Convert RTF to PDF in Python
• Convert RTF to HTML in Python

Install Spire.Doc for Python

This scenario requires Spire.Doc for Python and plum-dispatch v1.7.4. They can be easily installed in your Windows through the following pip commands.

pip install Spire.Doc

If you are unsure how to install, please refer to this tutorial: How to Install Spire.Doc for Python on Windows

Convert RTF to PDF in Python

To convert an RTF file to PDF, simply load a file with .rtf extension and then save it as a PDF file using Document.SaveToFile(fileName, FileFormat.PDF) method. The following are the detailed steps.

• Create a Document object.
• Load an RTF file using Document.LoadFromFile() method.
• Save the RTF file as a PDF file using Document.SaveToFile(fileName, FileFormat.PDF) method.

from spire.doc import *
from spire.doc.common import *

inputFile = "input.rtf"
outputFile = "RtfToPDF.pdf"

# Create a Document object
doc = Document()

# Load an RTF file from disk
doc.LoadFromFile(inputFile)

# Save the RTF file as a PDF file
doc.SaveToFile(outputFile, FileFormat.PDF)
doc.Close()

Convert RTF to HTML in Python

Spire.Doc for Python also allows you to use the Document.SaveToFile(fileName, FileFormat.Html) method to convert the loaded RTF file to HTML format. The following are the detailed steps.

• Create a Document object.
• Load an RTF file using Document.LoadFromFile() method.
• Save the RTF file in HTML format using Document.SaveToFile(fileName, FileFormat.Html) method.

from spire.doc import *
from spire.doc.common import *

inputFile = "input.rtf"
outputFile = "RtfToHtml.html"
               
# Create a Document object
doc = Document()

# Load an RTF file from disk
doc.LoadFromFile(inputFile)

# Save the RTF file in HTML format
doc.SaveToFile(outputFile, FileFormat.Html)
doc.Close()

Get a Free License

To fully experience the capabilities of Spire.Doc for Python without any evaluation limitations, you can request a free 30-day trial license.

PDF/A is a specialized format designed specifically for long-term archiving and preservation of electronic documents. It guarantees that the content, structure, and visual appearance of the documents remain unchanged over time. By converting PDF files to PDF/A format, you ensure the long-term accessibility of the documents, regardless of software, operating systems, or future technological advancements. Conversely, converting PDF/A files to standard PDF format makes it easier to edit, share, and collaborate on the documents, ensuring better compatibility across different applications, devices, and platforms. In this article, we will explain how to convert PDF to PDF/A and vice versa in Python using Spire.PDF for Python.

• Convert PDF to PDF/A in Python
• Convert PDF/A to PDF in Python

Install Spire.PDF for Python

This scenario requires Spire.PDF for Python and plum-dispatch v1.7.4. They can be easily installed in your Windows through the following pip command.

pip install Spire.PDF

If you are unsure how to install, please refer to this tutorial: How to Install Spire.PDF for Python on Windows

Convert PDF to PDF/A in Python

The PdfStandardsConverter class provided by Spire.PDF for Python supports converting PDF to various PDF/A formats, including PDF/A-1a, 2a, 3a, 1b, 2b and 3b. Moreover, it also supports converting PDF to PDF/X-1a:2001. The detailed steps are as follows.

• Specify the input file path and output folder.
• Create a PdfStandardsConverter object and pass the input file path to the constructor of the class as a parameter.
• Convert the input file to a Pdf/A-1a conformance file using PdfStandardsConverter.ToPdfA1A() method.
• Convert the input file to a Pdf/A-1b file using PdfStandardsConverter.ToPdfA1B() method.
• Convert the input file to a Pdf/A-2a file using PdfStandardsConverter.ToPdfA2A() method.
• Convert the input file to a Pdf/A-2b file using PdfStandardsConverter.ToPdfA2B() method.
• Convert the input file to a Pdf/A-3a file using PdfStandardsConverter.ToPdfA3A() method.
• Convert the input file to a Pdf/A-3b file using PdfStandardsConverter.ToPdfA3B() method.
• Convert the input file to a PDF/X-1a:2001 file using PdfStandardsConverter.ToPdfX1A2001() method.

from spire.pdf.common import *
from spire.pdf import *

# Specify the input file path and output folder
inputFile = "Sample.pdf"
outputFolder = "Output/"

# Create an object of the PdfStandardsConverter class
converter = PdfStandardsConverter(inputFile)

# Convert the input file to PdfA1A
converter.ToPdfA1A(outputFolder + "ToPdfA1A.pdf")

# Convert the input file to PdfA1B
converter.ToPdfA1B(outputFolder + "ToPdfA1B.pdf")

# Convert the input file to PdfA2A
converter.ToPdfA2A(outputFolder + "ToPdfA2A.pdf")

# Convert the input file to PdfA2B
converter.ToPdfA2B(outputFolder + "ToPdfA2B.pdf")

# Convert the input file to PdfA3A
converter.ToPdfA3A(outputFolder + "ToPdfA3A.pdf")

# Convert the input file to PdfA3B
converter.ToPdfA3B(outputFolder + "ToPdfA3B.pdf")

# Convert the input file to PDF/X-1a:2001
converter.ToPdfX1A2001(outputFolder + "ToPdfX1a.pdf")

Convert PDF/A to PDF in Python

To convert a PDF/A file back to a standard PDF format, you need to create a new standard PDF file, and then draw the page content of the PDF/A file to the newly created PDF file. The detailed steps are as follows.

• Create a PdfDocument object.
• Load a PDF/A file using PdfDocument.LoadFromFile() method.
• Create a PdfNewDocument object and set its compression level as none.
• Loop through the pages in the original PDF/A file.
• Add pages to the newly created PDF using PdfDocumentBase.Pages.Add() method.
• Draw the page content of the original PDF/A file to the corresponding pages of the newly created PDF using PdfPageBase.CreateTemplate.Draw() method.
• Create a Stream object and then save the new PDF to the stream using PdfNewDocument.Save() method.

from spire.pdf.common import *
from spire.pdf import *

# Specify the input and output file paths
inputFile = "Output/ToPdfA1A.pdf"
outputFile = "PdfAToPdf.pdf"

# Create an object of the PdfDocument class
doc = PdfDocument()
# Load a PDF file
doc.LoadFromFile(inputFile)

# Create a new standard PDF file
newDoc = PdfNewDocument()
newDoc.CompressionLevel = PdfCompressionLevel.none

# Add pages to the newly created PDF and draw the page content of the loaded PDF onto the corresponding pages of the newly created PDF
for i in range(doc.Pages.Count):
    page = doc.Pages.get_Item(i)
    size = page.Size
    p = newDoc.Pages.Add(size, PdfMargins(0.0))
    page.CreateTemplate().Draw(p, 0.0, 0.0)   

# Save the new PDF to a PDF file   
fileStream = Stream(outputFile)
newDoc.Save(fileStream)
fileStream.Close()
newDoc.Close(True)

Apply for a Temporary License

If you'd like to remove the evaluation message from the generated documents, or to get rid of the function limitations, please request a 30-day trial license for yourself.

Making PDF content accessible on the web enhances usability, searchability, and compatibility across devices. Whether you're developing a PDF viewer, automating document workflows, or republishing content online, converting PDF to HTML using Python can significantly improve the user experience.

This comprehensive guide demonstrates how to convert PDF to HTML using Python. It covers everything from basic conversions and advanced customization to stream-based output—each section includes practical, easy-to-follow code snippets to help you get started quickly.

Table of Contents

• Why Export PDF as HTML
• Install Python PDF to HTML Converter Library
• Basic PDF to HTML Conversion in Python
• Customize the HTML Output
• Save PDF to HTML Stream
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Why Export PDF as HTML?

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the foundation of web content. By exporting PDFs into HTML, you enable seamless viewing, editing, and indexing of document content online. Key advantages include:

• Improved Web Accessibility: HTML renders natively in all browsers.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Search engines can index content better than in PDFs.
• Responsive Layouts: HTML adjusts to different screen sizes.
• Interactive Enhancements: HTML allows for styling, scripts, and better user interaction.
• Plugin-Free Viewing: No need for third-party PDF viewers.

Install Python PDF to HTML Converter Library

To start exporting PDFs to HTML using Python, you’ll need a reliable library that supports PDF processing and HTML export. For this tutorial, we’re using Spire.PDF for Python, a high-performance PDF library that supports reading, editing, and converting PDF files in various formats, including HTML, with minimal effort.

Installation

The library can be installed easily via pip. Open your terminal and run the following command:

pip install Spire.PDF

This will download and install the latest version of the package along with its dependencies.

Need help with the installation? Follow this step-by-step guide: How to Install Spire.PDF for Python on Windows

Basic PDF to HTML Conversion in Python

Spire.PDF makes it easy to export an entire PDF document to HTML using the SaveToFile() method.

from spire.pdf.common import *
from spire.pdf import *

# Initialize a PdfDocument object
doc = PdfDocument()

# Load your PDF file
doc.LoadFromFile("Sample.pdf")

# Convert and save it as HTML
doc.SaveToFile("PdfToHtml.html", FileFormat.HTML)

# Close the document
doc.Close()

This approach generates a single HTML file that preserves the layout and structure of the original PDF.

The screenshot below showcases the input PDF and the output HTML file:

Customize the HTML Output

If you need more control over the conversion process, the SetPdfToHtmlOptions() method lets you fine-tune the HTML output.

You can customize various aspects of the conversion—such as image embedding, page splitting, and SVG quality—using the following parameters:

Example Code

from spire.pdf.common import *
from spire.pdf import *

# Initialize a PdfDocument object
doc = PdfDocument()
# Load your PDF file
doc.LoadFromFile("Sample.pdf")

# Access conversion settings
options = doc.ConvertOptions

# Customize conversion: use image embedding, one page per file
options.SetPdfToHtmlOptions(False, True, 1, False)

# Save the PDF to HTML with the custom options
doc.SaveToFile("PdfToHtmlWithOptions.html", FileFormat.HTML)
# Close the document
doc.Close()

This configuration disables SVG and instead embeds images, outputting each page as a separate HTML file.

Save PDF to HTML Stream

In web or cloud-based applications, you might prefer to write the HTML output to a stream (e.g., for serving over HTTP) instead of saving directly to the file system. This can be achieved with the SaveToStream() method.

Example Code

from spire.pdf.common import *
from spire.pdf import *

# Initialize a PdfDocument object
doc = PdfDocument()
# Load your PDF file
doc.LoadFromFile("Sample.pdf")

# Create a stream to save the HTML output
fileStream = Stream("PdfToHtmlStream.html")

# Save the PDF to HTML stream
doc.SaveToStream(fileStream, FileFormat.HTML)

# Close the stream and the document
fileStream.Close()
doc.Close()

This approach is ideal for web servers, APIs, or any application that handles files dynamically in memory or over the network.

Conclusion

Converting PDF to HTML using Python is an effective way to make your documents web-compatible and more interactive. With Spire.PDF for Python, you get full control over the conversion process, from simple exports to advanced configurations like embedded images or SVGs and stream output.

Ready to transform your PDFs into interactive web content? Give Spire.PDF for Python a try and streamline your document-to-HTML workflow today.

FAQs

Q1: Can I convert password-protected PDFs to HTML?

A1: Yes, Spire.PDF allows you to open encrypted PDFs using doc.LoadFromFile("file.pdf", "password").

Q2: Does this method support multi-page PDFs?

A2: Yes. By default, it converts all pages. You can control how many pages appear per HTML file using the maxPageOneFile parameter.

Q3: Are images and fonts preserved in HTML output?

A3: Yes, depending on the conversion settings (e.g., embedding images or SVGs), visual fidelity is preserved as closely as possible.

Get a Free License

To fully experience the capabilities of Spire.PDF for Python without any evaluation limitations, you can request a free 30-day trial license.