The portable PDF document file is one of the most popular formats for sharing information. It was created by Adobe Inc for several decades, specifically in 1991 they began to develop it and the first version was released in 1993. Since then, PDF has been used to share countless content. People trust the PDF file format because they are documents that weigh less than other documents and also retain original format qualities. It may be a bit more difficult to modify it, but sometimes it is necessary, and for this you have to edit the PDF file format..
Here are all the key points for editing.
Is it possible to edit a PDF file?
The answer is simple, yes. There are a large number of programs that allow users to upload a PDF file and then edit its content. Of course, once it's been edited, you can save it by replacing the original or creating a new PDF file..
How do I edit a PDF?
As mentioned before, there are many programs with which to edit a PDF file. Each of them have specific settings, but all present some basic steps to edit a PDF file. These are the steps:
1. Upload the PDF file from the PDF editing tool / program / software
It is possible that you are using Adobe's own tools or that you want to edit a PDF with Microsoft Word , Google Docs or even with your smartphone (iPhone / Android). Start by loading / opening the PDF file from the program you are using.
2. Edit the PDF file
Here the steps will vary depending on your PDF editing tool. But, later, we will explain how to do it with Adobe Acrobat..
3. Save your new PDF file
Once the PDF document has been edited, you will have to save it so as not to lose the changes, or you can save it as a new PDF file. You can also save it as a protected PDF document so it cannot be edited again.
How to edit a PDF file with Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is the quintessential software for editing PDF files. And it makes sense as it is the PDF document creator program. However, it is also true that not everyone can afford to purchase the software. But whether with Adobe Acrobat or DC , these are the easy ways to edit a PDF document.
- Upload the PDF file to Adobe Acrobat by clicking the "Open File" menu
- Then, click on the "Edit PDF" option on its toolbar.
- Now you can modify the PDF file, from changing the text or images, rearranging the content, adding forms, watermarks, using the spell checker or even signing the PDF document.
- Once you have made the changes you want, save the document or create a new PDF file. If you want to keep the original and create a new PDF file for the changes, you just have to go to the menu «File» -> «Save as» and write the name you want the new file to have.
Edit a PDF file in Google Docs
Google offers a quick and easy way to edit PDF files within its online Google Docs tool , which is a free tool available to virtually anyone with an Internet connection.
- Log in with your Google account credentials.
- Click on "Open a file selector" in the middle-right part of the page.
- Select the "Upload" tab and find the PDF document you want to update. Then click on "Open".
- Once the upload is complete, click on the top option "Open with Google Docs".
- The file will open as an editable document. Make the necessary changes as you would edit any other content in Google Docs.
- Save the document in PDF file format.
Edit a PDF file in Microsoft Word
It is also very easy to edit the text of a PDF file with Microsoft Word. While it is true that you can edit text and images, the program works much better when most of the document is text.
- Click on the "File" menu -> "Open" -> choose the PDF file from your device.
- Word will show you a message indicating that it is making a copy of the PDF and converts the content into an editable Word document.
- Edit the document as you would any other Word file.
- Save the file in PDF format from the menu «File» -> «Save as» -> select in «Type» PDF (* .pdf).
How to edit PDF files on iPhone
Since the release of iOS 15 and iPadOS15, iPhone and iPad users do not need any third-party apps and can edit PDF files from their mobile devices. Editing can be done through the native Files application. Before iOS 15, users could view, mark up, and share PDF documents with the Files app, but now they can also rotate, insert, scan, delete pages, and more with just a few steps.
- Update iOS to the latest version available.
- Open the Files app and open your PDF file.
- Swipe right to see the thumbnail page view (it will appear automatically for iPad).
- Long-press or double-tap on the page you want to edit to open the edit menu.
- From there you can rotate / rotate the document orientation, insert blank pages or other file pages, scan new pages, and even remove pages from the sequence.
- The markup tools option allows you to fill out a form.
- Touch "Done" to save the changes to the original PDF file.
How to edit PDF documents on Mac
Mac users benefit from Preview, a free program where they can view and edit PDF files and other types of files. Preview allows Apple fans to highlight text, include a signature, and add text or other comments to a document.
- Place the cursor where you want to add text
- Select from the menu «Tools» -> «Annotate» -> «text» and start writing the text you want to add to the PDF file.
- Choose the "View" menu -> "Show markup toolbar" -> press "A" to change the font, size or color of the text you have added.
- Hold down the Control key and click on the text and choose "Remove Highlight" to remove the highlights you have added.
You can also download other programs like Adobe Acrobat to edit PDF files using a Mac.
How to edit PDF documents in Windows
For those who use the Windows operating system, they need an online program or tool to edit PDF files. This program can be Adobe Acrobat or Word, but we are going to list below the free programs / tools, which are surely the ones that interest you the most.
Top 5 free tools / programs / software to edit a PDF
The best thing is that you try these free PDF programs so that in the end you use the one you like the most.
It is available in for Windows and Mac and is a very popular PDF editing software for its intuitive interface and because it offers up to 100 GB of cloud storage for user creations.
It is a free online PDF editor that requires no installation and you can convert your PDF files to an editable format. You can then edit the content, add your signature, print and save the document in a new PDF file. Being online you can use it from any computer or mobile device.
The online PDF editor offers a free plan with up to 200 pages so you can edit and sign your PDF document and fill out PDF forms, edit text, add photos and even create links within the content.
Available for Windows, iOS and Android, with Xodo you can edit, annotate, mark up, sign, fill out forms and share PDF files from your desktop computer, mobile device or web.
From its website you can convert and edit PDF files, including more than 30 functions such as edit, compress, merge, split and rotate. You can also convert your PDF files into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG and HTML files, and the documents are protected with 256-bit encryption.
Change the metadata of a PDF
Metadata is the unseen content that contains information about the PDF file, including title, author, subject, keywords, and copyright information. This is useful so that search engines can access it and better classify your PDF file.
Fortunately, the metadata can be edited in a PDF, but the method varies depending on the PDF editor you choose. If you edit the metadata from Adobe Acrobat, select the Description tab, then choose "Additional Metadata."
A digital signature is a form of metadata that helps validate the authenticity of digital documents using an encrypted mathematical scheme. To add a signature to a PDF file with Adobe Acrobat:
- Open the document with Adobe Acrobat.
- In the "Tools" menu, choose "Forms and Certificates". Access the "Certificates" drop-down menu and select "Open".
- Choose the "Digitally sign" option.
- Select the digital signature you want to add to the PDF file and click "Continue".
- Set up the signature and click "Sign".
Change PDF text
Modifying the text in a PDF file is very simple, with any PDF editor you can do it. Just load the document as explained above and choose the edit option from the toolbar. In most cases, you will simply modify the text using the cursor and keyboard in the same way that you would edit the text of any typical text document.
How do you convert a PDF into a Word document for editing?
To convert a PDF file into a Word document, simply open the file with Microsoft Word and watch the program automatically convert the PDF format into an editable Word document. Once edited, the file can be saved as * .Docx or as a new PDF.
Can I edit multiple PDF files?
Some PDF editing software tools allow users to edit multiple PDF documents at the same time. To edit the same word in multiple PDF files with Adobe Acrobat DC:
- Choose the "Advanced Search" option in the "Edit" menu.
- In the search dialog, choose "All PDF documents in" and choose the search location from your local drive.
- Write the word you want to find and replace.
- Specify search and replace settings such as "whole words only", "case sensitive" or "include comments".
- A list of documents containing the word you typed will appear. Select the relevant file names to edit.
- Click "Find a word in current document" at the bottom of the box.
- A "Find and Replace" dialog box will appear. Enter the term you need to edit in multiple PDF files and click "Replace."
How to remove text from a PDF file for free?
It's easy to remove text from a PDF with the free trial of Adobe Acrobat.
- Just choose "Advanced Editing" and choose the "Retouch Text" option.
- Select the piece of text you want to remove so that a box appears around the selection.
- Press the Delete or Backspace key on your keyboard, or you can choose the "Edit" option and select "Delete."
How to compress a PDF file?
To compress the size of a PDF file with a PDF editor with Adobe Acrobat:
- Open the "Optimize PDF" tool from the Tools menu.
- Select Open from the drop-down menu and then choose the file you want to edit.
- Select Reduce file size from the top menu.
- In the dialog box, choose the file version compatibility option such as Keep Existing or a different file format from the list.
- Rename and save the file using the Save As dialog. You can keep the same name and overwrite the original PDF file or you can choose a new name and save a new PDF document.
Another option is going to the menu «File» -> «Save as another» -> «PDF of reduced size»
How to delete pages from a PDF file?
You can delete individual pages from a PDF file that contains multiple pages. Using Acrobat software:
- Open the PDF with Adobe Acrobat.
- Choose the "Organize Pages" tool on the right panel.
- Choose the thumbnail of the page you want to delete.
- Right click on the page you want to delete and select the option «Delete» -> «OK».
- Save the PDF.