PDF stands for Portable Document Format, and it’s the most used document reader format that people use now. You can save any document as PDF so that it can’t be modified further but can be shared and printed. But sometimes, you might need to edit a PDF file for urgency.
So, how to do that?
Read along!
How to Edit PDF Files
To edit PDF files from Windows, you can use reliable tools like Adobe Acrobat PDF reader and Microsoft Word app. But to use the Adobe PDF reader app, you must be a paid subscriber. If you’re a Mac user, you can use the built-in Mac PDF preview tool besides Adobe & MS Word applications.
To edit your PDF files on the Microsoft Word app, open the .pdf extension files with MS Word. Then it will ask you to convert the file to make it editable.
Now, let’s explore the procedures to edit PDF files with the mentioned apps.
1. Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader (Windows & Mac)
Adobe Acrobat PDF reader is a brilliant tool for reading .pdf files and converting, e-sign, editing, or protecting those. With the free version, you can only read PDF files. But if you want to edit those, subscribe to Adobe Standard or Adobe Acrobat Pro.
So, after getting the subscription, you can follow the below steps to edit your desired PDF files.
- Right-click on the PDF file.
- Select Open with > Adobe Acrobat.
- Go to the right pane and Select Tools > Edit Text & Images option.
- Edit texts and add images as per your requirements.
- Go to File > Save to save the edited PDF file.
Now, you can edit PDF files by adding, or editing texts with Adobe Acrobat. Not only texts one can add, resize, replace, or remove any images with it. Plus, it’s possible to add watermarks or annotate any PDF file.
Read more on how to fix Outlook opening PDF in Chrome.
2. Microsoft Word (Windows & Mac)
You can also edit PDF files in MS Word, and the entire process is pretty simple. When you open the .pdf file with Microsoft Word, it will convert it to an editable Word document. Then you can edit that. Let me show you the entire procedure in steps.
- Launch the MS Word app.
- Click & drag the PDF file over the MS Word app.
Now, you’ll see a prompt that MS Word will convert that file into an editable Word document for further editing. It might take a while, and during editing, the document might not look the same as the PDF file.
- Click OK from the prompt to continue.
MS Word will convert that file and make it editable. Now you can edit texts, modify images, and so on. After editing the document, you must save the file as PDF.
- Click on File > Save as.
- Select the Browse button and select the drive where you want to save the file.
- Rename the file if you want, and click the drop-down button to select the file extension type.
- Select PDF and click the Save button.
That’s it! You have successfully edited a PDF file in MS Word. Sometimes, saving a file becomes troublesome in MS Word. But you can fix the export to PDF error in Word.
3. MacOS Built-in PDF Preview(Mac)
There is a built-in PDF editor tool within macOS, and it’s called the Preview app. This app helps to initially get a preview of any file like docs, PDFs, and so on. You can use this tool to modify your PDF file.
- Click on the Show Markup Toolbar beside the Document Search box from the ribbon.
- Select the Selection tool from the first section.
- Choose texts, shapes, handwriting, and notes from the middle section of the Markup toolbar.
- Select the color, alignment, and thickness of the line from the last section of the toolbar.
So, select any portion of the PDF file using the selection tool and add any texts, shapes, or notes from the toolbar. You can highlight texts with several colors as per your requirements.
Then go to File > Export as PDF to save the edited file, or save a copy by clicking the Duplicate option. I suggest you save a fresh copy of the original file and always save a copy of the edited version. 
Why Do You Need to Edit a PDF?
You might want to edit a PDF file for reasons like modifying the content; its layout, and margin, or adding/removing a page. For those tasks, you’ll need a PDF editor. It even lets you add or remove your e-signature for a particular document.
You can only share or print a PDF file. Hence, PDF editors can help you to modify it at a certain level, to edit that fully you must need the source file.
However, there are several paid apps to adjust any PDF files with premium facilities. So, a PDF editor can help you with several things like modifying texts, changing alignments, replacing images, repositioning them, etc. Well, let me show you some.
- Makes the PDF file fully editable.
- Helps to convert the PDF file into another file format.
- Allow adding a signature later in the PDF file.
- Secure the document with proper modification.
So, these are major requirements for that you might want to edit a PDF.
FAQs
How can I edit a PDF without Adobe Acrobat?
Instead of Adobe Acrobat, use the Microsoft Word app to edit a PDF file. Just open the PDF file with it, and it will ask you to convert the file to an editable document. Click OK and edit the file. After that, export the document file to PDF.
Can I edit the PDF file with Adobe Acrobat for free?
No, it’s impossible to edit a PDF file freely without the Adobe Acrobat Reader app. You must pay and subscribe to it to unlock its editing features.
Can I edit PDF with macOS PDF Preview app?
With the built-in Preview app in macOS, you can modify a PDF file using the Markup tool. For editing any PDF file, use add text and shapes, highlight texts, or add lines tools of the Preview app of macOS.
Wrapping Up
PDF files are great for reading purposes. Almost all ebooks are available in .pdf file format. However, if you are a student and want to edit a PDF file for study purposes, a good PDF editor is all you need.
Office personnel may need to edit PDF files for several working purposes. That’s why Adobe Acrobat Pro or Microsoft Word comes in handy when editing PDF files is the main goal. In this article, I have shown how to edit PDF files using Adobe Acrobat, MS Word, and macOS’s built-in Preview app.
For more help comment below. Peace out!
