Due to its excellent information sharing capabilities and similarity to digital paper, PDF files are widely used. These compact files are a wonderful approach to maintain the integrity and layout of a document. You can utilise PDF files to create eBooks, whitepapers, and other documents if you don’t want the text or fields to resize or move according to the device or window size. They are also simple to employ. Currently, PDF files may be viewed using built-in tools on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
How do you choose the best PDF editor?
The market is flooded with pdf editor that can alter any aspect of a PDF. With a PDF editor, you may change any aspect of a PDF, including the text, add new form fields, and substitute images. They can also be used to build fresh PDF forms and documents. A competent PDF editor enables you to edit, move, delete, and add content to the document. There are several options, including free ones, pricey programmes like Adobe Acrobat DC, which has special features for matching typefaces on scanned photos, and less expensive editors like PDFelement (macOS or Windows). All PDF editors use the same fundamental strategies despite having different user interfaces.
There are also PDF annotation programmes like macOS Preview and Xodo that allow you to add comments to PDFs, rearrange the pages, add shapes and arrows to highlight particular areas of the document, and insert new text blocks and images. These apps do not let you edit the text in the original PDF files, but you can add to them much like you would add notes to a printed document.
Consider first whether you only need to change a little portion of your PDF file or whether you want to significantly alter the content before choosing which PDF editor to download and use. A simple editor that supports text insertion will be sufficient if all you’re trying to do is electronically fill out a form. However, if you wish to significantly alter a PDF’s content, you will require a more potent PDF editor that enables you to edit text or images that have already been included in the file. It may be preferable to utilize a PDF to Word converter application in some situations, especially if you want to update practically all of the document’s content.
Apps for editing PDFs
Acrobat Reader
Since Acrobat Pro DC has been the industry standard for editing PDF files for the past 20 years, Adobe has been the primary developer of the PDF format. This is one of the few expensive tools that can convert PDF files into many HTML pages in addition to the more typical Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. It is also one of the few premium products that are available for both Windows and MacOS.
Adobe Acrobat allows you to edit PDF files, generate new PDF documents from scratch using its built-in word processor, convert other files, and combine them into PDFs. From the Tools tab, you can also utilize OCR to merge or divide PDF files, redact data, and create intricate forms that can condense typed text into a barcode. You may create action wizards to handle PDF files automatically, embed JavaScript mini-apps inside your PDF documents, and connect Adobe Acrobat forms to databases. With the most cutting-edge PDF production and editing tools, Adobe Acrobat remains the market leader.
Instantaneously converting and saving scanned documents to PDF, the software can also combine several documents, spreadsheets, webpages, and the like into a single PDF that can be shared across various platforms.
A sneak peek
You can add text to PDFs, highlight it, sign papers, add comments, and more using the Preview programme that comes with your Mac. A note can be posted wherever you wish and moved if you want to at a later time. Innovative methods for document signatures are among the more intriguing characteristics.
The font, size, and color of the text can all be adjusted using Preview. Other options include underlining or striking through text. Unexpectedly, the highlighter palette also offers these choices. A speech bubble can be added using the menu items under Annotate. Sticky notes can be used to make remarks as well. We’re typing while having our spelling checked.
To add or remove pages with Premier is simple. To switch between pages, simply click on the bar on the left. A single PDF file can be created by combining two separate PDFs, rotating pages, or rearranging their order. There are choices to export your PDF as a JPEG or TIFF, but not to other programmes like Word or Pages.
There are three easy ways to add a signature: on an iPhone, iPad, or by signing your name on paper and holding it in front of the camera. Numerous signatures can be saved.
It’s Sejda
The fact that all uploaded files are removed from the server after five hours means you can trust our free online PDF editor with sensitive documents. The user-friendly interface of this free PDF editor is also a plus. Finding all the editing tools required to add text, links, photos, and signatures to PDF documents is simple thanks to its single menu bar.
The ‘Apply Changes’ button must be clicked once you have done editing a document in Sejda before you may save the revised version locally, in your Dropbox account, or in Google Drive. This is one of the greatest solutions if someone lacks the patience to download new apps or a strong understanding of technology.
Architect for PDFs
A variety of PDF document features, including reading, rotating, and combining documents, batch conversion, secure electronic signing, and OCR, are offered by PDF Architect. Since it is composed of separate modules, you can select only the ones you need (for instance, Edit, Convert, and Forms) or purchase pre-made bundles.
Converting to and from MS Office formats is simple using PDF Architect. Additionally, this application makes batch conversion comparatively quick and simple. With PDF Architect, collaboration is also straightforward. You can track collaborative changes with the editor’s version comparison feature.
If a document contains sensitive information, you can protect the entire PDF or just a portion of it using password encryption, permissions, redaction, or digital signatures. Using PDF Architect Professional’s built-in e-sign functionality, you may transmit and monitor documents for e-signatures.
This tool is quick and simple to use, and there are lots of hints and suggestions on its website and in the user community to help you get started and work out any problems you might run into.
Expert in PDF
Editing PDFs is easy using PDF Expert. You may easily change the content, pictures, or links. By adding notes and password-protecting content, you can collaborate with clients and team members as well. Any Apple device, including the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, is compatible with this app. To easily move files between devices, utilize PDF Expert. Although the free version is excellent, the best features come with the Pro subscription. You may convert Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (or Apple Pages, Sheets, and Slides) files to PDF format using PDF Expert 7. Additionally, PDF documents can be created from photos.
Although it does have some restrictions, this tool is useful for quickly taking screenshots and adding them to a document. Layered Photoshop PSD files, for example, as well as other uncommon files, are not supported.
The PDF element
The user-friendly design of PDFelement makes for easy navigation and results that are of a high caliber. With PDFelement Pro, modifying documents is incredibly easy. Text may be edited in-line or within text boxes, images can be dropped in and edited, links can be inserted, the document backdrop can be changed, headers and footers can be added, and watermarks can be added and removed. A wide range of annotation tools are available in the software, including text highlighting, sticky notes, stamps, signatures, shapes, and freehand markup.
For each of them, you can change the font, color, and formatting. It’s simple to share papers for review because the open document already has choices for emailing, tracking with DocSend, sending to Dropbox, and Google Drive. Additionally, PDFelement permits the construction of forms, password encryption, annotations, and restrictions depending on permissions.
PDF Editor by iSkysoft
The PDF Editor 6 from iSkySoft is one of the best cross-platform alternatives and least priced. Basic capabilities for browsing, editing, organizing, reviewing, converting, and safeguarding your PDFs are provided via the tool bar that runs along the top of the programme. Any of these can be clicked to see a submenu of related tools. For the purpose of creating and updating PDFs, a standard set of tools is available, including text editing, cropping, watermarking, bates numbering, and background color or picture changes.
Due to the extensive collection of marking choices and stamps, this tool is also excellent for reviewing PDF files. You can also add your signature using the mouse to draw, type, or upload images with PDF Editor 6 Professional. Mac and Windows users can both utilize the feature-rich PDF editor from iSkysoft.
Despite having the typical tools required to convert documents to PDFs, iSkysoft PDF Editor is missing some capabilities that would enhance usability. For instance, you cannot move pages around to reorder your PDF because you cannot drag and drop pages. Furthermore, PDFs cannot be optimized for mobile devices or used to compare pre- and post-conversion versions of the same document.
You may password-protect PDF files, convert them to a variety of formats, and edit PDF files using optical character recognition (OCR) software if you purchase the Pro package.