Effortless Ways to Make a PDF Editable on Mac in Minutes (macOS 14 Compatible)

Regular PDF users demand reliable and authentic PDF editors to manage, organize and edit PDF files. However, if you are working on your PDF documents on Mac, you must have faced a hurdle in editing your PDF files as most of the PDF editors available are not compatible with macOS.

Editing a PDF has become an utter necessity, especially in case you have lost your original file or if you happen to delete it by mistake. Now the only way out is to make your PDF file editable to make changes. This article will explore certain methods and how to make a PDF editable on Mac.

Part 1. How to Make a PDF Editable With OCR on Mac

UPDF is the best PDF editor, reader, and viewer tool available on the market for Mac devices. The simple and engaging UI makes it easier for the users to capture the features at a glance. The simple steps process allows users to edit and manage PDF files without difficulty. Besides editing the text in PDF files, users can also add different shapes and add highlight important text to PDF.

If you are looking for a PDF editing tool, UPDF is your best choice. The interface of UPDF is simple and beautiful, and the operation is convenient. You can get it by clicking the download button below.

Main Features of UPDF for MacBook

Described below are some of the salient features of UPDF, making it an ideal editing solution for your PDF files.

• Complete Editing Solution: UPDF offers a complete editing solution that covers all aspects of successfully managing PDF files. It is an all-in-one PDF solution, from securing PDF files to annotating, managing, and printing them.
• Organize PDF Pages: Organization of PDF files is an important aspect, especially if you are working in a big enterprise, as there are a lot of PDF files under work. UPDF offers a simple solution by organizing files in a folder you set, saving important time and energy.
• PDF Conversion with OCR: UPDF also supports the innovative OCR feature, which makes PDF files editable. Hence both the text and images and other non-interactive elements on PDF files will convert into an editable format.

The OCR tool provided by UPDF is quite directive and effective in helping you make PDF editable on Mac. There are multiple layout options available on the tool that can be selected, depending on your need and necessity. To make a PDF editable, you can choose the option "Text and pictures only" , "Text over the page image" and "Text under the page image" out of the Layout options. However, these three types hold proper differences from each other.

"Text and pictures only" leaves you text and pictures to edit on the PDF, with no transparent page image. As this layout format does not look into the quality of the original format, it is also small in size. For users who want to extract text and images from a PDF, this is the perfect option. On the other hand, "Text over the page image" gives a controlled PDF document by putting up a transparent page image under the text of the PDF. While assuring control of the layout, it allows you to edit the text. Lastly, "Text under the page image" which maintained by putting up a layer above the text. For the setting of this layout format, users can only search the words instead of editing it.

To know how you can use this tool to make a PDF editable on Mac with UPDF, look ahead into the steps:

Step 1: Define the Appropriate Layout

You can launch a PDF document on UPDF for Mac and direct to the "OCR" tool on the right column of options. In the "Layout" tab, you can select "Text and pictures only" or "Text over the page image" to make a PDF editable on Mac (If you want to check the difference among these three choices, please check PDFs OCR). In the advanced layout tab that can be accessed from the "Gear" icon, select the respective options that you want in your PDF.

Step 2: Set Language and Resolution for OCR Tool

Lead in the "Document Language" section and select any of the 38 languages from the list that you wish to detect specifically in the PDF. Following this, go through the "Image Resolution" settings and set any value from the available list. For confused users, you can select the "Automatic" button.

Step 3: Perform OCR to Make a PDF Editable on Mac

Provide the PDF range to apply the OCR feature on the respective range of pages. Next, click on "Perform OCR", which will be led to a window where you have to save the converted document.

Part 2. How to Make a PDF Editable on Mac with Preview

Unfortunately, it can't make PDF editable on Mac with Preview. But you can add text to the PDF. And also Mac Preview has some other edit tools like any other paid PDF editor, Preview also offers a one-stop solution to PDF editors such as users can annotate, bookmark, share and resize PDF files.

It also allows users to add text to PDF, along with altering the text's size, font, and style. Mentioned below are some steps users must follow on how to make a PDF editable on Mac using Preview:

Step 1: Select and right-click on the PDF file and choose the "Open With" option to open the PDF file with the Preview application on Mac.

Step 2: After opening the PDF on Preview, tap on "Markup Tool" from the top toolbar. Follow it up by clicking on the "T" symbol to add new text to the PDF file. To change the font size or style of the text, click on the "A" symbol from the toolbar.

Step 3: To replace the old text in the PDF file, tap on "Markup Tool," navigate to the color box and choose white color for both "Border Color". From shapes, choose the rectangle shape and draw it over the text you want to replace. Following this, use the "Command + S" keys combination to save your edited PDF file.

Final Words

Mentioned above are some of the feasible ways how to make a PDF editable on a Mac. Although all of the methods discussed above are credible, the most reliable, complete, and secure solution is provided by the UPDF PDF Editor. Within a simple step process, UPDF is the knowledgeable choice for Mac users as it is a hub of solutions for your PDF documents. You can download it below for a trial.