PDFs are great for sharing, but they've long had a reputation as being difficult to edit.
Thankfully that's not true anymore. With the development of PDF editors like UPDF, it's simple to edit all aspects of a PDF file, making this format more useful than ever before.
We'll look in detail at how to edit a PDF including text, images and links. Make sure you read to the end to find out how to edit scanned documents as well.
Part 1: Can I Edit a PDF Document?
The simple answer is yes.
There are plenty of PDF-editing tools to pick from. It's tempting to choose a single-action online tool promising a free PDF editor designed just to split PDFs, or to remove pages. Alternatively, when you need to know how to edit text in PDF, you can go for something more robust that's capable of doing more.
If you pick a tool like UPDF you get an all-round PDF management tool with editing as just one of the strings in its bow.
If you've wondered how to edit a PDF before, now's your chance to learn how to make those changes. Download UPDF using the button below, and then let's start your free PDF editing lesson.
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Part 2: How To Edit Different Elements in a PDF
Some PDF editors have a tiny range of tools. They might let you add or remove whole pages, or split PDFs into multiple files, but they often leave you hanging when it comes to changing text or images.
Luckily, UPDF is different.
It lets you carry out all those basic PDF tasks, and far more besides. You can also delete pages in PDF in just a click or two.
Let's learn how to edit text, images, links and scanned PDFs all in a single piece of software.
We'll cover how to edit a PDF on Mac and Windows, but you should know that it's just as easy to make changes using UPDF's mobile app for iOS and Android devices.
How to edit text in PDF
Here's how to edit a PDF by altering the text. Use this method to make any changes to the writing in your PDF document.
The screenshots show how to edit a PDF on Windows, but the process is just as simple on Mac, iOS and Android. First, make sure you've installed UPDF on your devices
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- Open the file in UPDF and choose Edit PDF on the left-hand side.
- Click on Text in the top menu.
- Select the text you'd like to change. Now you can type to replace the text or paste in new text from your clipboard.
- Now you can type to replace the text or paste in new text from your clipboard.
- Now, save your changes.
When you highlight text, you'll also see options to adjust the font, text size, color, and various other elements. This works just like a word processor so it's easy to make the tweaks you need.
If you need to add text to an area where there isn't any, simply click in the space while in Text mode, and a text box will appear for you to type into.
How to edit images in PDFs
- Follow Step One above, to open the file and enter editing mode.
- On the top menu, choose the Image option.
- Select the image you want to edit.
- Choose the tool you want from the menu that pops up. Starting on the left and reading across, here are the options: Rotate counterclockwise, Rotate clockwise, Extract image, Crop image, Replace image, and Size settings.
- Again, these tools are fairly self-explanatory. Here we're going to switch out one logo for another using the Replace Image option.
- Tap Replace Image and browse for the correct file.
- Click Open, and watch UPDF switch out the image for you.
Take some time to experiment with the different settings and practice adding, deleting, rotating and changing the size of images in your PDFs.
How to change links in a PDF
Including hyperlinks in your PDFs makes them easier to use, and helps embed them in a wider context. UPDF lets you add links to other parts of the PDF, to other files, or to web pages.
But how to edit a PDF to avoid the frustration of broken links? You need a solution that lets you update links without it turning into a major operation.
UPDF has the answer to that as well. UPDF makes editing links in a PDF uncomplicated and user-friendly.
- Open the PDF in UPDF.
- Enter Edit PDF mode via the left-hand menu.
- Tap the link you want to change.
- To switch the link to a different one, paste the new link in place of the original.
- To change the way a link looks, click the settings button and adjust as appropriate.
- In the Settings menu you can switch between Visible and Invisible rectangles around the link, as well as altering line style, thickness and color.
- To delete a link completely, right-click on it and choose Delete.
- Save your file before exiting UPDF.
How to edit scanned PDFs
One big reason to choose UPDF over other PDF management software is its handling of scanned documents.
Many tools allow you to make PDFs from scanned documents, but UPDF goes beyond that, allowing you to create a fully editable document from a scan without losing formatting. It can even translate scanned PDFs between languages and create an editable version that still looks great.
- Download and install UPDF on your Windows and Mac computers.
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- Open the scanned PDF in UPDF. If needed, first convert your image to PDF.
- Open the OCR menu by tapping the Recognise Text Using OCR button on the right-hand side.
- Choose Searchable PDF from the Document Type menu.
- Adjust the Layout and Page settings as desired, and choose the Document Language. UPDF can translate 38 languages, so it's possible to translate documents at this point while retaining a well-formatted document.
- Click Perform OCR to instigate the process, and set the save location for the converted document.
- The newly converted PDF will open automatically when the process is complete, and then you'll be able to edit.
- Tap Edit PDF on the left-hand menu, and select the element you want to edit.
- Once you've edited a section of text, click in the white space to deselect it.
- You can also use this technique to change images and other elements of scanned PDF documents.
Part 3: How To Edit a PDF - Extended Reading
1. How can I know if a PDF is edited?
When you've got multiple versions of a document in front of you, it's sometimes hard to know which is the edited version, especially if your filenames are similar and the changes are minor.
Use UPDF's Compare PDF tool to help. It lets you examine documents side by side making it easy to see where they differ.
2. Do I have to convert the PDF to Word for editing?
No, there's no need to convert PDFs to Word format when you want to edit.
UPDF prides itself on removing friction wherever possible, and a big part of that is making it easy to perform common tasks from within the software. While UPDF facilitates easy conversion for a range of file types, it also makes it simple to edit within the software, minimizing the need for conversions.
3. How can I make a PDF form editable?
Forms can be a real sticking point for some people. Depending on the software you use, they're often difficult to get right. There are few things more frustrating than trying to fill out a poorly designed form or having to print paper copies to fill in and scan.
Instead of relying on external providers such as Microsoft Forms, Google Forms, or Survey Monkey, make use of UPDF's Prepare Form feature to create a fillable form within your PDF.
In Summary
Powerful tools like UPDF make it a cinch to edit PDFs, whether you need to alter text, adjust images, or even translate scanned files. UPDF makes the whole process quick and easy, with a comprehensive set of features that lets you handle everything from one program.
Eliminate clunky conversions and switching between multiple software. Simplify your workflow by downloading UPDF today.
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