Comprehensive Guide on How to Insert Symbols in PDF [Updated]

When working with documents, you may need to add essential symbols, whether for mathematical equations or legal documents. These symbols enhance the comprehension of complex documents and convey precise meaning. However, unlike Word processors, PDFs are not easy to edit, making it difficult to insert symbols without the right tools. That's why this article will provide you with comprehensive methods on how to insert symbols in PDF with easy steps.

Part 1. How Do I Add Symbols in a PDF?

Learning how to add symbols in PDF can be performed using a couple of methods discussed in the following. Moreover, with the right tool, you can achieve various levels of customization options after adding symbols:

Method 1. Using a Character Map

One of the tools that provides several symbols and emojis is the Character Map UWP, which allows you to access multiple characters in a particular font. Moreover, being able to easily access these fonts and symbols makes it useful for creating various documents. This tool offers various characters in a font face with typography and color variants.

You can explore a wide range of symbols in multiple fonts, like Segoe, Webdings, and HoloLens. Now, let's look at the comprehensive steps on how to make a degree symbol in PDF. But first, make sure that you have a PDF editor installed on your device. We recommend using a comprehensive PDF editor - UPDF, as it offers unlimited free trial.

Important Note: When trying to add a symbol to a PDF, ensure that the font of the PDF matches the symbol font in the Character Map.

Step 1. Download the Character Map and Copy the Desired Symbol

After downloading the "Character Map" software, access its "Symbol Fonts" and choose any of the fonts from the left-side panel. Next, click any symbol and press the "+Add" button to insert it into the preview area. After it is added, hit the "Copy" button to add it to your clipboard.

Step 2. Open PDF on UPDF and Paste the Symbol

Moving forward, launch UPDF and import the PDF by pressing the "Open File" button from its main interface. Head to the "Edit PDF" tab on the left panel and double-tap the existing text where you want to add the symbol. Upon right-clicking, select the "Paste" option, and the symbol will be pasted into the text.

Step 3. Add Symbol in a Newly Added Text Box

Another way to add symbols is to click the "Text" button at the top toolbar in the "Edit PDF" tab. After that, press anywhere on the PDF to add a text box, and right-click on it to "Paste" another symbol.  

Step 4. Customize the Symbol Across UPDF

Once the symbol is added, you can press the "Color" option on the pop-up menu toolbar to access different colors for personalizing it.   

Here, UPDF is used as a demonstrative tool that allows users to manipulate their content and symbols in various ways and customize them. Other than that, you can still try applying these steps through other editing software, whichever suits your needs.

If we look at the comparison of UPDF with other tools, like Adobe Acrobat, it is a much more cost-effective and diverse alternative. It also offers a wide range of PDF editing features at 1/6th price of Adobe.

Also Read: UPDF vs. Adobe Arobat >>

Method 2. Copy/Paste Symbols from Different Sources

Other alternative methods include copying symbols from different web pages and pasting them on your PDF file. Users can use this page for a wide range of symbols accessible in their PDF and add them using UPDF. Follow these given steps and learn how to make a degree symbol in PDF or other symbols:

Step 1. Access the Page and Copy the Desired Symbol  

When you reach this page on your browser, highlight and right-click the one symbol that suits your interest. Now, click the "Copy" option from the menu to save it on the clipboard.

Step 2. Paste the Symbol in the UPDF Edit PDF

Upon doing so, open the PDF file on UPDF and head to the "Edit PDF" tab from the main editing interface. Afterward, right-click on the location where you want to add the symbol and press the "Paste" option from the dropdown menu.

Conclusion

In the end, we learned that it is essential to know how to insert symbols in PDFs, as you can utilize them for multiple reasons. However, without the proper PDF editor, this is not possible, and that's why we introduced UPDF. It is the ideal editor that is one of the best alternatives to Adobe Acrobat, offering multiple annotation and editing features. Thus, try UPDF today and experience smooth workflow management.