Several Mac tools can edit PDFs. If you know macOS, you can add text, a signature, or comments to a downloaded PDF file on your phone.
Use these instructions to edit a PDF on a Mac.
PDF (Portable Document Format) is a readable document that may be exchanged regardless of software. Every PDF viewer supports PDF. Once in the PDF, adding or modifying text, a signature, an image, etc. may seem difficult.
Preview and Quicklook, macOS’s free PDF editors, make editing easy. Preview is reliable for adding text, signatures, notes, shapes, and checkmarks.
On Mac, click the feature icon and place it to edit a PDF. Editing PDF on a Mac
Mac PDF editing: is it free?
If you have a Mac and are wondering if you can edit a PDF for free, the answer is yes!
A free PDF editor that comes with macOS and is easy to use can be used.
The Top Free Mac PDF Editors
You might be surprised to learn that you can use free PDF editors for Mac that give you the best results. Here are some of the best PDF editors:
- Acrobat Reader DC.
- Adobe Acrobat for Mac.
- FineReader Pro for the Mac.
- The macOS Preview Application
- LibreOffice, pdf filler
- PDF Expert.
- Skim.
Here are some of the best free PDF editors you can try. Even though some editors get paid and some don’t.
How to Change a PDF on a Macintosh?
With the rate at which the PDF format is becoming more popular, every user wants to know how to edit a PDF on a Mac.
Most editors charge a lot for this kind of service these days. This article will tell you everything you need to know about how to change a PDF file on a Mac.
Open the PDF file that needs to be changed.
Double-click on the exact text so that the cursor is in the text box.
Now, type in text or get rid of it as needed.
To add PDF text, tap the “Add Text” button on the toolbar.
Then, click anywhere on the page where you want to add text.
A text box with dots will show up, and you can start typing whatever new text you want.
All done!
How to use Quick Look on a Mac to change a PDF?
Once you have updated your Apple Mac to Mojave and Catalina in the early years, you can use Quicklook to change PDFs on a Mac.
How does QuickLook work?
It’s a better tool that lets you quickly see any document in full size without having to open it. For example, you can use Quicklook to add a signature, text, notes, rotate, and trim. Here are the steps to take:
- Look for or download the PDF file you want to change.
- Once you find it, you can click on it, tap the space bar, or right-click it and choose QuickLook from the menu.
- Right-click on the PDF file and pick “Good Look.”
- After you do the above, the PDF’s Preview window will open.
- Find the pencil icon on the same page and click on it.
- Now, you’ll put the square box around the Editing Toolbar, which has tools like the Drawing Tool, Shape, Signature, and Text Tool-A.
- When you click on Text Tool-A in the square, the red text box will show up in the square.
- You don’t have to worry because the AA Dropdown lets you change the color, size, and style of the text.
- You can also drag and drop it at the same point to move it around the PDF.
Even though some forms are made to be easier to fill out, you may sometimes find a text box at the exact spot where you want to make changes.
Once you’re done making changes, click “Done” and “Share it.”
How to Modify a PDF Using Preview?
Unlike QuickLook, Preview makes it easy to change a scanned PDF on a Mac. Preview is a feature that comes with every Mac and can be used to edit PDF files for free. To change a PDF with Preview, do the following:
- Right-click on the PDF and select “Open With” to use Preview to make changes to it.
- From the Open With menu, choose Preview.
- Pick the icon that looks like a pencil. It’s at the top.
- By doing this, the markup tool will have a Text Section, a Rectangular Section, a Sketch, Draw, Shape, Sign, Note Shape Style, Border, Text Style, and Fill Color.
- There are many tools in Preview that let you add text lines, draw, underline, and do other things.
- But it looks like the same methods are used as in QuickLook. All done! Here’s another way to change a PDF file on a Mac.
How to use Acrobat to make a PDF that can be edited?
If you want to be able to change your PDF file, you can do that with Acrobat as well. Here are the steps to take:
How to Edit a PDF in Preview?
Unlike QuickLook, Preview makes it easy to change a scanned PDF on a Mac. Preview is a feature that comes with every Mac and can be used to edit PDF files for free. To change a PDF with Preview, do the following:
- Right-click on the PDF and select “Open With” to use Preview to make changes to it.
- From the Open With menu, choose Preview.
- Pick the icon that looks like a pencil. It’s at the top.
- By doing this, the markup tool will have a Text Section, a Rectangular Section, a Sketch, Draw, Shape, Sign, Note Shape Style, Border, Text Style, and Fill Color.
- There are many tools in Preview that let you add text lines, draw, underline, and do other things.
- But it looks like the same methods are used as in QuickLook. All done! Here’s another way to change a PDF file on a Mac.
If you want to be able to change your PDF file, you can do that with Acrobat as well. Here are the steps to take:
How to Modify a PDF Using Preview?
Unlike QuickLook, Preview makes it easy to change a scanned PDF on a Mac. Preview is a feature that comes with every Mac and can be used to edit PDF files for free. To change a PDF with Preview, do the following:
Right-click on the PDF and select “Open With” to use Preview to make changes to it.
From the Open With menu, choose Preview.
Pick the icon that looks like a pencil. It’s at the top.
By doing this, the markup tool will have a Text Section, a Rectangular Section, a Sketch, Draw, Shape, Sign, Note Shape Style, Border, Text Style, and Fill Color.
There are many tools in Preview that let you add text lines, draw, underline, and do other things.
But it looks like the same methods are used as in QuickLook. All done! Here’s another way to change a PDF file on a Mac.
How to use Acrobat to make a PDF that can be edited?
If you want to be able to change your PDF file, you can do that with Acrobat as well. Here are the steps to take:
- Open your PDF file in Acrobat Pro.
- Tap on the Edit PDF tool on the right-hand panel.
- With the aid of different editing tools, you can add new text, edit text, or update fonts via selections from the Format drop-down list.
- Add, move, replace, or resize images using the tools in the Objects list.
That’s it! Now your PDF is editable with Acrobat.
How to Edit a PDF without Adobe
Another method ON how to edit PDFs is editing without Adobe. You can make the necessary changes to your PDF on Microsoft Word Document without stress.
You need to follow the steps below to learn how to edit a PDF file on Mac with MSWord.
- Open Microsoft Word and tap on the “File” option.
- Select the “Open” option.
- Now, choose the PDF file you wish to edit.
- Here, you will see a notification that your PDF file has been converted into an editable format.
- Select “OK” and you are ready to edit the file.
That’s it!
How to Add Text to a PDF on a Mac
Try clicking on the space where the PDF mentions entering some data from the same Preview. Currently, PDFs are sometimes designed in such a fragmented way that Preview itself has to highlight the location where you have to enter the text. However, if not, follow the given steps below:
- After opening the PDF in Preview, choose the Tool from the Preview Menu bar.
- Now select Annotate >> Text.
- The Tiny Box with a red color “Text” will be displayed on the screen.
- This can be dragged and dropped.
- Once the replacement procedure has been completed, you can start typing.
- In case you wish to change the text’s color and size, choose the Slanted A Icon located last in the Toolbar.
- Also, if you want to reform the position of the text, simply click on it and drag it accordingly.
That’s it! This is another way how to edit a PDF on a Mac.
How to edit a PDF in Word for Mac
To edit a PDF in Word for Mac, follow the simple steps below:
- Go to File >> Open.
- Locate the PDF and open it (you may have to choose Browse and find the PDF in a folder).
- Word will inform you that it’s going to make a copy of the PDF and convert its contents into a format that Word can easily display.
- Once you are done editing, you can save it as a Word doc or a PDF.
That’s it! This is another way how to edit a PDF in Word on a Mac.
How to Add Signature on PDF on Mac
Do you know you can also add a signature on PDF on Mac? Well, yes, you can! Avoid using a wrong Signature or even missing adding a signature on PDF. Follow the steps below to add your Signature or Stamp:
- Search for the PDF in which you want to add the Signature.
- Tap on it and press the Spacebar.
- The Preview of the PDF will open; now click on the Pencil icon.
- You will receive the Toolbar at the top of the next screen.
- Now, choose the Signature icon Dropdown (stated at the seventh position in the Toolbar).
- Choose to Create Signature to add the new one.
- You will receive three options on the next screen.
That’s it! This is another way how to edit a PDF on a Mac.
How to convert a PDF into a Word doc on Mac?
In case you have a PDF document and you wish to convert it to Word to add or remove some texts, well, you can follow the steps below to achieve that:
- Right-click on your PDF file.
- Go to Open With, and select Preview.
- Choose the text you want to copy and click on Command‐C.
- Go to Page’s or Microsoft Word on Mac and paste the text into the document with Command‐V.
- Save the file as DOC or DOCX (File >> Export To >> Word if you use Pages).
That’s it! You have successfully converted a PDF to a Word document on Mac.
How to Convert a PDF to Word for free on Mac?
Here is an alternative way to convert a PDF to Word for free on Mac. Follow the steps below:
- Open Adobe >> Tools >> Export PDF >> Add Files to Export.
- Under convert, select “Microsoft Word Document”.
- You can as well choose the document language.
- Finally, click on “Export to Word” to save your file.
That’s it!
Why can’t I edit a PDF on Mac?
Although, by default, PDFs are not editable by design. However, you may need to make changes in PDFs like correcting a typo in an invoice or even adding more pages to your document from time to time.
Whatever your reason might be, you need a go-to PDF app for Mac that provides the best way to edit PDFs in case you are not able to edit a PDF on Mac. This is another way how to edit a PDF on a Mac.
