PDF Editing Basics: How to Edit Text, Images, and More in PDFs

PDFs were supposed to be the final format—the "done, don't touch it" version of documents. And for a long time, that's exactly what they were. Need to fix a typo in a PDF? Too bad. Extract an image? Tough luck. Move text around? Not happening.

Then reality hit: sometimes you need to edit PDFs. Maybe you spot a typo after "finalizing" a contract. Or you need to update an old document without access to the original source file. Or you just want to add your notes to someone else's PDF.

Here's the good news: PDF editing is now possible and easier than ever. The bad news? PDFs still aren't as flexible as Word documents or design files. They were built for viewing, not editing, so there are limits.

This guide will teach you how to edit PDFs—what's easy, what's possible, and what's probably not worth the hassle. By the end, you'll know exactly how to make the changes you need without tearing your hair out.

What Can (and Can't) You Edit in PDFs?

Let's set realistic expectations:

Easily Editable

• Text: Replace words, fix typos, change formatting
• Images: Replace, resize, remove
• Pages: Add, remove, reorder (we covered this in organizing PDFs)
• Annotations: Add comments, highlights, sticky notes
• Form fields: Fill in and edit fillable forms
• Links: Add, remove, modify hyperlinks

More Challenging

• Complex layouts: Text might reflow awkwardly
• Tables: Difficult to edit while maintaining structure
• Multi-column text: Can break formatting
• Embedded fonts: Editing might require the original font
• Scanned documents: Need OCR first

Nearly Impossible (Without Starting Over)

• Complete redesigns: Major layout changes
• Adding complex elements: Charts, tables, sophisticated graphics
• Scanned images with no OCR: You're editing a picture, not text

Key insight: If you're doing heavy editing, it's often better to convert to Word, edit there, then convert back to PDF.

Types of PDF Editing

There are different levels of editing:

1. Minor Text Edits

Fixing typos, updating dates, changing names—small stuff.

Tools needed: Basic PDF editor Difficulty: Easy

2. Content Replacement

Swapping out images, replacing paragraphs, updating sections.

Tools needed: Intermediate PDF editor Difficulty: Moderate

3. Layout Changes

Moving text boxes, resizing elements, adjusting spacing.

Tools needed: Advanced PDF editor Difficulty: Challenging

4. Annotations and Markup

Adding comments, highlights, drawings without changing the original.

Tools needed: Any PDF viewer Difficulty: Very easy

How to Edit PDFs: Tools and Methods

Let's get practical:

Option 1: Use Our PDF Editing Tool

Head to our PDF editing tool and:

1. Upload your PDF
2. Click on text to edit it
3. Click on images to replace or remove them
4. Add new text boxes or images as needed
5. Download your edited PDF

Time required: 2-5 minutes for simple edits Cost: Free Best for: Quick fixes, text updates, image replacement

Why it's great: No software installation, works on any device, intuitive interface.

Option 2: Adobe Acrobat

The professional standard:

1. Open PDF in Acrobat Pro
2. Tools → Edit PDF
3. Click text or images to edit directly
4. Use the Format panel to adjust fonts, colors, alignment
5. Save

Pros: Most powerful, handles complex edits well Cons: Expensive subscription ($20-30/month)

Best for: Professional use, frequent editing, complex documents.

Option 3: Convert to Word, Edit, Convert Back

Sometimes the easiest path:

1. Convert PDF to Word
2. Edit in Word (familiar, powerful)
3. Save back as PDF

Pros: Full editing power, familiar interface Cons: Formatting might shift, extra steps

Best for: Extensive text editing, adding complex elements, major changes.

Option 4: PDF-XChange Editor

Affordable desktop alternative:

Free version: Basic editing, annotations Paid version ($50 one-time): Full editing capabilities

Pros: Cheaper than Adobe, quite powerful Cons: Windows-only, learning curve

Option 5: Online PDF Editors

Various free tools (Smallpdf, PDF24, etc.):

Pros: No installation, free or cheap Cons: Privacy concerns, limited features, internet required

Use when: Quick one-off edits, not sensitive documents.

Option 6: Preview (Mac)

Mac's built-in tool has basic editing:

1. Open PDF in Preview
2. Tools → Annotate for markup tools
3. Tools → Text Selection for copying text

Pros: Free, built-in Cons: Very limited—mostly annotations, not true editing

Best for: Adding notes and markup, not content changes.

Editing Text in PDFs

Let's focus on the most common task: text editing.

Finding and Replacing Text

Adobe Acrobat:

1. Edit → Find (Ctrl/Cmd + F)
2. Search for text
3. Replace manually as you find instances

Note: Most PDF editors don't have true "Find and Replace" like Word. You find, then edit each instance.

Changing Font, Size, and Color

Steps (in most editors):

1. Select the text
2. Look for format toolbar or right-click menu
3. Adjust font, size, color, alignment

Limitations:

• Font must be available (embedded or on your system)
• Formatting is less flexible than Word
• Complex formatting might break

Adding New Text

Methods:

• Text tool: Click and type (most editors)
• Text box tool: Draw a box, then type
• Typewriter tool: Click anywhere and add text

Pro tip: New text often doesn't match the original styling perfectly. You'll need to adjust font and size manually.

Deleting Text

Usually simple:

1. Select the text
2. Press Delete or Backspace

Watch out for: Deleting text might leave gaps or cause awkward spacing.

Editing Scanned PDFs

If your PDF is an image:

1. Run OCR first to make text recognizable
2. Then edit as usual

Caveat: OCR isn't perfect. Expect to fix errors.

Editing Images in PDFs

Replacing Images

Steps:

1. Click the image in your editor
2. Right-click → Replace Image
3. Choose new image file
4. Resize/position as needed

Best practice: Use images with similar dimensions to avoid layout issues.

Removing Images

Methods:

• Select image and press Delete
• Right-click → Delete Object

Tip: Deleting images might leave white space. You might need to adjust layout.

Adding Images

Steps:

1. Use "Add Image" or "Insert Image" tool
2. Choose file
3. Click where you want it placed
4. Resize and position

Format tip: Use PNG for images with transparency, JPEG for photos.

Editing Images

Within PDF: Limited to resize, rotate, move.

For actual editing: Extract the image, edit in an image editor (Photoshop, GIMP, etc.), re-insert into PDF.

Adding Annotations and Comments

This is the easiest type of "editing":

Comment Tools

Most PDF viewers have:

• Sticky notes: Click-to-reveal comments
• Text highlights: Yellow marker effect
• Text boxes: Floating text annotations
• Callout boxes: Speech bubble style
• Drawings: Freehand pen, shapes, arrows

Use cases: Feedback, review, notes, marking up documents for collaboration.

Advantage: Doesn't change the original content—just adds layers on top.

Markup Tools

• Strikethrough: Mark text for deletion
• Underline: Emphasize text
• Squiggly underline: Mark spelling errors

Use case: Editing and proofreading workflows.

Editing Forms

Fillable Forms

If a PDF has form fields:

1. Click in the field
2. Type your information
3. Save

Easy! This is what PDFs do well.

Non-Fillable Forms

If it's just a scanned form with blank spaces:

Option 1: Add text boxes manually using editing tools. Option 2: Print, fill by hand, scan back (old-school but sometimes faster). Option 3: Convert to a fillable form using form creation tools.

Common Editing Scenarios

Scenario 1: Fix a Typo in a Contract

Problem: "Cient" instead of "Client" on page 3.

Solution:

1. Open in PDF editor
2. Click the typo
3. Fix it
4. Save

Time: 30 seconds.

Scenario 2: Update Company Logo

Problem: Old logo needs to be replaced throughout a 20-page document.

Solution:

1. Replace logo on first instance
2. Note position and size
3. Replace on all other pages (manually or with scripting)
4. Save

Pro tip: If this happens regularly, maintain an editable source file (Word, InDesign) for easier updates.

Scenario 3: Add "DRAFT" Watermark

Problem: Document is still in draft, needs obvious labeling.

Solution: Use watermark tool instead of editing—easier and more professional.

Scenario 4: Redact Sensitive Information

Problem: Need to permanently remove confidential names or numbers.

Solution:

1. Use redaction tools (Adobe Acrobat)
2. Mark areas to redact
3. Apply redactions (permanently removes content)
4. Save

Warning: Simply covering text with black boxes isn't secure—the text is still there underneath. Use proper redaction tools.

Scenario 5: Combine Content from Multiple PDFs

Problem: Need to merge sections from different documents into one.

Solution:

1. Extract relevant pages from each source
2. Merge PDFs in desired order
3. Edit transitions or add section dividers if needed

Best Practices for PDF Editing

DO:

• Keep a backup: Always keep the original unedited PDF
• Test on a copy: Make changes to a copy first, verify they look right
• Check all pages: Edits can affect other pages unexpectedly
• Use consistent fonts: Stick with fonts already in the document
• Save incrementally: Save versions (v1, v2, v3) in case you need to revert
• Verify after editing: Open in multiple PDF readers to ensure it looks correct everywhere

DON'T:

• Edit the only copy: You might break it and have no backup
• Try major redesigns: PDFs aren't meant for this—use source files instead
• Forget about font licensing: Editing might require fonts you don't own
• Ignore formatting issues: Small edits can cause big layout problems—check everything
• Over-edit: If you're making tons of changes, convert to Word instead

Troubleshooting Common Editing Problems

Problem: Can't Edit Text

Causes:

• PDF is an image (needs OCR)
• PDF is locked/protected (need to unlock it)
• Text is actually an image of text
• Font isn't available

Fixes:

• Run OCR if scanned
• Remove security if authorized
• Convert to Word if fonts are problematic

Problem: Text Reflows Weirdly

Cause: PDFs don't understand "paragraphs" like Word does. Text is positioned absolutely.

Fix: Manually adjust spacing, or convert to Word for better text flow control.

Problem: Added Text Doesn't Match Style

Cause: PDF editor is using default fonts/settings.

Fix: Manually match font, size, color to surrounding text.

Problem: Image Placement Is Off

Cause: PDF coordinates are precise—slight misalignment is obvious.

Fix: Use alignment guides if available, or zoom in and position carefully.

Problem: File Size Increased Dramatically

Cause: Editing can remove compression or embed large resources.

Fix: Compress the edited PDF to reduce size.

When to Edit vs. When to Recreate

Edit the PDF when:

• Minor changes (typos, dates, small updates)
• Original source file unavailable
• Quick fix needed
• Changes are localized (one page, one section)

Recreate from source when:

• Major changes needed
• Complete redesign
• Adding complex elements (tables, charts)
• Extensive text editing
• Original file is available

Rule of thumb: If you're spending more than 15-20 minutes fighting with PDF editing, recreate from source instead.

Advanced PDF Editing Tips

Using Layers

Some PDFs have layers (like Photoshop):

• Edit specific layers without affecting others
• Show/hide layers as needed
• Useful for complex designs

Tools: Adobe Acrobat, professional PDF editors.

JavaScript in PDFs

Yes, PDFs can have JavaScript for calculations, validations, etc.

Editing: Requires advanced tools and programming knowledge.

Use case: Custom form behaviors, automated calculations.

Batch Editing

Need to edit multiple PDFs identically?

Tools:

• Adobe Acrobat batch processing
• Custom scripts (Python with PyPDF2)
• Automated workflows (Zapier, Power Automate)

Examples:

• Update footer on 100 documents
• Replace logo across all files
• Add watermarks to entire folder

PDF Editing Limitations

Be realistic about what PDFs can and can't do:

PDFs Are NOT

• Word processors (layout is rigid)
• Design tools (limited creative control)
• Spreadsheets (no formulas or dynamic calculations)
• Databases (no relational data)

PDFs ARE

• View-optimized formats
• Print-ready documents
• Universal distribution formats
• Static snapshots of content

Takeaway: Use the right tool for the job. Edit in source applications, finalize as PDF.

The Future of PDF Editing

PDF editing is getting better:

AI-Powered Editing

Emerging tools use AI to:

• Intelligently reflow text when you edit
• Understand document structure better
• Suggest formatting improvements
• Auto-detect and correct common issues

Cloud-Based Collaboration

Real-time collaborative PDF editing, like Google Docs but for PDFs.

Better Source File Recovery

Tools that can reverse-engineer PDFs back to editable formats with high fidelity.

Natural Language Editing

"Change all instances of 'Manager' to 'Director'" and it just works.

Quick Editing Checklist

Before finalizing your edited PDF:

• All edits completed and verified
• No typos introduced
• Formatting looks consistent
• Images are clear and properly positioned
• Page count is correct (didn't accidentally delete/add pages)
• Links still work (if any)
• Tested opening in multiple PDF readers
• File size is reasonable
• Original backup saved
• Descriptive filename (include version number)

Ready to Edit?

PDF editing isn't as scary as it once was. With the right tools and realistic expectations, you can make the changes you need without starting from scratch.

Just remember: PDFs are best for small tweaks and fixes. For major edits, go back to the source file if possible. But when you need a quick fix or the source isn't available, modern PDF editing tools have your back.

So go ahead: open that PDF and make those edits. Fix that typo, update that date, replace that image.

Your document is waiting.

Need to make more extensive changes? Consider converting to Word first for easier editing, then save back as PDF when done.