WebRTC Expert Feature

August 26, 2020

Basic tips for editing PDF files


PDF is one of the most popular formats for creating, distributing, and printing e-books, letterheads, forms, documents, etc. The main advantage is that it allows you to display documents in the same way on all types of devices and avoid compatibility problems. So, for example, the same doc file in different versions of Word may look different depending on how it is opened. With PDF, there are no display problems. However, another appears – with the option to edit PDF online. You can open PDF files directly in your browser, but editing them is not so easy. This requires special applications or programs.

Full editing in free mode using one program is impossible, so you have to trick it using several options at once. Sometimes the text can be presented in the form of a picture, and then it will not be possible to edit it without prior recognition. Adobe originally developed the PDF format, so the PDF editing tool allows you to do almost everything with your "brainchild": edit, organize, convert, recognize, optimize, protect, sign, and much more. It is effortless to organize pages (add, delete, move) here. The program is convenient, the range of functions is impressive, plus a version for smartphones and tablets is available. But some features are not necessary for the average user (sharing, adding scripts and multimedia, comparing files, etc.), so the online pdf editing tool is more suitable for business purposes.

If you need to cut, correct, or set a password once a week, it is better to choose an alternative option. Still, Adobe products are intended primarily for professionals, and the benefits of using them are felt in conjunction with other developers' applications, like installing Creative Cloud just because Acrobat is not a good idea. Besides, this process is long and dreary, and the program itself is massive and often slows down the other programs.

 

"Lumin," a PDF reader that allows editing

Lumin PDF is another worthy competitor to Adobe  at more affordable prices. Lumin PDF is fully compatible with Adobe Acrobat and even has a similar interface. In addition to the desktop version, the developers also offer mobile applications: for iOS, it is a full-fledged online pdf editing tool. For Android, it is a convenient reader with the ability to comment. It is a powerful pdf editing tool with extensive functionality. The developers claim that more than 60% of the program's functions are available without a license. Many suitable options for the average user are not available. The program allows you to edit pdf text, but you cannot touch pictures. Without restrictions, you can:

  • Split the document;
  • Combine pages;
  • Edit the text;
  • Export a document;
  • Sign and save.

 

Alternative ways to work with PDF

Printable documents, forms, or even ebooks can be created without Adobe Acrobat or similar programs. Start by using MS Office applications and their analogs.  Just create a new document and select the desired format when saving. Save the Word document in PDF format. In this simple way, you can translate any files of an office suite into PDF. You can typeset magazines and books using PowerPoint. There you can decorate the pages beautifully and even draw a cover. If you change the slide orientation to vertical, your presentation template will look more like a standard portrait template. If there is no PowerPoint or equivalent on your computer, Google Slides will do.

As for web pages, they are also pretty easy to convert to PDF, and right in the browser. Use Chrome, Firefox, or even Opera. Browsers have a handy "Save as PDF" feature that quickly translates a web document into a single page PDF file. If the page is enormous, there may be problems opening the file, as Opera stores all information on one page of the final document. If you need to split an HTML page into several PDF pages, you can use a virtual printer. To do this, open the "Print" menu (Ctrl + P) and select the "Save as PDF" option from the list of available printers. This method works in any browser. You can also remove completely unnecessary headers and footers, change the number of pages per sheet, and add a background. Forms can also be created for free, for example, in Scribus. This program is designed for typesetting text. Although not very user-friendly, it has a basic set of interactive elements to create PDF forms.

 

How to edit a PDF file

You can edit PDF directly in Word (starting from the 2013 version). And if there is no Word - in Google Docs. To do this, load the file to disk, call the context menu with the right mouse button, and open it using the standard Google PDF editing tool. You can open it in other suggested PDF editing tools, but they are paid. Editing PDF in Google Docs, although possible, admittedly, does not make sense. The PDF editing tool noticeably distorts even an article with simple formatting. The screenshot shows how the layout floated, although there was no specific design besides lists and subheadings and the pictures did not load. Here you can only edit something straightforward, without decoration

If you have WPS Office (a free Microsoft alternative) installed, you can use it to edit the PDF too. Writer, an analog of Word, allows you to convert two files per day from PDF to DOC for free. After opening the file, you need to click on the top button on the right and register to use the converter. WPS has a built-in module for working with PDF. The options considered, of course, will not replace the capabilities of a full-fledged PDF editing tool. If you need to edit a receipt, book, brochure, or any other document with a complicated design, you can forget about Word and its alternatives.

There is another solution for such documents - Inkscape. It is a free vector graphics PDF editing tool that also works with PDF format. You can do whatever you want with the content of the document - delete, enlarge, reduce, recolor, rotate, etc. The only drawback is that you can only load one page on the workspace. Not very convenient, but if you have a one-page brochure, that's it. If the text of the file was not previously recognized, then editing it will not work. This applies primarily to scanned documents.


 
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