Edit PDF

Add to a PDF without the original file

Often you only need to add something to a PDF: a note in the margin, a reference number at the top, an answer on a form that has no fields, or a highlight on the line that matters. This tool shows each page as a picture, lets you place text and highlights exactly where you want them, and saves a copy with your additions. The PDF’s own text is never changed.

How to edit

1. Choose the PDF, up to 100 MB. A picture of its first page appears, with a box on it.
2. Pick Text or Highlight, drag the box to the spot, and resize it.
3. For text, type it and choose its size and color. Press Add to page; the item appears on the picture and in the list.
4. Add as many items as you like, on any page: change the page number to move between pages.
5. Press Save the edited PDF and download it.

Text and highlights

Text is written in Helvetica, black, blue or red, from 10 to 24 points, starting at the box’s top left and wrapping to its width; press Enter in the text for a new line. A highlight is a see-through yellow box, like a highlighter pen, so the words under it stay readable. Remove an item from the list before saving if you change your mind.

Tips for neat additions

• Match the page: most documents use 10 to 12 point text. 12 pt black is a safe choice for filling in a printed form.
• Line up with the page: place the box’s top edge just above the line you’re writing on, and make it as wide as the space you want to fill.
• Check at full size: open the edited copy at 100% zoom before you send it, and keep the original.

What Edit PDF doesn’t do

• Change existing words: the PDF’s own text stays as it is. For a text copy you can edit freely, try PDF to Word.
• Hide information: covering text with a box leaves the words in the file. Don’t use it to redact.
• Fill form fields: a PDF with real fields is easier with Fill PDF Forms; to sign, use Sign PDF.