How to edit a PDF on Mac

Usually you’ll be required to possess in a PDF. Maybe you are applying for a loan, returning an merchandise to a store, making a ask, or applying for a job. Whatever it’s far, it’s likely that the checklist you may like to possess in is a PDF. Here’s because PDF is a universal format for documents and it works on Windows, macOS, Android or iOS–and seems to be the same on whichever platform you originate it on.

That’s all ideally suited, nonetheless it can be annoying to have to print it out, possess it in with a pen (which requires actual writing!) and then either scan it so you can email, or build it within the mail. No one wants to be wasting their time with those shenanigans.

So, what attain you attain when faced with PDF kinds? Luckily it’s far easy to possess in a PDF on your Mac, and you don’t have to buy costly software to attain so. 

The constructed-in macOS features make filling in and even signing a PDF easy. Relying on the version of macOS you are the exhaust of, the PDF editing tools are either in-constructed to Hastily Glimpse (which exhibits you a preview of a checklist must you press the spacebar), or you can originate the PDF within the Preview app and access tools to add text to the PDF as effectively as highlight, underline and strikethrough text, rotate pages, add and take away pages, add arrows and other shapes, and add comments to PDFs.

It’s also really easy to add your signature to a PDF as we explain right here: How to signal a PDF on a Mac.

Nonetheless in case you’d adore to have a bit extra flexibility when it comes to editing a PDF (including changing the unique text) there are a selection of dedicated apps that can take your PDF editing to the following stage. We notion at a few of them right here: The handiest PDF editors for Mac.

On this article we level to you how to edit PDFs on your Mac for free.

How to edit a PDF on a Mac the exhaust of Hastily Glimpse

Hastily Glimpse is a great tool for opening a preview of anything on your Mac with out needing to originate the software associated with it. You can preview any checklist by locating it within the Finder (or if it’s on your desktop you can access it there). True click on the file to pick out it and press the spacebar.

Here’s how to exhaust the edit tools in Hastily Glimpse to possess in a PDF on a Mac:

1. Glean the PDF you want to edit.
2. Select it and press the spacebar.
3. If you happen to press the spacebar a preview of the file will appear on your display.
4. Within the top fair of the preview, notion for the icon that seems to be adore a pencil. Click on it.
5. Now you will notion the editing tools (we camouflage how to exhaust all of these tools in extra detail below). The tools consist of a drawing tool, shapes, and in third position a text tool (an A in a field). Click on that.
6. If you happen to click on the text tool a field will appear with the note Text inner. You can transfer this to position on your display and kind in whatever you want to add to the PDF. You may be able to transfer it around in case you click within the sector so that a hand icon appears to flip into a fist.
7. The text may be red by default. To change the appearance, pick out the text and then click on the “Aa” icon within the menu. A fall-down menu appears the place you can want the coloration, font and measurement of the text.
8. Some kinds are designed so that it’s far easier to possess them in and you may procure that text packing containers automatically appear the place you may like to kind. It may even be the case that you can add a tick (or take a look at) goal by clicking in a field.
9. Once you are done, click on Done to save the changes.
10. Now you can share the done PDF.

How to add a signature the exhaust of Hastily Glimpse

You can also add your signature all from within this Hastily Glimpse preview. To attain so, apply these steps:

1. Click on the Signature icon within the menu.
2. Desire Create Signature from the options.
3. Either exhaust your trackpad to add the signature, or signal your name on a piece of paper and maintain that up to the camera. You’ll acquire a larger end result in case you exhaust a thick black pen.
4. Now goal click on your signature and this can be added to the checklist.
5. Drag it into place.

How to edit a PDF on a Mac the exhaust of Preview

1. In case you click on the PDF it may nonetheless automatically originate in Preview, unless you have installed another PDF viewer. In that case, to be certain that that the PDF opens in Preview, fair-click on the PDF, then want Inaugurate with> Preview.
   

2. Click on the icon that seems to be adore a pencil in a circle, this can originate the Markup tools which consist of: a tool for text selection, a rectangular selection tool, sketch and draw tools, shapes, text and signal, indicate, shape trend, and border, possess coloration, and text trend.
3. You can exhaust the various tools in Preview to add text, underline, highlight, draw on, and extra to the PDF. We’ll walk via how to exhaust these tools below, nonetheless for goal adding text to a PDF the methodology is the same as that described above for Hastily Glimpse.

Once you have the PDF checklist originate in Preview  (or Hastily Glimpse), try clicking within the space the place the PDF indicates you may nonetheless enter some data. It’s conceivable you shall be able to kind there; typically PDFs have been station up in such a way that Preview can advise the place text ought to be entered. If that is the case adding text is a easy case of clicking within the fair area and typing.

If the text packing containers aren’t station up appropriately, you’ll need to create a text field yourself, right here’s how.

1. Either click on the icon that seems to be adore an A with a field around it, or pick out Tools> Annotate> Text.
2. A small field will appear within the guts of the page with the note “Text” inner. This can be moved by dragging it anywhere on the page. You can also resize it to match the layout of the PDF. Once you’re happy with the placement, goal start typing.
3. In case you want to change the font, measurement or coloration of your text then click on the “Aa” icon within the toolbar. This can originate up the standard formatting option so you can alter the text and the justification (if it’s centred and you’d want it to be justified left, for example).
4. In case you want to transfer text packing containers around goal click on them and drag.

How to tick (checkmark) a field in a PDF

It’s fairly common for PDFs to have packing containers that you are supposed to add a tick (√) or a depraved (X). To add a depraved, goal exhaust the X key, nonetheless what in case you want to add a tick?

Generally a PDF is station up in such a way that the tick signal appears automatically (typically you may like to click twice), nonetheless if it doesn’t right here’s how to build a tick within the sector:

1. Click on the Text field (the T in a square).
2. Pass the text field onto the place the place you may like to add the tick.
3. Kind Option/Alt + V. Here’s how to kind a tick on a Mac keyboard.
4. In case you don’t adore the appearance of that tick (checkmark), try changing the font except you seek one you adore.
5. If you happen to are happy together with your tick, reproduction and paste it to each place you may like to exhaust it within the checklist.

Alternatively you can carve and paste this: √

How to reproduction text from a PDF

There are instances must you’ll want to reproduction text from one checklist into another, nonetheless this can be awkward in PDFs.

Preview has an easy solution, though. The primary icon within the toolbar, which has an “A” with a bar that seems to be adore the one you usually notion in a note processor, enables the text selection option.

1. Click this then procure the phrases you want to save.
2. Highlight them then Command + C, or fair-click to carry up the Copy option.
3. Now you can paste the text into any checklist, or anywhere else within the PDF (as long as you create a text field).

Another invaluable feature expose within the toolbar of Preview is Notes. This allows you to pick out an area on the checklist (text containing errors, say) and highlight it to alert your colleagues, or leave a reminder for yourself.

1. To access Notes rush to Tools> Annotate> Explain. This can accomplish a yellow field within the area you have highlighted.
   

2. Now kind in any ideas you have, click on another part of the checklist, and the sector will shut into a yellow square.

3. In case you want to notion what’s in a indicate goal click on it and this can expand.

How to create shapes in Preview

Preview also entails the ability to create shapes the place you can highlight certain areas that you want to standout.

1. Click on the icon that has a Square and Circle then pick out your shape from the menu.
2. Shapes consist of a square, speech bubble, star and hexagon among others. There is also an arrow and a line.
3. The shape will appear on the checklist and can be moved and resized as you notion match by dragging either of the blue circles along the perimeters or ends, relying on the shape.
4. In case you want to change the coloration of the shape, pick out the shape and click on the sector with thick strains around it within the menu, this can carry up a coloration pallet.
5. You can also change the thickness of the strains by clicking on the icons of three strains. There’s also the option to add a shadow to make the shape really stand out.
6. In case you want to highlight one thing in particular you can pick out the magnify option at the bottom of the shapes pallet. You can make this circle larger by dragging out the blue dot, and magnify the text inner it by dragging the inexperienced dot.

How to rearrange and add pages to a PDF

If the PDF you are editing has a couple of pages, or in case you want to add extra pages to it, this can be easily done in Preview, right here’s how.

1. Start by clicking on the Gawk Menu button within the menu (above the Aa tool).
2. Desire Thumbnails. This affords you with an overview of all the pages within the checklist.
3. To add a unusual PDF you can goal drag it from the Finder onto this sidebar.
4. To take away a page from the PDF, click on the thumbnail of the page to pick out it and then press the delete key.
5. To rearrange the pages within the PDF goal click on a page thumbnail and drag it to transfer it up or down within the sidebar.

How to carve a PDF file measurement

In case you are attempting to email a PDF to someone and the file measurement is a small on the large facet you can adore to carve the dimensions. Here’s a correct idea in case you have been thinking of texting the PDF to someone, too.

1. To carve the dimensions of the PDF, click File> Export as PDF.
2. Click on the fall-down menu beside Quartz Filter and want Lower File Size.
3. Click on Save.
4. The resulting checklist will have a grand smaller measurement.

Add a signature to a PDF

You may want to signal the checklist, and this too can be done in Preview. We have a extra detailed tutorial about adding a signature to a PDF right here, nonetheless the steps are as follows: 

1. Waddle to the icon within the toolbar that seems to be adore a scribble and pick out Create Signature.
2. A window will appear the place you can exhaust your trackpad as a virtual notepad. Either via your finger or a stylus you simply draw the signature and tap any key once you’re done.
3. In case you don’t acquire it fair first time goal click the Clear button and try again. Once you’re happy click the Done button and your signature shall be saved into Preview, ready to exhaust each time you want to signal a checklist within the future.
4. To actually insert the signature, click the scribble icon once extra, then click on the signature you’ve created and this can appear on the checklist in a text field.
5. Now drag the signature to the appropriate area, resize it if necessary, then click anywhere else on the checklist and the sector will disappear, leaving within the back of your autograph.

Third-party apps

Preview is an aesthetic solution for like a flash making changes to PDFs, nonetheless in case you want to take things up to a professional stage then you can consider a dedicated package. We have appeared at a few tools for editing PDFs right here. 

PDFelement for Mac, for example, has been goal-constructed to create, edit and annotate PDFs. It can automatically reflow text and exhaust OCR to flip paper documents or digital scans into editable PDFs; plus there’s the ability to create interactive kinds out of Microsoft Discover medical doctors, and a complete host of alternative features.

In case you regularly exhaust or create PDFs then it’s certainly charge a notion. There’s a free trial version of the software available the place you can explore its capabilities, and if it meets your requirements then the prices start at £64.ninety nine/$69.ninety nine for a one-year single-consumer standard license from the Mac App Store right here, you can download the free trial right here.

Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor