Intro
Online PDF editors exist to allow people to make changes to the
document format where before it was almost impossible to edit PDFs. The best online editors are often available
for free, although some limit their use or block their premium features behind
a paywall. Several important features come with PDF editors that go beyond
simply adding or removing text or making changes to the layout. Users can also
compress their files, convert them to other file types and even create new PDFs
from scratch or based on a premade template.
What’s a PDF File?
PDF stands for Portable Document Format and it is the name given to a type of file that can be shared and viewed across any device regardless of the operating system being used. The PDF was created in the early 1990s and became the preferred format to share and document information without users having to buy or install special software to view it.
The file format was created by Adobe Acrobat and the company also released the first PDF editing program to give users the ability to create, edit and modify already existing PDF files. A PDF viewer is installed on most web browsers so users do not need any special software to view them. But editing a PDF requires special software that is now more readily available and easy to use.
How Can You Edit a PDF File?
Anyone can view a PDF without downloading and installing special software. But editing a PDF requires a dedicated program or software. These programs are available everywhere online and are both browser-based or come in a downloadable version for desktop use. There are ways to edit a PDF without these third-party programs or apps, but the editing options are limited to text-only.
For more advanced modifications users need to research the best option for them and choose from the wide range of browser-based PDF editing programs available online. Many of the online PDF editors offer the same capabilities and performance as more expensive desktop software like Adobe Acrobat, while also costing less to use. But if the text is all a user wants to change then the following programs are suitable options. or You can also try Foxit.com
Using Google Docs
Google Docs is one program that lets users edit the text of a PDF file. The program is widely available and free-to-use and requires only a few steps to convert a PDF into a Google Docs file. The best part is that users can save their edited file as a PDF in Google Docs so they can continue viewing it as a PDF.
To edit a PDF file with Google Docs, users must do the following:
●
Upload their PDF file into Google Drive
●
Open the file from Google Drive using Preview
mode
●
Once in Preview mode, users can choose to open
the file in Google Docs
● The file will convert to Google Docs and be ready to edit
While users will be able to edit the text of a PDF in Google
Docs, they will not be able to do much else like add images or graphics, change
the overall layout of the document or add or delete any pages. After users have
finished editing the text of their PDF they can choose to save it as a PDF or
keep it in the Google Docs format.
Apps or Programs To Edit PDF Files
As mentioned many third-party, online PDF editors are available for PDF editing that perform just as well as desktop programs and software like Adobe Acrobat. These programs allow users to access a full range of editing tools like adding and removing text, changing the layout, adding images and graphics, and compressing files to smaller sizes.
Adobe has online versions of some of their more basic features like file conversion, merging, and splitting PDFs, that are free to use. Other programs, however, give users more in-depth tools like OCR text editing or security features that let them password-protect their most important files. A program like Lumin PDF is available for online and offline use, as it comes in a downloadable format.
Lumin not only provides users with basic editing features like
text editing and viewing, but it also gives them access to a database of
pre-made PDF templates and can sync up with cloud-based platforms like Google
Drive so all changes are saved automatically. Users can subscribe to Lumin on a
weekly, monthly, or yearly basis to access all the premium features or use it
for a trial period.
