Index
- How to edit PDF files for free
- How to edit PDF files online
- How to edit PDF files on Android and iPhone
How to edit PDF files for free
Let's start with a series of applications that allow you to edit PDF files for free acting as a computer. I proceeded to report them to you below. Whether you're using Windows, macOS, or Linux, you're sure to find what's right for you.
LibreOffice (Windows / macOS / Linux)
If you want edit PDF files for free from your computer, the first solution that, in my humble opinion, you would do well to consider is LibreOffice. It is a renowned suite for free productivity, open source and compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux, which allows you to view, create and edit many types of files: those OpenDocument, those of Microsoft Office and, of course, also PDFs .
To download LibreOffice on your computer, visit the program's website and click on the button Download version xx present in the center of the screen.
When the download is complete, if you are using Windows, april il pacchetto d'installazione obtained and, in the window that appears on the desktop, click on the button Run. Then press the button NEXT, select the option Typical and click the buttons NEXT, Install, Yes e end, but will finish the setup.
Stai is invented using MacOS, april il package .dmg ottenuto, trascina l 'LibreOffice icon in the folder Applications, right click on it and select the item apri from the displayed menu. Next, click on the button apri in the window that appears on the screen, so as to start the program going to circumvent Apple's limitations towards applications from non-certified developers (an operation that must be carried out only at the first start). Once this is done, close the program completely by pressing cmd + q on the keyboard.
After carrying out the above steps, still on macOS, go back to the LibreOffice website and click on the button Translated user interface, to get the language pack to translate the software into cittàn (on Windows it is included in the basic installation package).
Once the download is complete, open the new one .dmg file got it, right click onLibreOffice Language Pack executable in it, select the item apri from the menu that appears and press the buttons apri e Install. In Seguito, select the voice /Applications/LibreOffice.app from the displayed window and click on the button Install. If in doing so a warning appears regarding i permits, to complete the setup click on the button Yes, identify me, type the password of your user account and his bottone award OK twice.
Now you can take action! In the LibreOffice window that appears on the screen, click on the item Open file located on the left and select the PDF document to edit.
After completing the above steps, the application will automatically open Draw, which is the LibreOffice editor for printable documents and PDFs, and you can freely change the content of the document and add new elements to it using the buttons in the toolbar (arrows, text areas, geometric shapes, etc.) and selecting the texts to be modified or copied with the mouse.
Once the changes are complete, you can save your edited PDF by selecting the menu Fillet in the upper left corner, by clicking on the item Export to PDF format present in it and pressing the button OK in the window that appears.
Microsoft Word (Windows)
Maybe not everyone knows, but Microsoft Word includes a function that allows you to edit PDF files as if they were common files in DOC / DOCX format. The formatting of the original files is not always 100% preserved, but generally speaking, good results can be achieved. Note, however, that this is only possible using one Office version equal to or later than 2013.
That said, however edit PDF files in Word all you have to do is start the program (if you haven't already downloaded and installed it on your PC, you can fix it by consulting my guide), click on the menu Fillet present at the top left, click on the item apri, select the PDF to work on and accept the import of the document.
At the end of the process, you can edit the file like any other text document, then inserting text, formatting it etc. using the tools and commands on the toolbar at the top and in the various tabs.
When you are done editing, save the final result as a PDF by clicking on the menu Fillet placed in the upper left, then on the item Export and on the option Create PDF / XPS document. If you prefer to save the file as a DOC or DOCX document, after clicking on the menu Fillet choose the option Save with name attached to it.
PDFill FREE PDF Tools (Windows)
Don't need to write on PDFs? Rather, do you need a tool to merge multiple documents into one, convert them and modify them in other ways? Then try PDFill FREE PDF Tools, it is a “toolbox” for merging and splitting PDF files, converting them, rotating their pages, applying watermarks to them and much more. It is completely free and compatible with all major versions of Windows.
To download PDFill FREE PDF Tools on your PC, connect to the official website of the program and click on the button first Download now collocato sotto the dicitura Get this tool only e poi quello Download Now present in the new page that opens.
When the download is complete, start the .exe file obtained and, in the window that is shown to you on the desktop, first click on the buttons Yes e Next. Then put a check mark next to the voice I accept the terms in the License Agreement to accept the conditions of use of the software and press the button Next twice in a row. Then complete the setup by clicking on the buttons install e Finish.
If during the procedure you are asked to install and download to your computer Ghost script e .NET Framework, you also agree to this as without them PDFill FREE PDF Tools cannot function properly.
Now, start the program by selecting the relevant one collegamento which was just added to the Start menu and, once its main window is displayed, select the button corresponding to the function of your interest, the ones you find indicated below.
- Merge PDF files - allows you to merge two or more PDF files into one.
- Split or Reorder Pages - allows you to split a document or reorder the pages in it.
- Encrypt and Decrypt Options - allows you to add or remove password to PDF files (does not remove password when opened).
- Rotate or Crop PDF Pages - allows you to rotate or cut PDF pages.
- Reformat Multiple Pages - allows you to change the size, margins and other properties of the pages of a PDF document.
- Add Header and Footer - allows you to add headers and footnotes to PDF documents.
- Add Watermark by Text - allows you to add text watermarks to PDFs.
- Add Watermark by Image - allows you to add graphic watermarks to PDFs.
- Convert Images to PDF - allows you to convert a series of images into a PDF file.
- Convert PDF to Images - allows you to convert a PDF into a series of images.
- PDF Form Field Operations - allows you to delete, extrapolate or make "flat" the data present in PDF forms.
- Convert PostScript into PDF - allows you to convert PostScript files to PDF.
- Add PDF Information - allows you to edit title, author and other information of PDF files.
- Scan into Image or PDF - allows you to scan documents such as images or PDF files.
- Create Transparent Image - allows you to create transparent images.
After clicking on the button corresponding to the feature you are interested in, choose the documents to operate on, adjust any available options, indicate where to save the output files and that's it.
Preview (macOS)
You need edit PDF files on Mac? I tell you then that you can succeed in your intent even using Preview, the default application of MacOS for viewing photos and documents in PDF format.
Its operation is extremely simple. To begin with, open the PDF you want to act on by double clicking on it. If it doesn't open with Preview, right click on it icon e seleciona le voci Open with> Preview give the menu answer.
Now that you are viewing the PDF, click on the icon of pencil which is located at the top right, so as to bring up the toolbar with all the tools to edit PDFs: pressing the button Aa you can select the text in the document by clicking on T you can add custom text by clicking on the icon with the square and circle you can insert geometric shapes and arrows to the document and so on.
By default, changes are saved directly to the original file. If you want to save a different copy of the document, select the menu Fillet present at the top left and then the item Export as PDF present in it.
How to edit PDF files online
Don't want or can't install new programs on your PC? No problem. As I told you at the beginning of the tutorial, there are also solutions that allow you to edit PDF files online, acting directly from the browser and from any operating system. Below, therefore, you will find those that, in my opinion, represent some of the best instruments in the category.
DocHub
The first web service I recommend you put to the test if you want to edit PDF files is DocHub. It allows you to edit various types of documents, including PDFs, adding text, highlights, geometric shapes and much more. It is easy to use and requires the creation of an account to be employed. Basically it is free, but eventually it is also available in a paid version (at a cost of $ 4,99 / month) that allows you to unlock some additional functions.
To use DocHub, go to the home page of the service and create an account by pressing the button Create free account and filling in the fields displayed on the screen with the required data. Alternatively, you can sign up using your Google account. Then log in by pressing the button Sign Up located at the top right.
After logging in, click on the button New Document at the top left and choose whether to download the PDF from your computer, from one of the supported cloud storage services (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and Box) or via URL.
Now that you see the editor of the service, you just have to select the various tools at your disposal, available on the toolbar at the top, to make the desired changes to the PDF. You can then press on the icon A to add text, on the one with the brush to insert freehand strokes, on the one with the comic to add comments etc.
Once the changes are complete, download the edited PDF on your computer by clicking on the icon with the down arrow and the hard drive located at the top right and then clicking on the button Download. Alternatively, you can save the file on one of the supported cloud storage services by selecting the relevant button in advance.
Other solutions to edit PDF files online
If you are looking other solutions Web to edit PDF files from the browser window, I suggest you take a look at the online services that I have included in the list below. I am sure that, in the end, you will be able to find something that will satisfy you.
- PDF Candy - it is a free and usable Web service without registration, which offers users numerous tools to make practically any kind of modification to PDF files: they can be converted into other formats, divided, merged, edited, etc. It should be noted that it also offers paid plans (at a basic cost of 6 euros / month) to take advantage of some additional functions.
- PDF fox - free and very easy to use online service that allows you to edit PDFs in various ways, adding text, converting them, rotating them and much more. Registration is not mandatory, but by logging in it is possible to save the history of the edited documents.
- iLovePDF - very easy to use web service that also offers various tools through which you can make changes to PDFs. It is not mandatory to register, but it allows you to process only one file at a time. Its upload limit is a whopping 200MB. To get around these limitations and to unlock other extra functions, you need to subscribe to one of the paid plans (with costs starting from 6 euros / month).
How to edit PDF files on Android and iPhone
Finally, I want to point out some apps that allow you to edit PDF files on Android and iPhone. There are some for all needs and all platforms. Read on to find out more.
Xodo PDF (Android/iOS/iPadOS)
The first app that I recommend you to try for edit android PDF files and for edit iPhone PDF files (as well as on the iPad) is Exodus PDF. It is one of the best free PDF editors available in the mobile environment. It allows you to add writings, highlights, notes, arrows and signatures to documents and supports the main cloud storage services, such as Dropbox and Google Drive.
To download the app to your device if you are using Android visit the relevant section of the Play Store and press the button Install (if you are using a device on which the Play Store is not available, you can download the app through an alternative store). If you are using instead iOS / iPadOS, access the relevant section of the App Store, press the button Get, quindi quello Install and authorize the download via Face ID, touch ID o password dell'ID Apple. Then, start the app by tapping his icon which has been added to the home screen.
Once the main screen of Xodo PDF is displayed, select the PDF file on which to go to act, tap on the icon of pencil located on the toolbar at the top and then select the icon of the tool you want to use based on the changes you want to make: pressing the icon with the comic you can enter comments on the one with the signature you can insert your signature, on the one with the "T" underlined you can underline the texts etc.
After you are done with the changes, click on the icon of "X" located at the top and all changes made to the PDF will be saved automatically.
Other solutions to edit PDF files on Android and iPhone
Wheel other solutions to edit PDF files on your smartphone or tablet? Then turn to the apps I have included in the list below. I sincerely hope they are able to satisfy you.
- Foxit Mobile PDF (Android / iOS / iPadOS) - this is a great PDF file reader with interesting editing features. It allows you to add writings, highlights, notes and other elements to PDF files. It is available for both Android and for iPhone and iPad and is free, but some additional functions can only be used through in-app purchases (at the base cost of 11,49 euros).
- PDF reader (Android / iOS / iPadOS) - another app that serves as a viewer and editor for PDF files. It's easy to use, packed with tools and free, but offers in-app purchases (at a base cost of € 3,49) to unlock additional features.
- Fillet (iOS) - is the default and free file manager of iOS / iPadOS, which, perhaps not everyone knows, also offers the possibility to view and edit PDF files, thanks to the simple but very useful tools available.
- PDF Expert (iOS / iPadOS) - is one of the best PDF file editors for iPhone and iPad. Includes functions to add text, highlights, notes, geometric shapes and other customizations to documents. The multi-tab view is very convenient, the possibility of exporting annotations separately is useful. It is free, but some additional functions can only be unlocked through in-app purchases (at a cost of € 52,99 / year).
