PDF can display documents in original layout independent of the software or screen you are using to view the file. Together with other benefits, PDF has been considered as a popular and standard file format in all walks of life. However, a PDF file, especially a scanned PDF, cannot be easily edited.
Wondering how to make your PDF editable on Mac? From fully-fledged PDF editor to online free tools, we collect 4 methods to edit PDFs on Mac, also will walk you through the steps with images.
You may dislike PDF editing because of the impression that it is either complicated or expensive, forget about those old days. We have more PDF editors today that provide time-efficient and professional way of editing PDF.
Cisdem PDFMaster is highly recommended, it offers a comprehensive suite of editing tools, excellent user experience and useful features. The principal reason why Cisdem PDFMaster stands out from so many PDF editors lies in its broad range of features and affordable price.
Main features of Cisdem PDFMaster
To make a PDF editable on Mac, Cisdem has three options: edit a native PDF directly, make scanned PDF editable with OCR tool, and convert PDF to editable formats without losing formatting. Here you can check the steps for each solution.
Preview, the free app coming with macOS bundle, it is offered to view and edit PDF or image files on Mac. You can utilize Preview to view, print, rotate, resize, rename, highlight, annotate, bookmark, share, export and edit PDFs. With the “Markup” toolbar, you can add sketch, shape, text, signature, note to a PDF. However, you cannot edit the existing PDF text, you need to white out the original PDF text, then add the new texts to replace. In addition, Preview don't support OCR so it cannot make a scanned PDF editable.
If you don’t work on PDF very often, neither you are working on highly private PDF files, you can try to make PDF editable online for free. Assuming you have a Google Account, you can make PDF editable with Google Docs, the platform Google helps to manage files online. Compared with other online PDF editors, it have no limit on file size and numbers. Also, it is safe to use.
Notes: The file quality (image resolution, format, layout, etc) may lost a little, remember to check and manually adjust for accurate editable file.
If you have installed Adobe, I mean the Adobe Acrobat, not Adobe Reader, you can make PDF editable on Mac within this program. It can edit PDF texts easily and efficiently. No matter your PDF is native or scanned, once you import it to Adobe, it becomes editable and every single word in your PDF can be edited, modified, added or deleted, though these powerful features come with a high price tag.
Here we take Adobe Acrobat DC to demonstrate how to make PDF editable on Mac.
PDF files are different from document files output by document creation/editing software like Word, Excel, PPT, Pages, Keynote, etc. You are usually unable to edit PDF files. As PDF files are made to ensure give the same layout and viewing/printing of electronic documents regardless of platform or environment.
If you need to edit PDF files, you need to get help from PDF editing software or change PDF to a editable format like word, excel, pages, ppt, etc.
PDF editing software is used to editing text and images in PDF files, most of the apps also helps adding annotations, converting and merging PDF files.
Simple PDF editings, such as converting and creating PDF files, adding annotations, can be done using software such as Word or preview, or free online tools. However, it does not support operations such as adding comments or editing text and images directly in PDF files. To make PDF editable on Mac, we recommend using PDF editor software, as with these tools you can easily rewriting some fields of PDF files, contracts etc.
Also, If you have PDFs created by scanning paper documents and you use online PDF converters to convert it, the PDF will become a whole image that is not editable and copyable. In this case, you have no option but use a PDF editor that comes with OCR function.
Above-mentioned 4 ways to make PDF editable on mac are all feasible, which solution do you take depends on how much you care about the cost and editing performance. If you have already installed Adobe, Adobe absolutely is a good choice, but if not, Cisdem PDFMaster will be the best option, it offers 3 workarounds to make all kinds of PDFs editable on your Mac, and comes with a lot of useful tools to make your PDFs look great.
Megan has an impressive deal of experience with Mac software and has the ability to explain tech stuff in a simplified, straightforward and easy to understand way.
Linda
Thanks so much for this! Method 3 worked perfectly!
Phil
The PDF to Word converter sounds good, it is easy to further edit the file in Word.
Jo
Detailed steps to convert PDF to editable.