How To Edit PDF Files

Lots of colleagues have been asking how they can edit PDF files.

The best thing to do would be to get hold of the original document which was used to create the PDF in the first place. This might be an MS Word doc file, or an OpenOffice Writer odt file.

Once you have the original document, make your revisions, then print it again as a PDF file.

But what if all you have is the PDF?

There are software called PDF editors out there. One that I've tested is Foxit PDF Editor, which is convenient if you plan to make minor revisions to your PDF file.

By minor editing, I mean: adding a sentence in a blank portion of the PDF, correcting a typo error, or deleting one or more paragraphs.

Major editing may be difficult to do with Foxit PDF Editor, though. For example, if you delete a paragraph, do not expect the paragraphs below it to automatically move up to fill the space vacated by the deleted paragraph. Thinking of editing a footer? You'll have to go through each and every page.

I'm still searching for a PDF editor that works like a regular wordprocessor. In the meantime, try to get the original non-PDF document first, especially if you plan to perform a lot of revisions.

[ First posted on 03/28/2007 by Manuel Viloria ]