PDF files are one of the most common file types you'll come across when using a computer. If you need to get a high-quality print job done, make a document available online, archive old data, or combine multiple formats (text, images, tables, etc.), there's a good chance you'll find it in PDF. format.
Despite their hundreds of benefits, they fall short when it comes to editing. Unless you have the luxury of using Adobe Acrobat Pro to manage your PDF files, the industry gold standard, it's not that easy to edit PDF documents. 5 Tools to convert and edit the PDF format. 5 Tools to convert and edit the PDF format. Number of tools that make working with PDF files much easier. Starting with an easy way to convert files, we introduce five PDF-related tools. Read More
But don't worry, all is not lost. If you urgently need to edit a PDF, there are some great free tools available. Here are five of the best.
Key feature:PDF booklet creation.
PDF Brochure has a simple premise:to allow you to create a brochure from existing PDF files. It's especially useful if you have a document saved as separate files because your printer doesn't support multi-page scanning.
You choose the layout of the brochure and the order of the pages, and the application will collect them. All you need to do is print the document and staple the pages together. If the automatic tool doesn't give you the desired results, you can rotate, zoom, or flip pages until it's perfect.
The app also works with existing brochures, allowing you to reorder the pages and adjust the layout.
You can preview your alterations before finalizing your creation. As soon as you hit Go , the app creates a new file and displays your efforts in the built-in PDF viewer.
Key feature:adjust formatting.
What do you want to do with your PDF reader? Merge separate files? Convert PDFs to other formats? Add a watermark?
iLovePDF web app is the answer. It can handle just about any task you choose to throw at it:
If you need to do a lot of conversion between PDF and the various Microsoft Office formats How to Convert PDF to Word for Free How to Convert PDF to Word for Free PDF to Word converters are a dime a dozen. We have compiled the top 5 that you can get for free, both for offline use and safer use. Read More The cheapest package (Word files only) is $39.95.
Key feature:Graphics editing.
Editing PDF files isn't all about text and page order. What if you want to edit the graphic properties of your file? Perhaps you have a scanned copy of an old document that you need to brighten, or your need to add contrast to a scanned page of a school textbook?
If that describes your needs, look no further than YACReader.
The app is both a comic book reader and a PDF reader, and as such has been designed to work efficiently with text and images. Includes brightness control, contrast control and gamma control..
It's not as polished as the more popular apps. There is only one toolbar and the editing tools are not easy to find. However, it is free, and has some unique tools. What more do you want?
Key feature:Incredibly lightweight text editor.
Gaaiho offers a wide range of PDF-related tools, but all of them except Reader 4 require a subscription. Fortunately, Gaaiho Reader 4 is free.
Despite being called "Reader," the software is much more powerful than a typical PDF reader application. Obviously you can do all the basics like form creation and simple search, but dig a little deeper and all the annotation tools are sure to impress you.
There's a highlight tool, a tool to strikethrough and underline content, and a text editor that can insert and replace words. You can also add text boxes, notes, invocations, and stamps, all of which can be customized with your preferred font, style, and size.
Finally, the app is incredibly light. As I mentioned in my article on readers and PDF viewers PDF Reader vs. Browser:Which PDF Viewer is Best for You? PDFReader vs. Browser:Which PDF Viewer is Best for You? A PDF reader is often one of the first tools people install on their new computer. It's not glamorous or sexy, but it's a vital tool in your productivity arsenal. Or is that it? Read More You don't want to have to wait several seconds every time you try to open a PDF file, especially if it's an important part of your workflow.
Key Feature:Combining multiple images into a single PDF file.
Why have I included a native Windows printing tool in a list of PDF editors? It's a fair question. Well, it's one of the best tools to combine multiple images into a single PDF file (we've already seen how to extract images from PDF files).
First of all, you need to organize the images in File Explorer in the order you want them to appear in the PDF file. You may have to rename them to achieve the desired sequence.
Select all the files you want to include (Ctrl + left click ), then right mouse button and hit Print .
You will now see the Print Photos window. In the upper left corner, choose Microsoft Print to PDF from the drop-down list below Printer .
In the column on the right side, you can select how many images you want to print per page. You should also make sure that you have checked the checkbox next to Fit photo to frame - will stop the printer cutting off the edges of your images.
When you're ready, click Print . Windows will prompt you to name the new PDF file and will process the photos. It might take a while if you have chosen a lot of images. You will find the new file in your destination folder.
Note: If you're on Windows 7 or 8, you'll need to install a third-party tool to achieve the same results. The doDPF app is highly recommended.
No matter what you want to accomplish with your PDF How to Edit, Merge, and Sign a PDF for Free How to Edit, Merge, and Sign a PDF for Free We show you how to split, merge, reduce size, AND do all sorts of magic with PDF files. Read on if you're ready to take your PDF documents to the next level! Read more:you will be able to find an application that suits your needs. While these five tools have given you a starting point and should help you accomplish the most common tasks, if you have a niche requirement you may need to do some research.
If you're in desperate need of a professional tool, invest in a monthly subscription to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
Or, tell us what you want to do in the comments section. Perhaps a fellow reader can point you in the direction of the ideal tool.
Finally, I'd love to hear what you think about the five tools in this article. Were they easy to use? Did you find any difficulty? Get in touch below.
