How to edit the text in a PDF
Open Edit text, tap the line you want to change, type the new words and press Save the changes.
Edit textFree. Nothing is uploaded.
How to do it
- Open Edit text and add the PDF.
- Tap any outlined words on the page.
- Change them in the box above the page.
- Use Find and replace to change a word everywhere at once.
- Press Save the changes and save the new file.
How the change is made
The old words are painted over in the page’s own colour and the new ones written in their place, in the nearest built-in font. In a table, each cell is its own piece, so changing one amount in a row changes only that amount, and figures keep their right edge.
The old words are still underneath
Painting over does not delete. Anyone who copies the text from the page can still find the old words. If the point of the change is to hide something, use Remove areas, which takes it out of the file for good.
When to use something else
Edit text changes words already on the page. To write something new, such as a name on a blank line, use Add text. For a long rewrite, PDF to Word gives you an editable document to work on. A scanned page has no words to edit, only a picture of them.
A worked example
An invoice PDF has the wrong date, 12 March instead of 21 March, in two places. Open Edit text and add it. Open Find and replace, type 12 March in Find and 21 March in Replace with, and tap Replace everywhere. Both places change, each painted over and rewritten at the same size. Press Save the changes, then open the new copy and check it before sending.
Find and replace, carefully
Find and replace matches whole words and whole numbers, so replacing 500 does not touch 5,000 or 1500. It changes every match in the file, so search for something specific: a full name, a whole date, an amount with its decimals. Leaving Replace with empty paints the words out with nothing new written in, though, as with every change here, the old words stay in the file underneath.
After replacing, step through the pages with the arrows and look at each change before saving. It takes a minute, and it is much quicker than finding a wrong change after the file has gone out.
Common mistakes
Using Edit text to hide a number before sharing: the old words are still in the file. Changing a single word in the middle of a line set in a fancy font, so it stands out; change the whole line for a more even look. And editing a document that is not yours to change: altering an official document, such as a certificate or a bank statement, can be a serious offence whatever tool is used.
Questions people ask
Will the new text match the old font?
It uses the nearest of the built-in fonts, so it is close but not always identical, especially with decorative fonts.
Does find and replace match parts of words?
No. It matches whole words and whole numbers, so 5,000.00 does not change 15,000.00.
Can I edit a scanned PDF?
Not with this tool; a scan has no text in it. Add new words over it with Add text.
Can I change Malayalam or Hindi text?
Yes. The old words are covered and the new ones go in as a picture of the words, drawn by your browser, so they read correctly but cannot be selected. Words in English letters go in as real text.
Does it work on a locked PDF?
Yes. Type its password when asked; the edited copy keeps the same password.
Can I undo a change?
Before saving, change the words back. After saving, start again from your original, which is never changed.
Your file stays on your device. Foolscap does the work inside your browser, so nothing is uploaded and there is nothing for anyone to keep. How you can check