Mac computers have a built-in PDF editor and the Preview app. Through it, PDF files can be edited in different ways, such as: rearranging and deleting pages, adding signatures and notes, and others. Although there are a few editing features available in the Preview app, you will not have to use third-party applications to edit PDF files on a Mac computer most of the time.
Here’s how to edit PDF files on a Mac using the built-in Preview app:
1- Editing PDF files by adding text to them:
Open the PDF in the Preview app. If the file includes editable text fields, click inside the field and start typing the information you want to add. To make sure that blank fields in the PDF are editable, place your cursor over the field, if the field changes color to blue, you can type directly in the PDF itself. After completion, click the File button, then click the Save option to save all changes.
If the PDF file does not contain editable fields, copy and paste the text from the PDF into Pages or Google Docs and add the information in the custom fields.
To do this, follow these steps:
- In the Preview application, click the Tools tab, then click the Text Selection option.
- Use the pointer to select text.
- Copy and paste the text into a new document, then add new text to the document.
- Save the document as a new PDF.
2- Add shapes and notes to PDFs:
Another option available for editing PDF files in the Preview app is to add shapes and notes next to some sentences in the text. To do this, open the PDF file in the Preview app and then follow these steps:
- Click the Tools tab, then click the Annotate option.
- Click on one of the options that will appear in the Annotate menu, depending on what you want to do.
- If you choose one of the shapes available in the Annotate menu, it will appear in the document directly, such as Rectangle, Oval, Line, Arrow, Polygon, and Star. You can drag the shape anywhere in the document and resize it with the pointer. You can also change the color and thickness of the shape.
- From the same menu, you can also choose Highlight Text to highlight a piece of text, Underline Text to add an underline or Strike Through Text to strike through text. After selecting specific text from the document, go to the list and choose one of those options, as in the following image:
- If you click on the Note option available in the same menu, a small yellow box will appear that you can move and move anywhere in the document using the cursor, then you can click on it and start writing a note. After you’re done adding a note, click outside the box, and save your changes.
3- Add your signature to the PDF document:
You can add your signature to the PDF document by clicking on the Signature option, which is in the Annotate menu, after that, follow these steps:
- A screen for adding the signature will appear, click the Click Here to Begin button.
- Click on the iPhone tab, then you will be asked to type in your signature. A signature panel will appear on the iPhone screen, write your signature in it and it will be automatically transferred to the Preview application on the Mac computer. After completing the signature, click the Done button to save it.
- The signature icon will appear in the bar at the top of the Preview app, and when you click on it, a box containing your signature will appear. Click the signature in the box to add it to the document. You can drag it to change its position within the document, and you can also change its size using the pointer.
4- Rearrange or delete pages from a PDF document:
Open the PDF document in the Preview app on a Mac computer, and you’ll see page thumbnails appear on the right. If the thumbnails of the PDF pages are not displayed, click the icon shown next to the file title and from the list of options choose Thumbnail. Thumbnails of all pages of the document will then appear on the left side of the screen.
- To rearrange pages, simply click on the page thumbnail and move it up or down to move it to the desired position. Then leave it and it will automatically move to its new location.
- To delete a page, click on its thumbnail in the sidebar, then go to the Edit tab, and choose Delete. Then save the changes so that the page does not return to the document after closing it.
