Change file to pdf. Editing text in a PDF file

How to Edit PDF Files

PDF files can be a hassle to edit if you don't have the right tools. Here's what you'll need.

If you've ever tried to edit a "portable document file", that is, a PDF, then you've likely found that it's much more difficult than editing a Microsoft Office document. This is because PDF was not originally designed to accommodate changes. Back in 1992, when Adobe introduced the PDF specification, their vision was to be able to work with PDF documents in the same way as with paper ones. Only on the screen. PDF was presented as a virtual printout, an on-screen equivalent of a printed copy. Accordingly, like any printed copy, the screen copy also could not be edited.

It didn't take long before it became clear that users needed to fix typos in documents, replace old logos with new ones, and even change fonts and layouts in their PDF files. Then manufacturers started supplying PDF editing tools. Even so, you can't edit PDFs with the same ease and flexibility as Word documents, and you probably never will.

Why are PDFs so difficult to edit?

As already mentioned, the PDF format was invented before everyone started using web browsers. The format was based on the printed page. This means that you can't just add a few lines of text to one page and force the rest of the text to go to a second page, as happens in conventional text editors. Instead, you will have to change the font size on the page, or the size of the block that contains the text. If you want to add text to fill the page, we will give you several ways in the following sections, but don't expect 100% results

Although many applications are called PDF editors, they cannot actually change the text and graphics in PDF files. They only allow you to add comments to the PDF file - either explanatory notes, or simply text lines or blocks that lie in a layer on top of the actual file content. When you add comments to a PDF, it's like you put the file under glass and started drawing comments on the glass. You can't make any meaningful changes to the text, such as correcting precise data, and anyone using free PDF viewers like Adobe Acrobat Reader or the MacOS Previewer can edit or delete your comments. With all this in mind, we will tell you a workaround on how to reliably insert comments into a PDF.

A true PDF editor will allow you to change, move, delete, and add content to a PDF file without allowing other people to tamper with your file unless they are using the same editor. You can use an expensive editor like Adobe Acrobat DC, which has many unique features for matching fonts in a scanned document, but you can use less expensive editors like PDF-Xchange editor (for Windows) or PDFelement to accomplish many things with the same results. 6 (for Windows and MacOS). Despite the differences in interfaces, the basic methods are the same in all editors.

Editing PDFs

Adobe Acrobat DC, the premier PDF editor, offers you a rich interface with well-customized controls for editing text and images. After opening your file in the Acrobat window, select Edit PDF from the tools menu. Blue blocks will appear around the element you are editing (text or image). To correct an error in the text, you just need to clickon the text block and start typing. Below is an example of using Acrobat to change the text in the title.

The formatting sidebar gives you full control over all formatting, including adjusting character spacing. You can use horizontal scaling to shrink or stretch text to the desired size. You can also change the block size if required. Select a block with an image, crop it, resize it, or replace the image with another, or edit it in a separate image editor.

Budget editing options

The same basic principles are presented in more budget applications, such as PDF-Xchange Editor. Open your PDF, click on "Edit" in the "Home" toolbar, then select the type of content you want to edit, either select all the content on the page, or just text, images and shapes. Below is an example of what editing or replacing images in PDF using PDF-Xchange Editor looks like.

It's worth noting that there is a standard option that allows you to edit text elements as a block. (If you turn this option off, you will only be able to edit small pieces of text, which can result in awkward spaces between words)
Just click on the text and start editing. By clicking on the gear in the lower left corner, you can select the toolbar to open a menu for font and paragraph alignment settings, but the settings are still not as good as in Acrobat.

PDF Formatting

It doesn't matter which editor you use. None of them are as easy to use as a regular text editor. If you edit a line that spans the entire width of the page, the text will likely move to the left, leaving a gap between the end of the line and the right indent. You can fix this by right-clicking on the line, selecting "paragraph" from the drop-down menu and selecting center alignment.

Using quotes will also add formatting problems. PDF editors don't treat quotes (with slanted quotes) the way regular text editors do, so the quotes remain straight. Instead, you'll have to copy the italicized quotation mark from somewhere. Either from another PDF file, or from another resource.

In PDF-Xchange Editor, as in other fully functional editors, you can resize text blocks so that the text fits the new block size, but remember that you cannot force text to transition smoothly from one page to another. Images can be resized, replaced or edited with the same “right click”.

Advanced PDF editing features

Adobe Acrobat DC offers users the most advanced PDF editing on the planet. Like all editors, Acrobat works well with PDF files created in Word or Excel. In addition, when you add text to a PDF, the editor will automatically select a font similar to the one in which the nearest text is written (of course, only if such a font is installed on your computer).

However, Acrobat has one great feature that other editors cannot boast of. If you're using Acrobat to edit an image scanned from an old book or magazine that used metal type printing (a technology that hasn't been around for about a hundred years), Acrobat will allow you to edit the scanned image using that very old one. font. This is possible through the process of optical character recognition in an image and generating a new font based on the characters present in the text. When you edit text in a PDF, Acrobat uses the new font to match the surrounding text. In the image below we are adding the letter "A" to the title "A Tea Party". "Acrobat" uses the same letter "A" that is used in the same title.

How to edit PDF for free?

We promised you that we would tell you how to make permanent changes to PDF using only free editors such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or preview tool on MacOS. On Windows you can install the program Bullzip PDF Printer, it is free for personal use; other free drivers may or may not work (the Microsoft driver is useless for our purpose; it does not create a full PDF with content that a search engine can understand, but only an image of the text).

Enter comments in Acrobat (lines or entire blocks of text), then print in Bullzip PDF Printer. As a result, the PDF will have new text that is searchable, just like the original. However, the comments will be embedded in the document, and removing them will be problematic.

On MacOS, open the PDF preview and add comments. In the print menu, click on the PDF button and save as PostScript (as additional information), and then save it to any location convenient for you. As a result, the PDF will be searchable, but the comments will again be embedded into the document.

Of course, there are many more different PDF editing utilities, and many other platforms on which you could edit them, but they are beyond the scope of this article. In the future we will cover other topics: how to protect PDF, how to merge multiple PDF files, how to convert PDF to Word (and vice versa). If you need advice, or want to tell us about a PDF-related trick, or your favorite application, write about it

Most computer users are familiar with the file format known as PDF. Most often in such a file you can see books, various instructions, and official documentation. This file is opened through special programs. The most famous is Acrobat Reader, but it can also be opened through modern browsers. Some users may need to edit such files. For example, you need to delete some parts of the text, but you have already lost the original document from which you created the PDF. Or the task is to slightly correct someone else’s PDF document. And here problems arise... PDF files cannot be edited through the same programs that everyone is used to opening them and this requires special programs that support editing such files. In this article, I will tell you about free ways to edit PDF documents.

This article will not talk about hacking password-protected and/or encrypted PDF documents that have restrictions on editing information!

When I was once faced with the task of editing a PDF document that contained instructions, I immediately ran into a problem. I thought I could do this using the PDF 24 Creator program, with which you can easily create a PDF file from almost any other text format and protect the document from copying and editing (all this is discussed in a separate article - here). But this program cannot edit PDF files; for example, you cannot use it to erase some text or write a new one.

The search for a special free program to solve this problem ended in failure. I was able to find only online services for editing documents, the capabilities of which are very weak, as well as the office suite LibreOffice (analogous to the paid Microsoft Office), which is generally designed for working with text documents, presentations, tables and at the same time supports the ability to edit PDF.

The ability to edit PDF files is also supported by all latest versions of the well-known Microsoft Word program (starting from approximately the 2013 release). But this program is paid and I myself use free analogues. The ability to edit PDF through Microsoft Office will be discussed.

So, let's first look at 2 free ways to edit a PDF document.

Editing a PDF document using the free office suite LibreOffice

LiberOffice, as I mentioned above, is a free analogue of the Microsoft Office package, which contains similar programs, i.e., a replacement for such well-known programs as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and others. It also supports editing PDF files. Of course, you don’t really want to install an entire office package just to edit, for example, one PDF file, but there is probably no other free and at the same time good solution to perform high-quality editing. If you need to perform simple editing in a PDF file, for example, erase some pieces of text, then it is easier to use the online editor that will be discussed.

If you need to replace some text, move some elements higher or lower, or add something else, then it is better to install LibreOffice for this, especially since you can quickly delete it later.

Download and install LibreOffice

You can always check for a more recent version and download it on the official website, in the “Download” section:

Installing the program is simple, you don’t need to configure anything in it, so I’ll look at it briefly.

You can find information on how to install programs in Windows, as well as what to pay attention to, in a separate article -.

In the last windows, click “Install” and “Finish”:

This completes the installation of LibreOffice.

How to open a PDF document for editing in LibreOffice and save again in the same format

In order to edit a PDF document using the LibreOffice office suite, no complicated steps are required, everything is very simple!

Launch LibreOffice and click Open File.

In the window that opens (Windows Explorer), find the PDF file on your computer that you want to edit, for example:

As a result, the PDF file you selected will be open for editing:

Now you can make any changes to the file just as you would if you were simply editing a text document. For example, you can easily change or delete any text, images, add links, and in general make any design for a document.

After you make changes to the document, you need to save it back in the same PDF format (unless, of course, you need some other one). If you simply click the “Save” button in the program, the saving will be done in standard formats of the LibreOffice program.

In the settings window, you can leave everything as default and click “Export”, then select a folder on your computer to save the file.

If you need to protect an edited PDF document, for example, prohibit copying information or even set a password to open the document. All this can be done on the “Security” tab (1). There, click “Set passwords” (2).

In the window, you can specify 2 different passwords: to open a document and to restrict rights (for example, to prohibit editing or copying information). You can specify both or leave one. Enter the passwords for the desired protection and click OK (2).

In the example above, the password is set only for restrictions within the document, and when opening the file, the password will not be asked.

Options for setting restrictions will now become available and you can set the desired document protection parameters.

After exporting, you will see a new PDF file in the folder where you saved it, with all the changes you made.

Easily edit a PDF file using an online service

If you need to perform basic PDF editing, i.e., not change some text, links or images, but, for example, remove some pieces of text from the document, erase something, then a regular online editing service will help you PDF files. Such services are not rich in their editing capabilities.

I have seen only one more or less normal site where you can perform simple editing of a PDF file and this is: pdfescape.com. The rest either have very poor functionality, there is no way to even erase something from a PDF, or they are too buggy or paid for.

Click Free Online to go to the online editor.

Click “Upload PDF to PDFescape”:

Now click on “Select File” and select the PDF file from your computer.

In a few seconds the file will be downloaded for the service and you can edit it.

In the left part of the window at the top (1) there are tools for editing PDF. Below (2) the page to edit is selected from the entire document. The page opens on the right side of the window (3).

There aren't a lot of tools, but you can do something. Each of them can be tried out to understand what it does and then deleted (right-click and select “Delete Object”) if necessary. For example, the Text tool is used to write new text in a PDF document, and the Whiteout tool is used to erase any information from the pages of a document. The tools have graphic icons next to them, so it won’t be difficult to guess what is responsible for what.

Changing the text to a new one will not work. This feature is not supported by any online PDF editor. All you can do for this is remove the old text using the Whiteout tool and write a new one on top using Text. However, you will have to adjust the font to the desired one, because it may be very different from what you have in the original.

All that remains is to select the folder where you will save the modified PDF and that’s it.

Edit PDF via Microsoft Office

The Microsoft Office program (namely Word from this package), as you know, is paid, but many people use it and therefore it will be easiest for them, if necessary, to edit a PDF file directly through Word.

Support for editing PDF files is not available in all versions of Microsoft Office Word, but starting around version 2013.

The example below will be shown using Microsoft Office Word 2016.

Editing a PDF is easy through Word. Open Word and open the desired PDF file through it: the “File” menu, then “Open” (1) and “Browse” (2).

The file will open as a regular Word document, which can be edited as required, like a regular text document you are familiar with.

After the file is edited, you need to save it back to PDF. To do this, select the "File" menu, then open "Export".

That's the whole process.

Conclusion

As you can see, editing PDF is not so difficult and you don’t need special paid programs for this. In this article, I have already shown you 2 free working options for editing PDF documents and one using a paid office. I think one of these options will definitely suit you!

Have a nice day and good mood! ;)

Editing PDF files is easy if you have the right tools. The PDF format is still the best solution for quickly compiling and publishing electronic documents, but the difficulty is that you cannot directly change the contents of the PDF file. To edit content, you will need professional software that will allow you to correct the contents of the electronic file. Let's look at five simple options for editing PDF files yourself.

Method 1: Editing with PDFelement

PDFelement combines tools for editing, annotating, converting, protecting and signing documents. It allows you to make changes to text and images without leaving the PDF itself. This is one of the best tools, primarily because of its ease of use: the product's motto is “edit like in Word,” which gives users the ability to easily customize or change document content in a familiar “office” interface.

Main features of the editor:

Edit text and graphics in PDF files: adding new paragraphs, correcting spelling errors, rearranging pages, cropping or replacing pictures. Everything happens when you click the corresponding button in the editor toolbar.
Edit on the go: The convenient mobile app lets you add or edit PDF text right on your smartphone.

Extended set of functions: “Line Mode” and “Paragraph Mode” create specific templates for editing. When you add new text, it will be formatted according to the selected template.
Automatic spell checking ensures that typing errors are quickly corrected. If you need to update text (such as a phrase or date), use Find and Replace to make any necessary edits.

How to convert a PDF file?

Use PDFelement to open the file as shown:

Select "Edit PDF" (see image above) or click the "Edit" button (see image below) at the top of the navigation bar in the home page interface.

2. Use the cursor to highlight the text or image you want to edit. PDFelement will show you the tools available for this.

3. Add or edit text on the page. Lines and paragraphs will be automatically reordered, or you can adjust the size of each element yourself.

4. Use the options in the object list to add, replace, move, or adjust an image on the page.

PDFelement has two versions of the application: standard and professional. Traditionally, the Pro version is considered more advanced, but for “home use” the standard version of the application will be more than enough.

Software support: Windows / Mac

Cost: Standard $59.95/Pro $99.95 (one-time use)

Method 2: Editing with Adobe Acrobat

Everyone knows that the PDF format is the brainchild of Adobe, and the Adobe Acrobat application is the standard editor for working with such files. But working in the application is possible only with a paid subscription and, as a rule, is used in large companies. But still, let's look at how to edit a document yourself in Acrobat.

Select the File tab and click Open. In the interactive window, select the PDF file you want to edit. The application should display the content of the file being adjusted.

2. In the “Tools” tab, select the “Edit PDF” function, click on it so that it becomes active and you can select the PDF file you need to edit.

3. Edit the document: edit the text, check for spelling errors, change the size of elements, etc. Backgrounds, links, titles, and other feature sets are also editable in this mode, giving you virtually no restrictions on your editing options.

Conveniently, if you need to work remotely, the mobile version of Adobe will also cope perfectly with all the tasks.

Note: If you agree to pay for a long-term license to use the editor, then the standard version will cost you $12.99 per month. If you just need to view the contents of PDF files, then the free version of Adobe Reader will satisfy your needs, but you will not be able to edit the document in it.

Software support: Windows/Mac

Cost: Standard $12.99/Pro $14.99 (monthly)

Method 3: Alternative Applications

As an alternative to installed editors, you can also use third-party applications, which are often free and operate through your browser window.

It's worth noting right away that these tools have a limited set of functions compared to other paid editors, but for processing simple PDF files they are a completely workable solution.

PDF editor Sejda Online

If you do not want to download and install any specialized software utility for editing PDF files, then the Sejda application will allow you to edit documents online: change text, digital signatures, add images, shapes or annotation text to PDF format.

However, please note that there are some limitations to this online tool:

on the size of saved files and document storage (personal files are automatically deleted after 5 hours);
on the volume of the document being processed - the content should not exceed 200 pages or 50 MB;
The application allows you to process no more than 3 tasks per hour.

All additional services and expansion of the scope of work are available only for a fee.

PDF Editor Ableword

Ableword may not be a very popular application among users, but it supports working with documents created in most popular formats, which can not only be opened and saved as PDF, but also converted back from PDF to Word.

Ableword has a clear, familiar interface, very similar to the Word editor. It allows you to reformat images, adjust text, add or change headers and footers, etc. However, AbleWord is compatible with the following file types:

Microsoft Word® (doc, docx);
Adobe® PDF (pdf);
Rich text format (rtf);
Plain text (txt);
HTML (HTML, HTM).

It is worth noting that AbleWord is very easy to install and use. Of course, its limited functionality and unknown brand make many users doubt the reliability of the application, but if you do not deal with important documents, then this is a completely good working option.

Method 4: Edit PDF Using a PDF Converter

If you don't know how to work with PDF or you need to do a lot of "text work" without wasting time learning a new application, then you can always turn to the conversion option.

Convert PDF files into the format that suits you so you can work on them in a more convenient software application. The easiest option is to convert text to Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Although in this case, converting the file may lead to disruption of markup, writing styles and text processing (font size and formatting style).

An alternative is to use a specialized PDF converter, such as HIPDF, which can convert PDF files to PowerPoint, Word, CSV, Excel. It is convenient that the application allows you to then convert the formatted document back into PDF format.

Among the disadvantages: the application is not Russified. Currently, the utility only supports English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, which somewhat limits its use.

We often need to create a new PDF file or edit an existing one: for example, you need to create a report in PDF format from scratch, combine scanned copies of documents for sending, or make changes to the text of a finished PDF document. If you're just getting started with PDF, it can be difficult to choose the PDF software that's best suited to your needs.

Top 7 programs for editing PDF in Russian

Before choosing a tool for working with PDF, you need to decide which properties are most important to you. Surely, the software should support basic functions, such as the ability to edit text, the ability to add pictures and rotate/move pages. The tool you choose should be easy to use and understandable. In addition, it is desirable that all files are processed without loss of quality.

To help you find a solution, we have compiled the top 7 popular PDF processing software that you can use for free.

Type: PDF viewer and creator, PDF editor, PDF converter
Operating system: Windows, Mac OS X

PDF editor from Movavi is one of the most effective tools for working with PDF; its versatility and user-friendly interface will be a pleasant surprise for any user. The free trial version allows you to use all the functions of the program for a limited amount of time (7 days).

Movavi PDF Editor allows you to:

Open, view and print PDF documents
Add, edit and format text in PDF
Add images to PDF and edit them
Sign PDF documents electronically
Merge multiple PDF files into one large one
Split a PDF file into parts
Extract images from PDF file in JPEG, PNG, BMP format
Convert JPG, PNG, BMP and other graphic files to PDF format

Movavi PDF Editor is available free of charge as a PDF viewer. To perform more advanced tasks, the developers offer an extended version at a budget price of 690 rubles.

Soda PDF

Type:
Operating system: Windows, Mac OS X

Soda PDF occupies a leading position in the ranking of the best PDF editors for computers. The application immediately impresses with its speed and large number of functions. Among the disadvantages, we can note a somewhat inconvenient preview, which is difficult to understand intuitively, without hints.

Soda PDF allows you to:

View and annotate PDF documents
Insert and edit images
Add text to a PDF document
Use an electronic signature to certify documents
Crop and rotate PDF pages
Merge and Split PDFs
Compress files

Like the previous app, Soda PDF is free to use during a trial period (usually 2 weeks). For continued use, Soda PDF offers different tariffs, which range from a reasonable 10 euros for a monthly subscription to a slightly astronomical hundred euros for a perpetual license.

Foxit Reader

Type: PDF viewer, PDF editor
Operating system: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

Foxit has long and firmly taken the position of one of the most popular PDF viewers in Russia. Foxit Reader pleases users with its simplicity and variety of document viewing modes. However, when it comes to editing, the functions of this program are very limited: the program does not provide for adding pictures or the ability to draw by hand and only supports basic text formatting.

Foxit Reader allows you to:

Read and annotate PDF documents
Quickly search for words and phrases in a document
Rotate PDF pages and resize them
Make simple edits to text
Protect PDF files from copying
Convert PDF to XLSX, DOCX, JPEG formats

The ability to convert to Word/Excel/JPG can be useful for electronic document management, however, it is proposed to pay for it separately.

Master PDF Editor

Type: PDF viewer, PDF manager
Operating system: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

The program immediately attracts with its laconic interface, made in black and white style. Master PDF Editor is a complete tool for working with PDF, including functions for reading, commenting, editing and signing a PDF document. However, the most important functions are locked by cunning developers, and when you try to make changes, the program prompts you to register and install a paid version of the product.

Master PDF Editor allows you to:

View and comment on PDF documents
Move and rotate pages in PDF
Add and remove pages from a PDF document
Blur or highlight desired content in a document
Edit and format text (paid)
Add and edit pictures (paid)
Add signature and stamp to documents (paid)

If your work involves the constant use of PDF files and you can afford the software for 2990 rubles, you should think about purchasing the full version of Master PDF Editor. If you need a full-fledged and free PDF editor, we recommend turning to the options above.

PDF24

Type: PDF Reader, PDF Designer, PDF Compressor
Operating system: Windows

PDF24 is an excellent option for one-off jobs. The program weighs little (24.6 MB), works quickly and smoothly, but the range of functions is limited to basic tools such as PDF viewing and page management. Again, the cute but rustic interface design will appeal only to avid retrogrades.

PDF24 allows you to:

Open and view PDF files
Manage pages of a PDF document (arrange, rotate, delete unnecessary ones)
Prepare PDF for printing
Upload PDF documents and fax them
Compress PDF files without losing quality

Along with basic editing, PDF24 offers an extremely useful option to compress PDF files to a smaller size - saving memory has not been canceled.

Infix

Type: PDF Viewer, PDF Editor, PDF Converter
Operating system: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

Another PDF app that deserves your attention is Infix. Infix allows users to edit text and images in PDF documents quickly and without any special tricks. The only significant drawback of the software is its periodic crashes, which occur regardless of memory load and other parameters.

Infix allows you to:

View and annotate PDF documents
Add and edit images
Edit text in a PDF document
Crop/rotate PDF pages
Merge multiple PDFs into one
Split PDF files into parts
Extract PDF document pages in TIFF, JPEG, PNG format

Infix is a good solution for users who need special “software” for editing PDF for free, and who are ready for temporary difficulties in the form of software crashes.

PDF-XChange Editor

Type: PDF creator, PDF reader, PDF editor
Operating system: Windows, Mac OS X

PDF-XChange Editor is a complete software for editing PDF files on Windows. Be prepared for the fact that problems may arise with the perception of the interface: to an inexperienced user, the program may seem overloaded with “features”; you will have to figure out what’s what.

However, if you have the time and opportunity to study the software's functionality on your own, you will find that the program is not as confusing as it might seem at first glance.

PDF-XChange Editor allows you to:

Open and view PDF documents
Add annotations and footnotes to PDF
Merge and split PDF files
Add an electronic signature and secure documents (paid)
Convert PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Edit text and pictures
Add watermarks to PDF documents

PDF-XChange Editor is currently only available to Windows users, so if you're looking for software for Mac OS, you'll want to check out the other programs in this list.

We have identified the 10 most popular PDF editors for PC in Russian. We hope that this information will be useful to you and will help you in choosing software.

The PDF standard is characterized by the use of high-quality raster and vector drawings, photographs, scans and screenshots, text with standardized fonts, and even three-dimensional models in the document. Being one of the main documentation formats, PDF files require special software that is not part of the Microsoft Office package to operate.

Such software is divided into three types: readers, editors and combined options. In our review, we will look at the five best free programs for viewing and editing PDF files.

One of the most successful alternatives to Adobe Acrobat for working with PDF documents is PDF-XChange Editor. The program combines the functionality of a viewer and editor, compatible with Microsoft office products. The free Free PDF-XChange Editor and the paid one with the Plus prefix, which has advanced features, are available for download.

The editor allows you to create new electronic documents and import/export elements into PowerPoint, Word and Excel files. The owner of the document can leave his signature, stamp and set a password to restrict access. Each participant in the teamwork can leave their comments in the form of text or audio comments, leave markers on problem areas and make corrections. The software comes complete with the PDF-XChange Lite add-on, a virtual printer for converting graphics and text to PDF.

Although the free program includes a minimum of necessary tools, PDF-XChange Editor Plus offers a greater variety of manipulations with PDF forms. In addition to manual printing, the OCR function is implemented to recognize text on an image and convert it into electronic form. You can also copy a drawing from Compass-3D or AutoCad into a PDF document and continue working on it in the editor interface.

The program interface has a classic look for office editors - the toolbar and tabs are located at the top of the window, and the work area occupies ¾ of its space. At the bottom there is an indication panel of cursor coordinates, buttons for turning and changing the page layout configuration. Drag&drop will make it easier and faster to copy or paste elements between documents. The interface text has been translated into Russian.

Advantages:

Paid features are available in the free version (the watermark cannot be removed);
support for third-party formats TXT, DOC, PNG, DOCX, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, RTF;
interaction with Microsoft Office products;
inserting web links and stamps;
document protection with password and electronic signatures;
a large set of tools for cropping, changing the position and parameters of attachments, drawing and formatting text;
implementation of OCR text recognition technology;
classic customizable interface in Russian;

Flaws:

no obvious shortcomings.

PDFelement

PDFelement is an excellent cross-platform program for reading, editing and converting PDF files on a computer running Windows, Mac OS and Android and iOS mobile devices. The developer and publisher is the Chinese company Wondershare. They offer users two types of paid licenses: Standart and Professional, which have significant differences in functionality.

The process of creating a new or editing an existing PDF document is not significantly different from what we saw in Adobe Acrobat. It also features advanced text formatting, automatic adjustment when moving paragraphs, correction of grammatical and punctuation errors, and a large selection of non-standard fonts. PDFelement Professional is additionally equipped with OCR optical text recognition function from scanned images, screenshots and photographs.

Both versions contain a converter for Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word documents to PDF and vice versa. Without resorting to conversion, you can drag and drop individual attachments and forms from MS Office files into your open PDF document. To simplify the creation of a new form, the user has access to more than 8,000 templates from the internal library. The Professional license adds a batch processing option to convert multiple files at once.

Document protection from accidental or intentional damage is ensured by a complex password with 256-bit encryption to prevent confidential data from being hacked. In the settings, you can specify which actions are subject to blocking (printing, viewing, editing, sending, deleting, etc.). Anyone with access to the document can leave comments or markers on key issues.

Externally, PDFelement strongly resembles the latest MS Word 2019. In addition to the usual panels and tabs, there are also unique elements, for example, a functional collapsible panel on the left side of the window and a miniature block of buttons in the upper left corner. The program has been translated into 9 languages, but Russian is not one of them.

Advantages:

the program is a direct competitor to Adobe Acrobat;
many tools for working with graphics, text and CAD attachments;
high accuracy of text recognition;
compatibility with MS Office formats;
a large library of blank forms and fonts;
batch PDF converter from DOC, DOCX, XLS, PPT, PPTX and other formats;
encrypting a document with a password;
Convenient familiar interface.

Flaws:

Only a trial version with limitations is free;
there is no translation into Russian.

PDF Editor

For more than 15 years, the PDF Editor program has remained in demand among users who value the rigor, simplicity and multitasking of this product. The editor's developer is the German company CAD-KAS, specializing in the creation of office software. In addition to the basic paid version, CAD-KAS offers advanced PDF Editor Pro and PDF Editor Objects. You can try each of them without paying by installing a limited demo version.

PDF Editor provides great opportunities for working with text, as if you were working in a full-fledged text editor. The user has access to full formatting, dragging and dropping individual paragraphs, auto-correction of grammatical and punctuation errors, replacing the font with a standard or unique one (from the library) and other basic functions. Unicode support in PDF Editor allows you to read and edit documents in all standardized languages and dialects, as well as use non-standard characters.

The program interface includes a miniature graphic editor. With it, you can change the parameters of attached images directly in the document without leaving the PDF Editor. The editor also includes tools for drawing raster and vector images from scratch, inserting stamps and markers. It allows you to change the page layout, their order and position in the window. To hide confidential data contained in a document, PDF Editor has a masking function. When you open a file in a third-party PDF editor, hidden attachments will be invisible and the rest of the information will remain untouched.

To prepare the finished document in accordance with regulatory standards, the PDF Editor Pro version includes a form editor where you can enter basic data: full name of the owner and developers, date of creation, signature. Individuals with access to the PDF can leave comments below the work.

The PDF Editor interface is relatively simple and does not stand out among its competitors. The upper part of the window is reserved for context menu tabs, action tabs, and control buttons. On the left and right sides there are toolbars for working with dough, graphics, page layout, etc. The interface text is correctly translated into Russian.

Advantages:

“easy” PDF editor for the system;
the presence of only basic functions without frills and clutter of tools;
extensive library of templates in the PDF Editor Objects version;
document protection with a password and digital signature;
advanced form editor in PDF Editor Pro;
support for all versions of Windows, including good old XP;
There is a demo version for trying out the software;
simple interface in Russian;

Flaws:

overpriced licenses, given the mediocre set of functions.

Soda PDF

Soda PDF is a family of programs for working with PDF documents with unlimited possibilities. The program is known for its widest functionality, high quality and optimization for any computer and mobile device based on Windows, Android and iOS. Canadian developer Lulu Software offers several variants of its product: Soda PDF Anywhere, Soda PDF HOME and Soda PDF PREMIUM. Along with them, a free online service, Soda PDF Online, is available for viewing and converting files in an Internet browser.

Soda PDF's capabilities put it on par with the exemplary Adobe Acrobat program, the file formats of which are completely associated with the hero of our review. The same applies to Microsoft Office - all file extensions .doc, .docx, .jpg, .bmp, .rtf, .xls, .pptx, .txt are read and converted by Soda PDF. It is also possible to batch convert several documents at the same time.

To create a new document, the user is provided with a lot of tools and actions, in particular: entering and automatically correcting a test, merging and reorganizing paragraphs from several files, access to a set of basic and custom fonts, formatting the page and fields on it, creating and filling out forms from scratch "or according to a template. In order to make human work easier, Soda PDF has a smart OCR optical text recognizer, which allows you to convert image text into an electronic editable form in several languages.

Soda PDF can work with complex raster and vector graphics, bitmaps, CAD drawings, 3D objects and other attachments. You can insert freshly captured photos or a hand-drawn drawing directly into the Soda PDF interface. The owner of the document has the right to set his own stamp/watermark, electronic signature and password. For other project participants, access rights can be simplified with the ability to leave comments and edits. The PDF document can be published to the Soda cloud or Google Drive.

The appearance of Soda PDF is almost a copy of MS Office with the exception of some minor details. This can be called a plus, since the location of the main buttons and tools is intuitive at first glance. All interface elements have been translated into Russian.

Advantages:

a serious competitor to Adobe in terms of PDF editing capabilities;
a large selection of several options with different functionality;
association with MS Office formats;
there is an OCR text recognizer;
an expanded library of templates and ready-made forms;
PDF converter for one or more files at the same time;
High degree of protection of work from outsiders;
Practical Russian-language interface.

Flaws:

The free trial version has functional and time limitations.

PDF Candy

Surely everyone reading the article is wondering, where is a truly free PDF editor without restrictions in functionality and time of use? This is the online PDF Candy service from IcecreamApps. It gives you the basic tools you need to work with PDF documents without paying a penny to use them. There is also an offline analogue of the service in the form of a free program on Windows OS.

PDF Candy is the ideal free PDF editor for everyday tasks at school and work. Here you can remove and add text from other documents, add and change graphic attachments, insert geometry and change sheet parameters. The capabilities of the “candy” are quite modest, but they are more than enough for urgent, simple editing.

Having visited the service’s website, a shortcut panel appears in front of the user, where, in addition to the PDF editor, there are many additional tools. Here you can do everything that you can do in paid analogues: combine PDF files, convert and insert MS Office files into them, format pages and metadata, add headers and footers, set/remove document passwords and much more. A separate point worth mentioning is the image text recognizer, which interprets it into a digital editable form in 10 languages, including English and Russian.

The entire service interface is represented by the main page with shortcuts and the work area of the selected tool. In a Windows program, the toolbar is located on the left side of the window, and on the right is the contents of the document or the path to the file. Both products contain Russian language.

Advantages:

PDF Candy is a completely free project;
access to all modern tools and options;
there is no need to install the program, although such an option is provided;
there are no clear system requirements - calculations are performed on the server;
downloading data from Google Drive and Dropbox;
comfortable interface in Russian.

Flaws:

low functionality and flexibility of the editor.

Bottom line

We believe that with this article we have fully covered the topic of choosing a PDF editor, thoroughly analyzing all the features of the programs, and for each of them we have identified the key advantages and disadvantages. The last thing we can do is find the target consumer for some of the products reviewed.

For use at work and at home, the best option is PDF-XChange Editor and PDFelement. Both programs have powerful functionality, an association with common office files, and an interface that is comfortable for long-term work. If necessary, the user can always upgrade the program to a paid advanced version.

Soda PDF is positioned as a more versatile professional solution for the office and home. Mobile applications from Soda will help you correct a document and get acquainted with the projects of your colleagues, anywhere and at any time. However, there is more emphasis on purchasing paid licenses.

In other cases, when you do not need huge functionality, PDF Candy is perfect for editing PDF documents. It is completely free, which is useful for schoolchildren, students and small private organizations. The online service eliminates the need to be tied to a computer and the need to download and install software.