Editing a PDF on a Mac sounds complicated, but it’s as simple as cropping a screenshot! You can add text, conceal private info, or fill in a form, and macOS comes with built-in tools — Preview and Quick Look — that enable you to edit PDFs for free. Third-party apps offer stronger solutions for your advanced features. Here’s all you need to know about PDF editing on macOS.
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How to Edit a PDF on Mac: A Complete Guide to Using Preview, Quick Look, and Third-Party Tools
Edit PDFs on Mac Using Preview
Preview, the default PDF viewer in macOS, can also do a lot of basic editing. It enables you to view, annotate, and comment on PDFs. It doesn’t enable the editing of existing text, though. Steps to Edit PDFs in Preview:
- Open the PDF file by double-clicking it in Finder (or right-click and select Open with > Preview if it doesn’t open by default).
- Select the Markup Tool (Pencil icon) from the top toolbar to access editing options.
You can:
- Add Text: Add a Text (A in a box) element and adjust the Font, size, color, and alignment, then drag where to place.
- Add Signatures: Create a signature through the Trackpad, Camera, or connected devices, and drop it into the PDF.
- Add Shape: This is a tool that you can use to add shapes such as circles, stars, or speech bubbles. You also can customize it. Customize size, border, and fill colors.
- Rearrange Pages: To drag, reorder, or delete pages, turn on the Thumbnails view.
Edit PDFs on Mac Using Quick Look
Quick Look: Instant file previews, plus basic editing tools, similar to those available in Preview. Steps to Edit PDFs in Quick Look:
- Find the PDF in Finder and hit the Space Bar to open Quick Look.
- Click the Pencil icon to reveal the editing toolbar.
- Edit the PDF with text addition, shape insertion, and annotations.
Most editing tools are supported in Quick Look, but rearranging pages is for Preview only.
Advanced Editing with Third-Party Apps
For more complex tasks such as editing existing text or combining PDFs, check out Adobe Acrobat DC, PDF Expert, and Foxit PhantomPDF.
- Adobe Acrobat DC: A powerful professional tool for extensive editing needs.
- PDF Expert: Clean interface for file reading, advanced markup tools, AI-enhanced features, split document, and sensitive information redaction.
FAQs
Can I edit text directly in a PDF using Preview?
No, Preview allows you to add text and annotations but does not support editing pre-existing text in a PDF.
Are Quick Look and Preview completely free to use?
Yes, both tools are built into macOS and available for free without any additional downloads.
