How to Make a PDF Editable in Preview (and Beyond!)

Can You Edit PDFs in Preview on Mac?

The short answer is yes, Preview does offer some basic editing features. Primarily, these come in the form of annotation and markup tools. You can add highlights, notes, shapes, and signatures to a PDF using Preview's built-in tools. However, it's crucial to understand the limitations: Preview is designed more for annotation than for directly altering the core content of a PDF.

One of the main drawbacks of Preview is that you often cannot directly edit existing text within the PDF. This means that if you need to correct a typo or change the wording of the original document, Preview might not be sufficient. While Quick Look offers a quick preview of files, Preview is the primary tool on macOS for any form of editing, even the most basic annotations.

According to a DocFly blog post, using Preview to edit PDFs on Mac allows you to highlight and annotate, but might not enable comprehensive editing like altering existing text. The key to accessing Preview's editing capabilities lies within the Markup Toolbar, which we'll explore in more detail below. By understanding the Markup Toolbar, you can make the most of Preview's capabilities.

How to Use Preview to Annotate PDFs (Basic Editing)

Let's walk through the steps to use Preview for basic PDF annotations.

A. Opening the PDF:

• First, locate the PDF file on your Mac.
• Double-click the file to open it. If the PDF opens in a different application than Preview, don't worry; this is easily fixed.
• Right-click on the PDF file. Select "Open With" from the context menu, and then choose "Preview." This ensures that the PDF opens with Preview and you can use its annotation tools.

B. Show Markup Toolbar

• Once the PDF is open in Preview, you need to access the Markup Toolbar to begin annotating.
• Look for the Markup Toolbar button, which is usually represented by a toolbox icon or a pencil icon. Click this button to display the toolbar, which contains all of Preview's annotation tools.

C. Available Annotation Tools in Preview:

Preview offers a range of annotation tools within the Markup Toolbar. These tools allow you to add various elements to your PDF, such as text, shapes, signatures, and highlights.

• Text Selection: Allows you to select and copy text within the annotation layer (see DocFly blog source).
• Rectangular Selection: Similar to text selection, but for rectangular areas (again, within the annotation layer).
• Sketch: Enables freeform drawing using a pencil tool.
• Draw: Also enables freeform drawing, but with a heavier line, especially when using a Force Touch trackpad.
• Shapes: Provides pre-defined shapes like rectangles, circles, arrows, speech bubbles, and a highlight tool. You can also use the zoom lens tool to magnify portions of the PDF.
• Text: Allows you to add new text boxes to the PDF.
• Highlight Selection: Highlights existing text within the PDF.
• Sign: Lets you add signatures from your trackpad, camera, or iPhone/iPad.
• Note: Adds sticky notes to the PDF for adding comments or reminders.

You'll also find tools to customize the appearance of your annotations:

• Shape Style: Adjusts the line thickness and shadow of shapes.
• Border Color: Changes the border color of shapes.
• Fill Color: Changes the fill color of shapes.
• Text Style: Adjusts the font, style, and color of text.
• Rotate Left/Right: Rotates pages or selected elements.
• Crop: Allows you to crop the visible area of the PDF.
• Form Fill: Automatically fills interactive form fields if they are present in the PDF.

D. Detailed Steps for Common Annotations:

Let's go through the steps for adding some common annotations.

• Adding Text:
  • Click the Text tool, represented by an "A" in a box.
  • Use the "Aa" icon to adjust the font, size, and color of the text. Experiment to find the perfect look.
  • Click on the PDF where you want to add text, and a text box will appear. Type your text into the box.
  • Drag the text box to the desired location.
• Adding a Signature:
  • Click the Sign icon.
  • Choose your signature source: Trackpad, Camera, or iPhone/iPad. Follow the prompts to create and save your signature.
  • Once saved, drag the signature into the desired position on the PDF.
• Adding Shapes:
  • Click the Shapes icon and select a shape (square, circle, arrow, etc.).
  • Use the color tools to change the fill and border colors of the shape.
  • Click and drag on the PDF to create the shape. Resize and reposition as needed.
• Rearranging Pages:
  • Go to View > Thumbnails. This will display thumbnails of all the pages in the PDF.
  • Drag the thumbnails to rearrange the order of the pages.
  • To delete a page, select its thumbnail and press the Delete key. This makes it easy to remove unwanted pages (as referenced in Tom's Guide source).

E. Saving Your Annotations:

It's important to save your annotations to preserve your changes.

• To save the annotations and keep them editable, go to File > Save. This updates the original PDF file.
• If you want to save a copy of the PDF with the annotations, but keep the original intact, choose File > Export. This allows you to save the copy with a different name or location.
• To flatten the annotations and make them non-editable, go to File > Print, then select "Save as PDF" from the PDF dropdown menu. This creates a copy where the annotations are permanent and cannot be changed.

Limitations of Preview for True PDF Editing

While Preview is handy for basic annotations, it falls short when it comes to true PDF editing. As stated by OliviaMarsh source, one of the most significant limitations is the inability to directly modify existing text. You can't correct typos or change the wording of the original PDF content using Preview's tools. This can be frustrating when you need to make even minor changes to a document.

Preview also offers limited image editing capabilities beyond basic annotation. You can add images, but you can't perform advanced image manipulation like color correction or complex cropping. Furthermore, Preview lacks advanced features such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This means you can't convert scanned documents or images containing text into editable text. This limitation is compounded by the inability to delete or change original text, as noted by Burnside_Dad source, making Preview unsuitable for significant alterations.

When Preview Isn't Enough: Scenarios

There are several scenarios where Preview's limitations make it insufficient for your PDF editing needs.

• If you need to correct typos or grammatical errors in the original PDF text, Preview won't be able to help. You'll need a more powerful PDF editor that allows you to directly modify the existing text.
• If you need to significantly alter the layout of the PDF, such as rearranging paragraphs or changing the placement of images, Preview's annotation tools are not designed for this purpose.
• If you need to convert a scanned document or image into editable text, Preview's lack of OCR functionality will be a roadblock.
• If you require advanced form creation capabilities, such as adding complex form fields or creating dynamic forms, Preview's limited form fill capabilities won't suffice.

Introducing BreezePDF: A More Powerful Solution

Preview is a useful tool for basic PDF tasks, but for advanced editing needs, you need a more robust solution. BreezePDF is a comprehensive PDF editor designed for Mac (and other platforms) that offers a wide range of features beyond Preview's capabilities.

BreezePDF empowers you to directly edit existing text and images within your PDFs. You can also use its OCR functionality to convert scanned documents into editable text. Furthermore, BreezePDF provides advanced form creation and editing capabilities. BreezePDF offers a user-friendly interface that makes complex editing tasks simple. Best of all, BreezePDF is 100% private, meaning your documents never leave your device.

How to Edit a PDF with BreezePDF

Let's explore how to use BreezePDF to edit your PDFs.

A. Opening a PDF:

• Launch BreezePDF on your computer.
• Open the PDF file you want to edit using the "Open" option in the menu.

B. Editing Text:

• Select the "Edit Text" tool from the toolbar.
• Click on the text you want to modify.
• Make your changes directly within the text box. Adjust the font, size, and formatting as needed to match the surrounding text.

C. Editing Images:

• Select the "Edit Image" tool.
• Click on the image you want to modify.
• You can now rotate, crop, resize, or even replace the image with a different one.

D. Performing OCR (if needed):

• If you're working with a scanned document, select the "OCR" tool.
• Choose the language of the text in the document.
• Run the OCR process to convert the scanned text into editable text.

E. Adding and Editing Form Fields:

• Switch to the "Form Editing" mode.
• Add various form fields, such as text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdown lists.
• Customize the properties of the form fields, such as their size, font, and validation rules.

F. Saving Your Changes:

• Once you've made all your desired changes, save the edited PDF to preserve your work.

Other PDF Editors on Mac (Brief Overview)

While BreezePDF provides a great balance of features and ease of use, there are other PDF editors available for Mac. As mentioned in DocFly source, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a comprehensive option but can be quite expensive. PDF Expert is another feature-rich and user-friendly choice, but it also comes with a price tag. Skim is a lightweight and free option, but it has limited features.

Other options mentioned by OliviaMarsh source include PDFgear, PDF Candy, Sejda, and Nitro PDF. When choosing a PDF editor, consider your specific needs and budget. BreezePDF offers a compelling combination of powerful features, a user-friendly interface, and a private, secure experience, making it an excellent choice for many users. BreezePDF distinguishes itself by its local, client-side document processing, avoiding any data transfer to external servers. This enhances privacy and security, especially when working with sensitive documents.

How to Flatten Annotations to Prevent Further Editing in Preview

Once you've finished annotating a PDF in Preview, you might want to prevent further edits. This is especially useful when sharing a document and you want to ensure your annotations remain intact.

• Go to File > Print.
• From the PDF dropdown menu, select "Save as PDF".
• Once you click "Save", the PDF will be saved with flattened annotations, meaning they can no longer be edited.

Conclusion

Preview provides useful basic editing capabilities for PDFs on macOS. However, for more advanced editing tasks, such as directly modifying existing text or performing OCR, it falls short. BreezePDF offers a more comprehensive solution for PDF editing, empowering you to make significant changes and additions to your documents.

We encourage you to try BreezePDF to experience a comprehensive PDF editing experience. With BreezePDF's intuitive interface and powerful features, you can easily edit, annotate, and create fillable PDFs without compromising your privacy. Unlock the full potential of your PDFs today with BreezePDF!