While you can highlight text in a PDF, edit PDFs to add or remove data, or add your signature to a PDF file, many PDF readers don't go far easy to write or draw on a PDF file.

If you just want to write letters in a crossword or draw amendments to a program, you may non be able to discover the tools you need for that. However, in that location are some methods you tin use to write or draw on a PDF in Mac and Windows, which we'll explain in this guide.

How to Write on a PDF File in Windows

In Windows, you can convert the PDF file into a Word document, edit it, and then relieve information technology as a PDF file again to preserve your changes.

  1. Open a Give-and-take certificate, select File > Open and find the PDF file you desire to edit.
  1. Select the PDF file to open information technology in Discussion. If you lot become a message saying that Word will convert your PDF into an editable document, select OK and wait for the program to finish converting your PDF to an editable format.
  1. Once the file opens in Word, you can edit the document. Select File > Salvage as and then select Salvage as type > PDF to save the document back as a PDF file.

How to Add together Text to a PDF File in Windows Using Adobe Acrobat Online

You can write on a PDF document in Windows with Adobe Acrobat'southward online service.

  1. Log in to your Adobe Acrobat online account and select Edit Text and Images.
  1. Select Add a file from your device > Go along to open the PDF file on your computer, and upload information technology to the site. Once the document is uploaded, it will be in an editable format akin to a Give-and-take document.
  1. Select Add together Text on the toolbar at the pinnacle.
  1. Drag the cursor to the position where you'd similar to add the text. Click hither to create a text box and size information technology by dragging the circles on the border and type your text in the textbox.
  1. You can also conform your text'due south color and font size to fit your document. Then, select Close to save your changes.
  1. Select Download at the top right side of the screen to download your PDF file.

With Adobe Acrobat online you lot tin can also add annotations or pasty notes, mark up text or catechumen the PDF to other file formats.

How to Draw on a PDF File in Windows

There are times you just want to draw amendments to some plans or fill letters in a crossword. In such cases, the easiest affair to do is to use Adobe Acrobat Reader or online tools like PDFescape or SmallPDF.

Draw on PDF Using Adobe Acrobat Reader

Cartoon tools are bachelor in Adobe Acrobat Reader but only for PDFs that have commenting available.

  1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader and select Tools > Comment.
  1. Select the PDF file you want to draw on.
  1. Select Drawing Tools.
  1. Select the drawing markup tool, which can be a rectangle, oval, arrow, line, cloud, or polygon.
  1. You tin also apply the Pencil tool to create free-course drawings.
  1. To depict in the PDF, choose a tool, click and drag on the document to insert the shape you desire, or click any of the T icons to insert different text types.
  1. Right-click and select Set Status > Completed to stop drawing the shape.

Note: To draw perfect circles or squares or draw lines, press the Shift key on your keyboard while drawing the shape. Then, select the shape and drag one of its handles to edit or resize information technology.

  1. You can also add together popular-up notes or comments to the shapes you draw by selecting the Manus tool and double-clicking the shape to enter your text.
  1. To add together a text box, select Add Text Box, click in the PDF and select Text Properties (Bold, Font, Alignment, etc.) in the Annotate toolbar. If you want to remove the text box, select it and press Delete.

Draw on PDF Using PDFescape

PDFescape is a costless tool with many features that let yous add text, describe on the PDF, and manage the pages however you want. Here's how to describe on a PDF file in Windows using PDFescape.

  1. Upload your file from your device or paste the URL to a PDF file online.
  1. Utilise the freehand tool to draw on the PDF certificate. You can likewise add together an image or shape.
  1. Subsequently drawing on your PDF file, yous can download information technology to your device.

How to Write or Describe on a PDF File in Mac

At that place aren't many genuinely free PDF editors for macOS that tin allow you write in the PDF, add or remove images, make full forms, etc. However, the built-in Preview program can accomplish several PDF editing capabilities that might work improve for you, depending on what you want to do.

  1. Select Go > Applications > Preview to launch the program.
  1. Select File > Open and find your PDF file and open information technology in Preview.
  1. Select View > Prove Markup Toolbar.

Note: The Preview app doesn't allow you to edit pre-existing text. If you want to overwrite a portion of the text, y'all may have to depict a white box over the text to hide it and so use the text tool to write on meridian of the box.

  1. On the Markup toolbar, select Sketch, Draw or Shapes to depict free-course or standard shapes like a rectangle, oval, circle, arrow, line, star, and other shapes.
  1. To add together text, click on the Text tool, which is located in-between the shape tool and the signature tool.
  2. Select File > Save to save the changes you've made on your document.

You can also employ an online PDF editor to write or draw on a PDF file in Mac. Some of the commonly used tools include PDFescape, Sejda, or LibreOffice Draw.

For more on managing PDF files, turn to our guides on how to insert a PDF into PowerPoint, browse multiple pages into one PDF file, and convert a Word certificate to PDF.

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