Everyday AI

Which free tool lets me edit a PDF, including its text and forms?

To fill a form, add text or sign, use what you have: on a Mac, Preview fills form fields, adds text boxes and signatures and has a Redaction tool, though it cannot change a PDF's existing text; on Windows, Microsoft Edge opens PDFs and lets you highlight, add text and save. To change the words themselves, open the PDF in Microsoft Word (File > Open), which turns it into an editable document you save back as a PDF; complex layouts can shift. Adobe's free online editor adds text boxes, comments, form fields and signatures, but editing existing text needs Acrobat Pro, and the file goes to Adobe's servers, deleted unless you sign in to save it. For a free editor that keeps files on your machine, Stirling PDF is open source and runs locally. To hide something, redact it: a black box drawn on top leaves the text underneath. Rule: built-in tools first, Word for changing text, and no contract on a site you have never heard of.

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