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Home / Blog / How to Directly Type on a PDF [Online & Offline]

How to Directly Type on a PDF [Online & Offline]

By Roche | Follow twitter | Updated on November 11, 2022
Introduction:
PDF, also known as Portable Document Format, is one of the most widely used file formats in the twenty-first century. Its consistency and stability have gained users' trust in these two decades. The non-editability of this format, however, makes editing PDFs a headache. You may ask: how can I type on a PDF
summary

How to Type on a PDF on Windows

For many PDF users, when it comes to typing on a PDF document, the first thought that comes to mind must be troublesome PDF to Word conversion. This is indeed feasible but inefficient. That's why software developers come up with a better solution: PDF typers. 

Adobe Acrobat has long been the market leader as the creator of PDF. Apart from Adobe Acrobat, numerous developers have seen the necessity to develop alternative PDF typers, such as SwifDoo PDF and PDFelement, to enable typing on a PDF file. Here we are going to talk about how to type on a PDF without Adobe Acrobat: 

SwifDoo PDF

Despite the fact that SwifDoo PDF is a freshman in the industry, it has millions of users worldwide. SwifDoo PDF aims to provide an all-in-one PDF software program for Windows 10, 8, and 7 by integrating 30+ functions. Concerning how to type on a PDF file, SwifDoo PDF is an excellent PDF editor that allows for adding text, images, and links, and applying redactions. No matter if you want to add text boxes to the PDF or make direct edits to this document, SwifDoo PDF never fails you.

Let’s look at how to type on a PDF on Windows 10.

swifdoopdf-editor

Step 1: Download and install SwifDoo PDF on your PC, then open a PDF in the PDF editor;

Step 2: Click Edit under the Edit tab;

Step 3: Navigate to the place you need to type or write;

Step 4: Click Save to keep all the changes.

swifdoopdf-editor-1

SwifDoo PDF enables users to change the font, font size, and color, add superscripts and subscripts, underline and italicize the added text, and bold the content. If you have half a mind to type on a PDF, try SwifDoo PDF and I'm sure this software will make you feel you hit pay dirt.

The above approach is the most direct way to type on a PDF document. Actually, there is another method to achieve the same result: converting this PDF into an editable Word document. In this case, users can edit a PDF like a Word file and we won't dwell on how to edit a Word document. Noteworthily, in case we receive scanned PDFs and find it almost impossible to type on this type of PDF. Wonder why?

A scanned PDF, also known as an image-only PDF, is uneditable and unsearchable. That said, if you need to type on a PDF, the PDF must be converted to an editable one. Read on to figure out how to type on a scanned PDF. 

How to Make a PDF Editable for Free with 4 Newest Methods

How to Make a PDF Editable for Free with 4 Newest Methods

Users expect PDFs to be easily editable as PDF is a popular file format nowadays. Finding it hard to make a PDF editable? Explore the answers in this post!

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PDFelement

If you need to type on a PDF file directly, PDFelement is another PDF product that deserves a try. When it comes to editing a PDF, PDFelement can help with how to type on a PDF form. This comprehensive PDF tool has multiple features to facilitate everything users do with PDF. As for writing on a PDF, PDFelement makes it more user-friendly. Here we go:

pdfelement-editor

Step 1: Open a PDF document in PDFelement;

Step 2: Click Add Text on the Edit tab;

Step 3: Select the newly added content to change the appearance if needed.

pdfelement-editor-1

If you need to edit or write on a PDF fillable form, choose "Add text" on the "Form" tab.

How to Type on a PDF on Mac and iPhone

The ability to edit a PDF is a must for an eligible PDF editor. In this part, we’ll cover how to type on a PDF on Mac and iPhone for Apple users.  

How to Write on a PDF on Mac

Preview

Preview is a built-in PDF viewer on Mac. Mac users should have felt lucky for having this natural PDF editor, which saves you the trouble to download and install any external PDF software.

Instead, you may utilize tools like "Text Selection", "Rectangular Selection", "Redact Selection", "Shapes", and "Sketch" in "Annotate" to write on a PDF in some way. Check how to type on a PDF on macOS:

Step 1: Open a PDF document in Preview, and click Tools to choose Annotate;

Step 2: Click Rectangle to create a white box and place the box over the text you need to rewrite;

Step 3: If you need to create a new text box, click Text to type anywhere or in form fields within this PDF.

I guess this is not the best user experience you've ever expected to edit a PDF on Mac, but it is the most feasible solution to write on a PDF with Preview. Optionally, macOS users can save a PDF as a Word document to enable PDF editing. 

How to Type on a PDF on iPhone

Akin to Mac, iPhone is still incapable of editing a PDF. Only with some professional PDF tools can iPhone users write on a PDF. PDF Expert is one of these apps.

As the name implies, PDF Expert is a one-stop solution for all PDF-related tasks on Macs, iPad, and iPhones. It's designed to edit text, organize PDF pages, secure private data, and fill out PDF forms on Apple devices.

Step 1: Download PDF Expert from App Store;

Step 2: Open a PDF document with PDF Expert;

Step 3: Click Edit Text on the menu bar and choose Text;

Step 4: Place the cursor in the text box you need to rewrite.

Note: PDF Expert, as a high-quality PDF editor for iPhone, allows users to further change how the text is displayed, such as showing texts as paragraphs or lines. You just need to change the Text tool and change the settings if possible.

How to Type on a PDF Online

If you've exhausted your options for new desktop PDF products on Windows, Mac, or iPhone, maybe the only option falls back on any online PDF tools. Web-based PDF editors can help you type on a PDF file directly while saving you the trouble to try unknown programs.

Google Drive

Though being a cloud service provider, Google Drive can store your PDF documents while enabling users to edit a PDF simultaneously. But Drive is not like any professional PDF editor which can directly type on a PDF, it works by converting a PDF to an editable Word. Without further ado, let’s go to see how to type on a PDF directly in Google Drive:

google-drive-editor

Step 1: Log in to Google Drive with your account;

Step 2: Import a PDF to the cloud space and right-click the PDF file to choose Google Docs in the drop-down menu Open with;

Step 3: When your PDF file is loaded in Google Docs, it is presented in Word format, and you can write on a PDF freely.

Editing a PDF file on Google Docs is as easy as a Microsoft Word file. Users don’t need to save the changes because your files will be automatically synchronized to your Drive account. The only disadvantage of this method is that if your PDF incorporates multimedia information, the style and formatting will be changed (such as videos, images, or audio).

Tip: Optionally, you can rely on “DocHub” or “Lumin PDF” in “Suggested apps” to directly type on a PDF with online tools. Google Drive is a cloud storage and synchronization platform, and it cannot edit PDFs or perform other tasks on PDFs. As a result, third-party PDF apps are required to suit consumers' PDF requirements.

PDF Escape

Alright, the following recommendation is a professional Internet-based PDF tool. If you get bored of learning how to use a new tool, try PDF Escape. This online PDF application lets you type on a PDF or in fillable PDF forms. Take a closer look at how this PDF typer helps with editing work:

Step 1: Enter the URL on the search bar; 

Step 2: Click Choose File to import a PDF file to the workstation;

Step 3: Click Text to start freewriting on your PDF. Users can type anywhere on this PDF document;

Step 4: Select Save Document or Save & Download PDF to output this PDF on the left navigation bar.

pdfescape-editor

As we said before, users can freely add text boxes and type on the PDF with PDF Escape. You just need to put your cursor in the blank space to start editing. The only drawback is that this PDF typer cannot edit the existing content.

How to Type on a PDF on Android

Google Drive is a wonderful working partner for Android users who need to edit a PDF, but it is just a good alternative. When it comes to writing on a PDF document on Android, there are other options besides Drive, such as Xodo PDF Reader.

Xodo PDF Reader

This PDF editor is compatible with Android, iPhone & iPad, and Windows Phones & Tablets. Xodo PDF Reader enables users to edit, comment, and e-sign PDFs online and on mobile devices. With Xodo, users can write on a PDF and in a form field. See how to write on a PDF with Xodo PDF Reader:

Step 1: Download Xodo PDF Reader on your application store;

Step 2: Open a PDF document with Xodo;

xodo-pdf-editor

Step 3: Click on the pencil icon to enter the editing mode;

xodo-pdf-editor-1

Step 4: Choose Text to start editing and writing on the current PDF.

Recommended by Quora users, Adobe Acrobat and PDF Annotator are safe to use for those who need to edit PDFs on Android. If you feel like Xodo PDF Reader is not satisfying, try another two PDF products. 

Wrapping Up

To sum it all up, editing or typing on a PDF document is essential for a helpful PDF program. Those who want to type on the existing sentence or paragraph should resort to desktop PDF programs. For users who may need to type on a PDF directly, some online PDF tools are much more to your liking.

FAQs

Q:How do I type on a PDF with Adobe?

If users need to modify the existing content using Adobe Acrobat, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Open a PDF document in Adobe Acrobat;

Step 2: Choose Edit PDF to start changing information;

Step 3: Place your mouse at the place you need to rewrite.

And in some cases, users may need to add extra information. See what's below:

Step 1: Upload a PDF to Adobe's workplace;

Step 2: Click on the Fill & Sign ribbon, then select Add Text;

Step 3: Write at any place on the PDF document.

Q:How do we type on a PDF with the Stylus?

Stylus enables the user to annotate a PDF, so take a look at how to write on a PDF:

Step 1: Open a PDF file with Stylus;

Step 2: Hit the Annotate button at the top right of the window;

Step 3: Choose the Pen icon to type on the PDF. You can change the color and size if needed.

With 2 years of experience writing reviews and roundup articles in the document management and software industries. Always have a passion for trying new things, especially software.

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