PDF stands for ‘Portable Document Format’. It is developed by Adobe.

When it was invented, the goal was to make it easier for people to distribute documents without the need to print them. Surprisingly, it didn’t turn out to be very user-friendly. Not only were the files large in size, but the format didn’t support external hyperlinks and could only be viewed with a special PDF viewer.

Over time, functional improvements were included in various versions of this file format that made it easier to work with. To help you out, check out our case study guide regarding step by step process of how to edit pdf online. There are several ways to do so. We’re going to show you four great tools that make it possible.

The biggest challenge is that most of such document files start from a source file in another native format like Word, and are converted to the PDF file format for distribution. If you’re not the original author, it’ll be a little more difficult to edit the file either because the source file isn’t available to you, or you don’t have the right apps to edit it.

1. Using SwifDoo PDF

Finding a PDF tool that lets you edit, add or modify text and images, sign your name, fill forms and more isn’t easy. Not all the tools offer the same features; some have restrictions on what you can and can’t do, but you can use more than one tool to process the same document. They’re also not as fully featured as a standard desktop PDF editors like Acrobat so they won’t convert perfectly, meaning you’re left with odd formatting styles and incorrect translations.

SwifDoo PDF is a comprehensive management service provider, which can combine, extract, add, replace PDF files, and most importantly, split PDFs into any desired parts.

It is a Windows based software to edit a PDF document. It enables you to create, edit, convert, merge, compress, and sign the said documents in a quick and easy manner. You can very easily edit the text content. 

• Install and launch SwifDoo on your Windows PC.
• After that select “Edit PDF” tool which will prompt you to select and upload the the file to be edited. Simply perform the required action.
• Once the file is open in the editor window, simply click on “Edit” button to edit or add text.
• To add an image or link, use “Image” or “Link” tool respectively.
• After making all the necessary editing, simply save it.

2. Use Microsoft Word

If you already own recent versions of Microsoft Word, it’s the easiest and quickest way to edit a document based on an existing PDF. The two formats are different in nature, which means some information like tables with cell spacing, font effects, form-fill-in features and more may get lost in translation.

• Open Microsoft Word program and click File.
• Click Open to select the PDF file you want to edit from the document window.
• You’ll get a message saying Word will convert your PDF to an editable document, and its contents into a format that Word can display. It won’t change the original PDF though.
• Click OK. Make the changes you want on the document, and click File>Save to save it back to PDF format.

3. Using Google Docs to edit pdf online for free

This is a quick and easy to use alternative to editing PDF files. Here are the steps you need to take to edit PDFs in Google Docs. 

• Log into Google Drive with your Google account. Click New on the upper left hand side.
• Select File Upload.
• In the document window, find the PDF file you want to edit and click Open. Once the upload completes, click Recent on the left pane to find the PDF you just uploaded.
• Right click on the PDF file name and select Open With>Google Docs.
• A new, editable Docs file will be created.
• Double click on it to make the necessary changes and download it as a PDF. You can also email or share it with others using a shareable link.

4. Using Sejda

Sejda is also a good tool. A bonus fact is it can run entirely on your web browser, or you can get the desktop version. Check out step by step process of how to edit pdf online for free via this tool.

• Go to Sejda’s website, and click PDF Editor under the Edit & Sign column.
• Upload the file you want to edit.
• You can click on the green Upload button to upload your file from your computer.
• You can also select a location by clicking the drop down menu and upload from Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or a Web Address (URL).
• You now have an editable format of your document.
• Use a menu with editing tools you can use to format your text using different fonts, colors, or sizes.
• Make the changes you want and then click Apply Changes (green button) at the bottom center of your screen.

Don’t worry about your files getting stored on the internet. Sejda deletes all uploaded files automatically after two hours. You can also delete it yourself by clicking Delete Files icon. One thing to take a not of that the desktop edition doesn’t let you add PDFs by URL or online storage services.

These tools are great to make, edit and save your essential files. Make sure to protect your digital documents online. Take all necessary precautions and do follow safety guidelines. Our list of best PDF editors should be enough to cover the needs of most users.