How to Edit a PDF on Mac

Dec. 4, 2024

Editing a PDF on a Mac might sound tedious, but it’s actually as simple ascropping a screenshot! Whether you wish to add text, remove some sensitive information, or simply fill out a form, your Mac offers built-in tools like Quick Look and Finder that let you edit PDF documents on Mac for free. Also, some worthy third-party apps come in handy when you want a more comprehensive solution. In this article, we’ll discuss all the ways to edit PDFs on macOS. Let’s begin!

Edit PDF on Mac using Preview

Apple macOS offers a free built-in PDF editor named “Preview”. It is the default PDF viewer on macOS unless you have another PDF viewer installed on your device. This versatile tool allows basic PDF editing and markup tools, so you can open, view, and comment on your PDF files. However, you edit the pre-existing text in Preview.

Here’s how you edit PDF on Mac for free using Preview:

We will cover each available editing tool in detail in the later sections.

Quick Look is a pre-installed app on your Mac that lets you quickly preview files using your keyboard. While many believe that a Quick Look window only offers a preview of your PDF, the truth is that it also provides editing tools similar to Preview.

Here’s how you can use Quick Look to edit a PDF on Mac for free:

It’s worth knowing that the editing process in both the programs (Finder and Quick Look) is the same. You’ll get the same set of editing tools, including but not limited to the ability to add texts, shapes, and signatures to the previewed PDF file.

Let’s move to the below sections and see how to add elements to the previewed PDF file on your Mac.

While editing a PDF, if you don’t like the changes, simply click onRevertfrom the top-right. To save the edits, click onDone.

While all the things discussed above can be done through both Preview and Quick Look, you will have to use Preview to rearrange the pages of the PDF file. This functionality isn’t available in Quick Look.

If you’re looking for a full-fledged PDF editor for Mac that lets you delete the existing text and offers other advanced tools, you can find some excellent third-party apps. Somepopular PDF editorsincludeAdobe Acrobat DC, PDF Expert, and Foxit PhantomPDF. The best choice depends on your specific needs, such as basic editing, advanced features, or budget constraints. It’s always a good idea to compare their features and pricing to find the one that suits your needs the best. Many professionals prefer Adobe Acrobat PDF software (free trial) that can do pretty much everything one can expect from a PDF editor.PDFExpert by Mac

We also like PDF Expert for its well-designed interface, ease of use, and powerful markup tools. Besides basic editing features, you can also combine multiple PDFs into a single one, split a PDF into separate files, and erase private information from your documents. The AI-powered “Enhance” feature, built-in converter, multiple themes and state-of-the art index searching are some of the unique features of this PDF editor for Mac.

That’s how you edit a PDF on Mac. Whether you opt for the free Preview and Quick Look tools or any other specialized third-party app, editing PDFs on your Mac has never been more convenient. With these capable PDF editors at your disposal, you can easily handle any PDF editing task that comes your way.