How to Edit a PDF: Change Text, Add Images, and More

You've received a PDF that needs changes. There's a typo in the third paragraph, an image that needs replacing, and a date that's wrong. You could open the original document, make the changes, and re-export it — but you don't have the original file.

Editing a PDF directly is the answer. With the right tool, you can modify text, add images, and make changes to any PDF — even if you don't have the source file.

What you can edit in a PDF

• Text: Change wording, fix typos, or add new text.
• Images: Replace photos, add new images, or remove existing ones.
• Formatting: Change fonts, colors, and sizes.
• Layout: Move elements around on the page.
• Annotations: Add comments, highlights, or sticky notes.

The fastest way to edit a PDF

You don't need to convert to Word, edit, and convert back. A browser-based PDF editor lets you make changes directly.

1. Open a tool like PDFly's PDF Editor.
2. Upload your PDF.
3. Click on any text to edit it — just like a Word document.
4. Add images, shapes, or annotations as needed.
5. Click process and download your edited PDF.

What kind of PDFs can be edited?

How editable a PDF is depends on how it was made:

• Digital PDFs: These contain actual text and can be edited directly. Most PDFs fall into this category.
• Scanned PDFs: These are images of pages. You need OCR first to extract text before editing.

Editing vs. annotating

• Editing: Changes the actual content of the PDF. Text is modified, images are changed.
• Annotating: Adds notes, highlights, or comments without changing the underlying content.

A PDF editor can do both. You can make permanent changes or just add temporary notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a scanned PDF?

You'll need to OCR the PDF first to extract the text, then you can edit it. Some tools combine OCR and editing in one step.

Does editing a PDF affect the formatting?

A good editor preserves formatting. Text changes shouldn't shift the layout, and images can be resized or positioned as needed.

Can I add images to a PDF?

Yes — most PDF editors let you insert images anywhere in the document.