How to Edit Text in PDF Files on Your Mac: a Step-by-Step Guide

Knowing how to redact PDFs will surely come in handy.

Indeed, this universal file format has long been the most popular way of distributing documents, and dealing with them can be a hassle if you don’t know which software to use. Some Mac owners turn to Preview to edit PDF files, but that’s not the only option available. You can also take advantage of third-party apps and online editors that provide additional functionality tailored to your specific needs, whether you want to redact or highlight text, sign documents, add annotations or checkmarks, reorganize items, draw shapes, or more.

We will walk you through 5 different options on how to edit a PDF on Mac easily, so keep reading.

How to Edit PDF on Mac Using Online Editors

Online PDF editor is a dedicated cloud-based tool with advanced redacting capabilities, allowing you to get the job done in the best way possible. In addition to direct text editing, top-tier platforms like PDF Guru offer a wide range of powerful features designed specifically for modifying PDF documents on Mac devices. The process goes smoothly irrespective of the OS version, as you make all the necessary file changes online without software download. 

It’s probably the quickest and easiest way to meet any user needs, both professional and personal. You just need to take a few simple steps to edit PDFs online with no hassle and security risks:

1. Choose a reliable online editor since such tools do not keep your files when you finish working on them.
2. Upload your PDF doc following the on-screen instructions.
3. Edit PDF online — add, highlight, or erase text, manage page layers, set or remove passwords, sign files, add images, and introduce any other changes to make your document shine.
4. Choose the preferred format for your file and download it.

How to Modify Files with Preview PDF Text Editor

As a built-in Mac app, Preview may come in handy for introducing simple PDF changes. It’s packed with a series of basic features allowing you to add/remove annotations, images, and shapes, highlight text, rearrange/rotate pages, and draw electronic signatures. Noteworthy, there is no option to edit text directly. Instead, you are offered a number of markup tools to paste additional blocks of content, which can be frustrating if you primarily need to modify text.

If Preview meets your needs, follow these guidelines to edit documents on Mac:

1. Right-click on the document you need and pick ‘Open with’ -> ‘Preview.’
2. Click on the View tab and choose ‘Show Markup Toolbar.’
3. Pick the editing tools by tapping on their icons and change your file as you wish.
4. Save the changes.

How to Edit PDF on Mac via Quick Look

Quick Look is a useful pre-installed Mac app for previewing files without opening the associated software. You may also use it as an alternative to the online PDF editor in case you need to make some simple modifications that do not involve direct text editing (the feature is unavailable, just like in the case of Preview). Moreover, the app was implemented in the Apple software suite, starting from Mac OS 10.5, so you will not find it in earlier versions.

1. Locate the PDF you want to modify, select the file, and press the space bar.
2. Once the Quick Look window is opened, tap on the ‘Markup’ (pencil-like) icon.
3. Modify your PDF with the necessary tools (draw, add shapes, highlight sections, sign pages, customize fonts, crop items, etc.).
4. Click ‘Done.’

How to Edit PDF Text in Microsoft Word

Although Microsoft Word was designed primarily for processing DOC and DOCX files, it can also handle PDF editing as long as your document has simple formatting and consists of plain text — image-rich content may be distorted. If the app is not available on your Mac, feel free to purchase it from Microsoft Store. You will also need 2.4GB of storage space to install it or 4GB if you download Office 365. So, how do you use Word as a PDF text editor?

1. Launch Word on your Mac.
2. Tap ‘File’ -> ‘Open’ and choose a PDF document to upload.
3. The app will notify you that the uploaded PDF may not keep its initial look after conversion to Word – click ‘OK.’
4. When your file is opened, edit it according to your needs: highlight or redact text, add charts, diagrams, or tables, change headers and font styles, etc.
5. Click ‘File’ -> ‘Export’ and choose ‘Create PDF/XPS Document’ to save the edited file in PDF format.

How to Edit PDF Online Using Google Docs

You might use Google Docs for processing Word documents, but it’s also a simple yet efficient solution to edit PDFs online if your file contains minimal formatting. You just need a Google account and an internet connection to complete the process. The option works better for text-dominant PDFs with no tables or graphs, while it may also suit you for customizing images. You can also convert PDF to Google Sheets if your document contains tables or data that need further processing.

To edit PDF online using Google Docs, do the following:

1. Go to Google Drive and log into your account.
2. Tap ‘New’ -> ‘File upload.’
3. Open the file and go ahead editing it: change fonts and text color, highlight items, add lists and tables, and more.
4. When you are done, open the File menu and tap ‘Download’ -> ‘PDF document.’

Conclusion

When you are looking for the best tool to redact PDFs, consider the type of edits you need to make. For the simplest modifications with no internet connection, the built-in Mac apps may be enough.

If you want to get more control over your file and achieve top-quality output, a feature-packed online PDF editor will be your best choice.