The PDF format was introduced to make presenting and sharing important information via text and other design elements easier for everyone. Ever since it was introduced in the early 1990s, the PDF has become the standard way for users to create or share important data and presentations to many different users regardless of their software or hardware capabilities. The format has transformed the way people gather and share information thanks to its unique features. Those features have evolved to be more user-friendly and interactive, while also giving users the power to change or edit certain elements to keep their documents up-to-date.
What’s a PDF File?
A PDF (Portable Document Format) is a type of file that users can easily create and share with a multitude of other users independent of the need for special software. The document format has grown since its inception to not only be universal but to be more user-friendly, as several editing programs have popped up to give users more control over their PDFs.
The original PDF files were valued for their inability to be modified, which meant that every user who viewed or received the file saw the same one as everyone else. Nowadays, however, it has become necessary for users to have the ability to make changes to their documents.
Adobe Acrobat was the company that created the format in 1992. The company was also the first one to develop software to help users view and edit their files. The Adobe Acrobat suite of programs has since become the gold standard of PDF editing software, even though new programs have emerged that are less expensive but equally good.
How Can You Edit a PDF File?
There are many ways for users to edit PDF files independent of Adobe software. Many large corporations typically rely on Adobe for their editing needs, but even large organizations have discovered the value and quality of using other online PDF editors. Many of the best PDF editors online have similar tools and applications as the high-priced software, which is what makes them an attractive option for sometimes users of the PDF format.
Users who want to edit their PDFs can simply download an online program or use it in its browser format and open their PDF files with these programs. Once they have opened their file they can make any changes they want to the file’s text, images, layout, format, and other elements.
The process among different PDF editors is different, but they are all intuitive and do not often require a steep learning curve to understand. Many PDF editors do offer more advanced customization features, but those are best suited to users and organizations that employ the PDF format daily.
Using Google Docs
From one universal format to another, Google Docs is not only a next-generation word processing format with cloud compatibility, it is also a way for users to view and edit their PDF files as well. Users can open a PDF document in the Google Docs format thanks to the OCR technology that Google employs with the program.
While this feature does allow for users to convert their PDF files into Google Docs, it does not convert any other design elements of a PDF such as images, fillable dialog boxes, and other important formatting features. If those drawbacks are not important, users can continue to edit, add and remove text from the Google Docs file and then save it again as a PDF file to save those changes.
Apps or Programs To Edit PDF Files
There is now an unprecedented number of different PDF editing programs available to users who do not want to pay the high price of premium editing software like Adobe Acrobat. Users can choose from a vast array of programs that promise the same level of customization and quality while being affordable and easy to use.
One of these programs, Lumin PDF, is available for both online and offline use, as users can download the program to their desktop, laptop, and smartphone. Lumin offers users an easy-to-navigate browser that resembles many other word processing programs so users can highlight, add/remove text and insert new images and graphics.
Lumin also offers users the ability to compress or convert their PDFs so that they can more easily share them or store them. Lumin is largely free-to-use, but to access more premium features like text searching and security features users must sign-up for a weekly, monthly, or yearly subscription to Lumin.