What apps can edit a .pdf file like a text document?

[Krank]

Preferably free/shareware. I'm on 10.4.11.

Thanks for any help.

[ElDiabloConCaca]

None that I know of... "editing" a PDF is big business for companies.

Creating a PDF is relatively easy and free, but editing a PDF doesn't come without a price.

I do know that the free, X11-based vector-editing application Inkscape can open and save PDFs. The PDF-editing capabilities of it are kind of lacking, but may do what you need them to.

[Hughvane]

Originally Posted by Krank

Preferably free/shareware. I'm on 10.4.11.

I've just tried this:
1. Open the .pdf file with Adobe Acrobat (assuming you have it)
2. Copy All (or whatever part you wish to edit)
3. Open TextEdit and paste into a new document.

I've tested the above with MSWord as well.

If there are graphics within the .pdf file, you can use AppleWorks Drawing (up to and incl Tiger) and you can then copy/paste both text and images.

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Not exactly "editing" a PDF, though -- that's just extracting text and images from a PDF document.

[Hughvane]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloConCaca

Not exactly "editing" a PDF, though -- that's just extracting text and images from a PDF document.

Which can then be reinserted in a .pdf file with pdf writer, yes? "Edit" is a very broad and encompassing term . Granted, the contributor is looking for something "free/shareware". A pdf writer is - apparently - available from brothersoft.

Edit: I've just run the editing test through AWorks Drawing as explained, a combo of text and graphic, saved the document in AW as JPEG (Quicktime), reopened it in Acrobat and then saved it as a .pdf file.

Could this make me a $decannaire?

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Originally Posted by Hughvane

Which can then be reinserted in a .pdf file with pdf writer, yes?

Sure, if you want to rebuild the entire PDF from scratch.

A pdf writer is - apparently - available from brothersoft.

A PDF writer is very different from a program that can "edit" PDFs.

Edit: I've just run the editing test through AWorks Drawing as explained, a combo of text and graphic, saved the document in AW as JPEG (Quicktime), reopened it in Acrobat and then saved it as a .pdf file.

But that's changing the basic document content... the original PDF contained actual, embedded text, but the final product PDF contained only an image of text... two very different things. The text in your new PDF is no longer resolution-independent, and is, in fact, no longer "text." If you change the zoom of the original PDF to something like, say, 800%, the text will appear crisp and clean. In your "jpeg" PDF, if you zoom the document to 800%, your text will appear jagged, because it's no longer text.

I now challenge you to extract the text once again from your "jpeg" PDF, the same way you did with the original PDF (highlight, copy-paste).

I do believe that the author of this thread is looking to edit a PDF directly, retaining all text and images originally embedded in the PDF.

If I'm wrong, Krank, please correct me.

[DeltaMac]

I don't know about the Brothersoft solution, but Acrobat isn't close to free (or shareware, either)
I get this same question from time to time, and I just don't see a good solution, other than spending some bucks on an Adobe setup.

Is there a reasonable solution for editing PDFs? Has anyone tried the Brothersoft app?

[Hughvane]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloConCaca

Sure, if you want to rebuild the entire PDF from scratch.

Yes, and maybe that's what Krank wants to do.

I now challenge you to extract the text once again from your "jpeg" PDF, the same way you did with the original PDF (highlight, copy-paste).

Challenge accepted - and completed. I have copied and pasted it from the 'edited' .pdf file I created into both AWks drawing and into MSWord. You have only my word as a bounder and a cad - not really - that I have done it, but, believe me, it is practicable.