Creating PDF documents

Microsoft Office

• Create your file in a Microsoft Office program (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and then save the file as a PDF.

• Save a copy of your file as the appropriate Microsoft Office file type (e.g. .docx, .xlsx, .pptx) as it will be useful when you need to edit your PDF in future.

Preview

• You can convert an image file to PDF using the macOS default image and PDF viewer.

Editing content in PDF documents

Microsoft Office (with original file)

• If you have the original Microsoft Office file, open the file in the appropriate Microsoft Office program, make your changes, and then save the file as a PDF again.

Microsoft Office (without original file)

• Open the PDF in Word, make your changes, and then save the file as a PDF again.

• Works best for files that are short, mostly text, with simple layouts.

• You will need to re-apply heading styles, re-add alt text to your images and tables, and re-set the header row(s) for your tables.

• You may need to reformat other aspects of your file as well; the more complex the file, the more reformatting you will need to do.

Adobe Acrobat Export PDF (purchase required)

• An Adobe Acrobat Export PDF subscription will grant you access to the Export PDF tool in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and your browser through Adobe's Document Cloud.

• Export the PDF file to Word or Excel, make your changes and save the file as a PDF again.

• Exporting a PDF produces a Word document that retains more formatting than simply opening the PDF in Word.

• This is a better option for files that are long or complex, of if you have many PDFs to edit.

• You will need to re-apply heading styles, re-add alt text to your images and tables, and re-set the header row(s) for your tables.

• You may need to reformat other aspects of your file as well; the more complex the file, the more reformatting you will need to do.

Adding comments and marking up text in PDF documents

Preview

• Annotate a PDF using the editing tools in the markup toolbar. You can sketch/draw or insert shapes, add loupes, text, and notes and speech bubbles.

• You can also mark up text in a PDF: highlight, underline, and strikeout text.

Filling and signing PDF forms

Preview

• In the Preview app, you can fill out and sign PDF forms.

• To fill in a form, simply click on the fields to enter text, select radio buttons or checkboxes, or pick from a set of options.

• To sign a form, you can draw or insert an image of your handwritten signature.

• If the form does not have interactive fields, you can annotate a PDF to fill it in, by using tools like Sketch and Text, instead of printing and filling out by hand.

Adding, deleting and rearranging pages in a PDF document

Preview

• In the Preview app, you can add, delete, or move PDF pages.

Combining multiple PDF documents into a single PDF document

Preview

• In the Preview app, you can combine multiple PDFs, in whole or part, into a single PDF.

Replacing a signature page in a PDF document

Preview

1. Open the original PDF document and signed page (PDF or image file).

2. Delete the blank signature page from the original PDF document. See add, delete, or move PDF pages.

3. Combine the original PDF document (minus the signature page) with the signed page (PDF). See combine multiple PDFs.

4. If necessary, move the signed page to the correct location by dragging and dropping the thumbnails.