There might be times when you need to scan documents and store them as PDF files for accessibility or record keeping. PDF files are also easier to share and are more compact than image files, which tend to undergo further file compression on many social media.
Whether scans of pictures or documents, the Portable Document Format offers many benefits over the standard JPEG option for images. However, you might encounter issues when you want to edit scanned PDF files. As scanned PDFs are essentially a collection of images, users cannot search text as they can with other non-scanned PDF files.
You may need to learn how to edit scanned PDF documents in different scenarios such as on digital forms, worksheets, and other such documents. In this post, we share with you the different methods you can use to edit a scanned PDF file.
How to Edit Scanned PDFs Online Without Downloading Any Apps
One of the most straightforward approaches is to edit scanned PDFs online. Free cloud-based PDF editor tools offer just as many, if not more, PDF editing functions as apps that work great even with scanned PDF files.
PDF editing sites such as FormatPDF make it easy to add text, custom icons, and shapes, and even help with enhancing PDF file security by giving you tools to add security passwords.
The online factor of such sites makes them an attractive choice. Since the PDF editing tools are net-based, they rely on cloud storage and don’t require you to download any applications onto your system. Further, any device with an internet browser can use these sites, which allows you the opportunity to edit a scanned PDF file from anywhere.
Below is a look at how to edit scanned PDF files on editing sites like the ones we describe, and you can read more on this page too:
- Once you’ve opened the PDF editing site in your browser, click on “More” in the toolbar of the site page to see the list of editing tools.
- Click on the “Write” tool in the submenu to add text to your scanned PDF file.
- This will open the upload page where you can click on “Select PDF File” to browse and upload your file. You can also drag and drop the scanned PDF document in the upload box to upload it to the site.
- Once the file is successfully uploaded, your scanned PDF file will open in the editor window. If you have multiple pages in the file, use the page preview pane on the left to select the page you want to work on.
- Click on the text tool to get started with adding text to your PDF pages. You will see a text box appear which you can drag to the appropriate position on the page and begin typing. The tool also allows you to format the text, and choose the color as well as text size.
- On completion, click on the “Download” button and your edited scanned PDF document will be downloaded to your device.
How to Edit a Scanned PDF Document in Word Processing Software
Microsoft Word is also a potential tool for editing scanned PDF files. When you open a PDF document or a scanned PDF file in Microsoft Word, it will automatically convert it into a Word document which can then be edited like any other Word document.
You can add text and images to the converted PDF file, change the formatting and alignments, and do everything you can with a conventional Word document. When you are done, you can keep the scanned PDF file as a Word document which will allow you to make further edits. You can also save it as a PDF document to convert the edited file back into its original format.
One thing that you might want to consider before using Microsoft Word, or any other word-processing application, is the number of images included in your scanned PDF file. As word processing apps convert your PDF file to a compatible format, they might not do it in a way that matches your original file page-to-page. For example, you might notice shifts in line breaks, overlapping images, and other such issues.
Thus, we recommend using word processors to edit scanned PDF files that are mostly made of text.
How to Edit a Scanned PDF Document in Adobe Reader
Adobe is a well-known name when it comes to all things PDF. This downloadable application offers many features and is the go-to for professionals and everyday users alike. Adobe is a paid software and that might deter some from considering it, especially when alternative free tools like those we’ve explained are available.
Nevertheless, Adobe is brilliant software and worth the investment if you regularly deal with PDF files.
To edit scanned PDFs in Adobe Acrobat you simply need to open the file in the application. Acrobat uses OCR, Optical Character Recognition, similar to a word processing application. OCR scans your scanned PDF files and extracts text which is then converted by Acrobat to an editable PDF file.
The editable PDF file allows you to access all the PDF editing tools offered by Adobe, and allows you to search the PDF text and perform other edits such as merging the file with other documents.
How to Choose the Right PDF Editing Tool
As we’ve explained, scanned PDFs are not the same as conventional PDF files, because once they’re scanned, PDF viewers consider them as images. As such, you need to use different approaches to edit a scanned PDF file. The best way would depend on your needs and budget.
Using online PDF editors might be the easiest and quickest way to edit scanned PDF documents, as they don’t require any downloads and can be accessed from any device. Applications like Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat, while offering some free services in most cases, will require you to pay for the software. Additionally, Adobe Reader, the most sophisticated collection of PDF editing tools available, is focused on Mac or PC, rather than for smartphone users.
Another factor, especially with word processing apps, is how they convert PDFs into other formats like .doc and .docx. This conversion process can lead to discrepancies that you might need to spend extra time rectifying. So be sure to keep this guidance in mind!
Other Technical Reviews:- Reviews
