PDF Editor

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Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:06 am

I need to edit some pdf files and have been looking for free pdf editors. There are some but all 'watermark' each page of the pdf and it doesn't look too credible to send something off to a lad that has "this document has been edited with the cheap crap pdf editor" on top of each page. I don't have access to Photoshop so can't tweak it that way either. Any suggestions?

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:14 am

Do you need to edit one that's already been created, or make one from scratch/another document such as a Word doc? If the latter, then OpenOffice is your friend. If the former, you'll want the latest version of Inkscape (v0.46), which just added PDF support.

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:06 am

Thanks! I need to do a little of both!

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:37 pm

I use foxit to edit my pdf

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:28 pm

I just send it to my fax, trying to ring my own number, then it will save it as a JPG and I do know how to photoshop Wink

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:55 pm

Foxit user here too.

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:12 pm

i create all my forms in any program on my computer and then create PDF's using PDF995 print utility. (Free download at www.pdf995.com)

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:28 pm

To turn any document into a PDF, I use Primo PDF. It's easy, and FREE.

www.primopdf.com

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:28 pm

Do any of the programs that you guys/gals have listed here have PDF editing capabilities?

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:42 pm

GIMP's good for opening PDF pages as image files for editing. You just have to go deal with a bit of tweaking with GhostScript. Easy to do, though.

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:44 pm

You can edit with Foxit and convert files also, but it is a beta system

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:37 pm

I use Adobe Illustrator to edit PDF files. This is really THE program for doing this but is kinda pricey and is a b1tch to learn initially. But if you use it you can do anything, especially in conjunction with photoshop.

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 1:01 am

The reason I asked is because he is looking for a PDF editor, and I saw posts telling him how to make PDF files. Very Happy

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 2:21 am

Moved to here as it is general information, not baiting help related

Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:54 am

Remember that Openoffice and many others will add your username and other info (e.g. company's name) into the PDF. Set these to blank before you create the file. You can also write "XXXXXXXX" over those strings after you've created the document, but that's more cumbersome.

strings (1) is a great tool and available in most Unixes. Use it to quickly scan through binary files for readable strings.

Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:52 am

As the ops original question was about PDF editors, I will contribute and say firstly that the idea of a PDF was to create a portable document that cannot be edited.
To edit a PDF is trying to reverse engineer it.
Programs have source code. A PDF doc is like a compiled document, if that makes sense.

I have tested many "free" or "free trial" programs. I was happy to pay $$ to get one that works like a word processor. All I wanted was a simple find and replace feature.
Eventually I tried Adobe and realised that it depends on how the doc is saved originally, if it can be manipulated at all.
I found programs that can strip the pics, others that can alter "some" text others that did nothing more than give you a pile of bits and pieces of nothing. Nothing was consistant

Best bet is to print it, cut it up, reassemble and scan it.

Of course I may have being wanting to much.
Intellectual property is another safe keep of the PDF. Imagine someone walking into a store with a discount catalog and waving it under the nose of a clerk who had no idea, after simply downloading and altering all the prices.