How to Edit a PDF on Mac: Easy & Essential Guide

Let’s be real—PDFs are everywhere, and sometimes you need to make changes to them. Whether it’s filling out a form, adding notes, or tweaking text, figuring out how to edit a PDF on Mac shouldn’t require a computer science degree. The good news? Your Mac has built-in tools that make this surprisingly straightforward, and there are solid third-party options too if you need more firepower.

The frustrating part most people hit: they assume they need expensive software like Adobe Acrobat Pro ($180/year). Spoiler alert—you probably don’t. I’ll walk you through the native Mac tools first, then show you when and why you’d want to upgrade to something fancier.

Using Preview to Edit PDFs on Mac

Here’s the thing—Preview is already on your Mac, and it’s honestly more capable than most people realize. It’s like having a Swiss Army knife in your back pocket and only using it as a bottle opener.

1. Right-click the PDF file in Finder
2. Select “Open With” → “Preview”
3. Or just double-click the PDF (it’ll likely open in Preview by default)

Once it’s open, you’ll see the toolbar at the top. That’s your gateway to editing. Preview lets you rotate pages, crop images, add signatures, and annotate text—all without leaving the app. Think of Preview like the foundation of a house; it handles the basics beautifully.

The magic happens when you click the “Markup” button (looks like a pen in a circle). This unlocks a whole suite of editing tools that most Mac users never discover. You can draw, highlight, add text boxes, and even sign documents. It’s genuinely useful for quick edits.

Pro Tip: If you’re working with multiple PDFs or need to batch-edit files, check out how to update Safari to ensure your browser’s PDF tools are current. Some PDF editing happens right in the browser these days.

Markup Tools & Annotations

Preview’s markup toolkit is deceptively powerful. Here’s what you get:

• Text Box: Click the “T” icon to add text anywhere on the PDF. Perfect for filling in information or adding notes.
• Highlighter: Mark important passages with a virtual highlighter (choose your color).
• Signature: Sign documents using your trackpad, webcam, or a saved signature image.
• Sketching Tools: Draw freehand lines or shapes if you need to mark up diagrams.
• Magnifier: Zoom into specific areas for detailed work.

To access these, open your PDF in Preview, then click the “Markup Toolbar” icon (it’s in the top-right, looks like a toolbox). A sidebar will appear with all your options.

Here’s a workflow that actually works: Let’s say you’re reviewing a contract. Open it in Preview, use the highlighter to mark key sections, add a text box with your initials or comments, then save. Done. No subscription needed.

One thing to watch—when you save a PDF after editing in Preview, it saves as a new version. Your original stays intact. That’s actually a good thing because you’ve got a backup, but make sure you’re saving to the right location so you don’t end up with 47 versions of the same file.

Adding & Editing Text in PDFs

This is where people get stuck. You can add text to a PDF in Preview, but you can’t edit existing text directly. That’s the limitation. If you need to change words that are already in the PDF, you’ll need a different tool.

• Add new text boxes with the “T” tool
• Type whatever you want in those boxes
• Position them anywhere on the page
• Change font, size, and color

• Edit the original text that’s part of the PDF
• Change fonts or sizes of existing text
• Delete or replace embedded text

If you need to edit existing text, you’ve got two routes: Use a more powerful tool like PDFtk or Adobe Acrobat Pro, or convert the PDF to Word, edit it there, and convert back. The Word route works surprisingly well for simple documents. You can use online converters or Microsoft Word itself (just open the PDF in Word and it’ll attempt conversion).

According to Family Handyman’s guide to document management, organizing your editable files properly saves enormous headaches down the road. Same principle applies to PDFs—keep originals separate from edited versions.

Third-Party PDF Editors Worth Considering

If Preview doesn’t cut it, here are the legitimate options:

$180/year. It’s the industry standard for a reason. Full text editing, advanced form handling, batch processing, cloud storage. If you’re editing PDFs constantly, it pays for itself. But for occasional use? Overkill.

One-time purchase around $50. Great for combining, splitting, and rotating PDFs. Solid for power users who don’t need text editing.

Free with limitations, paid version around $30. Good balance of features without the Adobe price tag. Handles text editing, form filling, and annotations.

$80 one-time or $60/year. Intuitive interface, solid editing capabilities. Popular with Mac users because it feels native.

Open-source and completely free. Basic annotations and highlighting. Perfect if you’re just reviewing documents, not creating them.

Real Talk: For 80% of people, Preview + occasionally converting to Word covers everything you need. Don’t pay for software you’ll use once a year.

The key question: How often are you editing PDFs, and what kind of edits? If it’s mostly annotations and form-filling, Preview wins. If you’re doing serious text editing or batch processing, invest in something better.

Filling Out PDF Forms

This is where Preview genuinely shines. Most PDF forms have built-in fields that Preview recognizes automatically.

1. Open the form in Preview
2. Click on any form field (text box, checkbox, dropdown)
3. Type or select your answer
4. Tab to move to the next field
5. Save when done

Preview will even remember your signature if you’ve set one up. Just click the signature field and select your saved signature. This is genuinely useful for tax forms, job applications, rental agreements—anything with predefined fields.

If the form doesn’t have fillable fields (older PDFs or scanned documents), you can still use Preview’s text box tool to add information. It won’t look as clean, but it works.

One pro move: If you fill out the same form repeatedly (like timesheets or expense reports), fill it once, save it, then use that as a template. Open it, make your changes, and “Save As” with a new name. Faster than starting from scratch every time.

For more on managing different file types on Mac, check out how to reformat an SD card—understanding file management across your Mac ecosystem helps with document organization too.

Combining & Splitting PDFs

Need to merge multiple PDFs into one? Or extract specific pages from a larger document? Preview handles both.

1. Open the first PDF in Preview
2. Go to View → Thumbnails (shows page thumbnails on the left)
3. Open the second PDF in a new Preview window (File → Open)
4. In the thumbnails panel, drag and drop pages from one window to another
5. Save the combined document

1. Open the PDF in Preview
2. View → Thumbnails
3. Right-click the pages you want to keep, select “Copy” (or the pages you want to remove, then delete them)
4. File → New from Clipboard if you copied, or just delete the unwanted pages
5. Save as a new file

This is genuinely faster than using online converters, and you’re not uploading your documents to some random server. Privacy win.

If you’re doing heavy-duty PDF manipulation, This Old House’s approach to project documentation suggests keeping organized systems—same applies to PDFs. Use naming conventions, keep originals separate, and version your edits.

Common Issues & Fixes

Try right-clicking the file → Open With → Preview. If that doesn’t work, the file might be corrupted. Try opening it in a web browser (drag it into Chrome or Safari) as a workaround.

Make sure you’re actually saving. Use Command+S or File → Save. Preview sometimes doesn’t auto-save changes. Also check that you have write permissions for the file location.

This happens with high-resolution PDFs. Try adjusting the zoom level before adding text. Zoom to 100%, add your text, then you can zoom out. The text will scale properly.

This is normal. Preview can’t edit embedded text in PDFs. You’d need to convert to Word or use a tool like Adobe Acrobat Pro. For quick fixes, use the text box tool to add information over the existing text.

Use your trackpad, not your finger. If you have a stylus or Apple Pencil, even better. Or create a clean signature image in Preview, save it, then insert that image instead of drawing freehand.

In Preview, go to File → Export as PDF, then check the “Encrypt” option. You’ll set a password that’s required to open the file. Simple and effective.

According to OSHA’s guidelines on document management, proper file security is essential, especially for sensitive documents. Password protection is your basic first line of defense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit PDFs on Mac for free?

– Yes. Preview comes free with macOS and handles annotations, form-filling, combining, and splitting PDFs. For text editing within PDFs, you’ll need either a third-party tool or to convert to Word first.

Is Preview better than Adobe Acrobat Pro?

– For basic tasks, Preview is actually better because it’s simpler and doesn’t cost anything. Adobe Acrobat Pro is better if you need advanced text editing, batch processing, or heavy-duty PDF manipulation. Choose based on what you actually do, not what sounds impressive.

How do I edit text that’s already in a PDF?

– Preview can’t do this directly. Your best options: (1) Use Adobe Acrobat Pro, (2) Convert the PDF to Word, edit it there, and convert back, or (3) Use an online converter like Smallpdf or ILovePDF. The Word conversion method works surprisingly well for simple documents.

Can I merge PDFs on Mac without extra software?

– Yes, using Preview’s thumbnail feature. Open multiple PDFs, drag pages between windows using the thumbnail panel, and save as a new file. No extra software needed.

What’s the best way to fill out PDF forms on Mac?

– Use Preview if the form has fillable fields (which most modern forms do). Open the PDF, click fields, type your information, and save. It’s faster and cleaner than printing, writing by hand, and scanning.

How do I add a signature to a PDF on Mac?

– In Preview, click the markup toolbar icon, select the signature tool, and either draw your signature with your trackpad or select a saved signature image. You can also use your Mac’s built-in signature feature if you have a compatible trackpad.

Can I edit PDFs on Mac offline?

– Yes. Preview works completely offline. Most third-party tools also work offline. Online converters and cloud-based editors require internet, so if you’re working offline, stick with Preview or desktop software.

Why can’t I edit text in my PDF?

– PDFs can be created in different ways. Some have editable text fields built in. Others (especially scanned documents or PDFs created from images) don’t have editable text—they’re just pictures of text. Preview can annotate over these, but can’t edit the actual text. You’d need OCR (optical character recognition) software or conversion to Word to edit scanned PDFs.

Is it safe to edit PDFs online?

– Generally, no, especially with sensitive documents. Online tools upload your files to their servers. For confidential information, use desktop software like Preview or locally-installed editors. If you must use online tools, read their privacy policy first.

How do I remove pages from a PDF on Mac?

– Open the PDF in Preview, go to View → Thumbnails, right-click the pages you want to delete, and press Delete. Then save the file. That’s it—no extra software needed.