How to Use PDF Editor Online Tools

As industries worldwide continue to go paperless, companies now prioritize digital document formats like PDF and DOC.

However, PDF files are difficult to edit without any technical knowledge. With an online PDF editor, you can change, split, rotate, sign, and even combine PDFs.

Want to find out how to edit and convert PDF files? Continue reading.

Why is PDF the best document format?

Every file format presents a myriad of advantages, but PDF is still top-of-the-pile in various industries. And here are the reasons why:

1. They can open on any device; modern browsers now have PDF viewers.
2. They save memory space because you can convert ‘heavyweight’ design files to PDF.
3. They maintain the same layout regardless of the device’s local configurations.

That said, most people find it difficult to use PDF files because they think it is impossible to edit them. To that end, let’s go through a step-by-step exploration of ways to edit PDF documents.

How to split PDF documents

Let’s say you have a 100-page report, but you want to divide it into two parts; most document viewers won’t allow you to split the PDF file into two parts.

But tools like LuminPDF allow PDF multiple pages split, and here is how it works:

1. Download the document to a specified folder.
2. Open the PDF editor online or offline.
3. Upload the file to the editor.
4. Specify the pages you want to extract and those you want to leave in the document.
5. Complete the process and check the results.

Also, you can split signed PDF documents easily, but you need to get permission from the original author. Otherwise, you might get into trouble if you split a PDF file into multiple PDF files.

Depending on the industry, you might even be accused of fraud if you split PDF files without permission.

How to combine multiple documents into one PDF

Just like you separate PDF documents into multiple parts, you can combine PDF documents into one file.  Essentially, any modern PDF editor can split and combine PDF online — or offline, if necessary.

That said, here are ways to merge PDF files.

1. Download the original PDF to your local folder (or access it from the cloud).
2. Open the editor to merge PDF online or offline.
3. Upload the documents to the editor.
4. Specify the pages you want to combine and those you want to leave out
5. Complete the process and check the results.

When you merge PDF documents, always verify the order of pages before finalizing the process. Arrange the documents in chronological order to help you save time and get better results.

Note: Most PDF split and merge editors enable drag-and-drop features to help you open files without going through a sea of folders.

How to convert PDF documents

As mentioned earlier, PDF is not the only acceptable file format. In fact, Word files (DOC and DOCX) are as common as PDFs.

However, some companies instruct their employees to use a specific file format. Other times, you just want to convert your file from PDF to Word or Word to PDF.  Besides, you can also convert your files to images (JPG, JPEG, PNG), presentations (PPT), or plain text (TXT).

Either way, you need an online PDF converter.

If you want to convert PDF to Word, follow these steps:

1. Access the PDF file.
2. Go to ‘Settings’.
3. Click ‘Convert’.
4. Choose the Word file format.
5. Submit and download the resulting file.

If you want to convert Word to PDF, follow these steps:

1. Access the Word file.
2. Go to ‘Settings’.
3. Click ‘Convert’.
4. Choose the PDF file format.
5. Submit and download the resulting file.

By the way, you can also convert PDF to Word online without any dedicated tool, and here is how it works:

• Open the file in an editor (Word processor or PDF editor).
• Click on the Menu.
• Choose “Save As” instead of “Save”.
• Select the corresponding file format (DOC or DOCX).
• Save and check the results.

Note: You can also change your Google Docs into PDF directly from the browser.

How to secure a PDF

Since PDF files transfer from person to person, users need to protect sensitive data. Unfortunately, not all PDF documents are password-protected. But with a PDF tool, you can secure PDF files with a password.

Besides, unprotected files can fall into the hands of malicious third parties or competitors. And if the PDF document contains trade secrets, losing them endangers your company and employees.

Another reason why you need to secure your PDF file is to prevent unsolicited PDF split into pages online. Also, you need to protect yourself from those who want to merge PDF files online.

So, let’s check out how to encrypt your PDF:

1. Open the PDF file in any editor or viewer.
2. Select the ‘Protect’ or ‘Secure’ option.
3. Specify the restrictions (print-protected, copy-protected, access-protected, etc.)
4. Set a password to encrypt the document.
5. Submit and view results.

Apart from password protection, you can also secure PDF files using a branded watermark, signature, or stamp.

Thanks to online PDF editors like LuminPDF, you can add these security elements to your file instantly.

Follow these steps:

1. Create the watermark, stamp, or logo.
2. Upload the graphic as an image.
3. Open the PDF file.
4. Add the picture to the PDF file.
5. Save the document and check the results.

Once you finish this procedure, your PDF file will become secure from unauthorized printing, sharing, and copying.

How to annotate PDF files

Of all the procedures discussed above, we haven’t talked much about editing the actual contents of PDF files.

Well, that’s because the PDF format discourages editing. Besides, the source of the PDF file determines if you can annotate or not.

Nevertheless, advanced online PDF editors contain tools that enable PDF annotation.

Here are ways you can annotate your PDF:

For starters, you can add comments to the file. If you don’t want to post comments, you can add small notes (handwritten or typed).

Secondly, PDF editors allow you to add shapes. Sometimes, you can even add imported stickers to the document.

Finally, online PDF tools provide color-coded highlighting, which is important for readers. So, use the annotation features on the toolbar to edit your PDF content.

Conclusion

Editing PDFs online can be tricky if you don’t have the right tools. But with advanced PDF editors, you can split, merge, convert, and secure your PDF documents. So, use the appropriate PDF tool to handle all changes to your documents.