How to write on a PDF

▶ 1. Three ways to write on a PDF

Before hunting for the right button it helps to work out which of the three situations you are in: the method changes, and picking one at random almost always means doing the job twice.

• ✓ Adding new text — writing in a free spot on the page: a note, a missing detail, a tick on a printed form.
• ✓ Filling in a form — the document already has fields ready and you simply complete them.
• ✓ Correcting the text that is already there — working on the words that make up the document, as you would in a text editor.

123 PDF Editor PRO covers all three routes in the same browser tab. It is a Chrome extension: no programs to install, and it works the same on Windows, Mac and Linux.

＋ 2. Adding text wherever you want

This is the most versatile method and the one that solves most cases: you draw a box and type inside it, anywhere on the page.

1. Install the extension from the download page and open the file with Choose a PDF.
2. From the Insert bar choose Add text.
3. Draw the box at the point you want and type the content.
4. Adjust font (13 are included), size, colour and, if useful, a background colour.
5. Move the box by dragging it until it lines up the way you want.
6. When you are done, click Download PDF.

▤ 3. Filling in a form

If clicking a box brings up a cursor, the document holds interactive fields and there is nothing to draw.

1. Open Fill form and type straight into the fields present.
2. Move from field to field, completing all the information.
3. If instead the fields do not exist, go back to the previous method and write over the printed lines with Add text.
4. For a full treatment see the guide on how to fill in PDF forms.

✍️ 4. Correcting existing text

When the aim is not to add but to fix what is already there, you work on the document's own text.

1. Choose the selection mode: Word for a single word, Text block for a paragraph.
2. Click the text and rewrite it: the original font, size and colour are recognised automatically.
3. To delete a portion use Remove selected text.
4. The topic is covered in depth in the guide on how to edit the text of a PDF.

◎ 5. Writing on a scanned document

On a scan the text does not exist: there is only the image of the page. That changes what you can do.

1. To add something — filling in a paper form, putting in a date, a tick — Add text works perfectly: you write over the image with nothing else needed.
2. To correct the printed text you first need Local OCR, which turns the image into editable text working offline.
3. The full route is described in the guide on how to edit a scanned PDF.

✎ 6. Signing and saving

A document you have written on often has to be signed before being sent back.

1. With Add signature you insert an image of your signature (PNG or JPG) and position it on the page.
2. For a signature with evidential weight you need Digital signature with a certificate instead: see the guide on how to sign a PDF.
3. Click Download PDF to save the completed document.
4. If the job is long, Save project lets you pick it up later from Projects.

? 7. Frequently asked questions

The questions that come up most often on this topic.