Practical PDF Editing Packages

If you work in an office and are regularly required to put documents together (newsletters, reports or marketing materials, for example) you may find that you come into contact with PDFs quite regularly. PDFs can be a great way of storing and sending information, however they are generally not available to edit. This can be particularly difficult if you are required to put together a document which uses information from several PDFs. You may want to copy and paste certain sections to create a new document, or you may find information that is now out of date and needs changing. In this instance, you will need a computer programme that will convert PDFs into a format that makes them suitable for editing. PDF editing is somewhat possible with a simple copy and paste function, but this generally results in a loss of formatting. This is particularly noticeable with tables and text that is interspersed with images – the layout and formatting will be compromised when copied and pasted.

If you need to extract information from PDFs then you will need to run the PDF file through a specially designed computer programme. This will convert it into a more manageable format – similar to a Word Document - which is easily editable.

You can find PDF editing software very easily online – use a search engine such as Google or Yahoo to find extraction programmes. They should be reasonably priced and easy to use – look for informative supplier websites that give you lots of details about the features of each programme. If in doubt, or if you are new to PDF editing, the best thing to do is contact a supplier. You should be able to do this via phone or email, and this is a great way to have your questions answered and get a general overview of the packages and programmes available. Any programme that converts text and images from a PDF file should also be able to create a PDF from other files. This can be a good option if you want to create files that are un-editable and easy to read – company newsletters for example.

The facilities that are offered by a PDF editing programme can vary greatly depending on the package that you choose. Some offer relatively simple functions, such as creating PDF image albums, finding and replacing text, and creating bookmarks. However, if you splash out on a more expensive package, you will be able to perform advanced techniques such as exporting text with language translators (excellent for businesses who wish to send newsletters overseas!), creating hyperlink text, or watermarking pages (this can make documents look particularly official, or can indicate whether a document is private or contains sensitive information). The amount you wish to spend will depend on the level of editing that you require – however spending a little more can help you to make your documents look really professional, and can give you the chance to get creative.