You can edit a PDF on a Mac in several ways using different tools. If you are one of those Mac users who wish to add text, signature, or notes to a downloaded PDF file, you can easily do that on your phone if you know the technical know-how of how it works on macOS.
This guide will leave no stone unturned when it comes to how to edit a PDF on a Mac; all you need to do is to follow the instruction in this guide and you are good to go.
PDF (Portable Document Format) is a readable type of document primarily shared with others irrespective of the software they use to view it. PDF is also compatible with every PDF viewer. However, adding or editing text, signature or image, and so on may look impossible once they are in the PDF.
Currently, macOS comes with a free PDF editor app, Preview, and Quicklook which enables a smooth editing experience. Irrespective of Adding Text, Signature, Notes, Shapes, and Checkmarks, you can always trust Preview to perform wonders.
To edit a PDF on Mac, you have to click on the Feature icon and overlay it on the position you wish. 
Can I Edit a PDF for Free on a Mac?
If you have a Mac and you want to know if it’s possible to edit a PDF for free, well, yes, you can!
A free PDF editor can be used which is built right into macOS and it’s very easy to use.
The Best Free PDF Editors for Mac
It will amaze you to know that there are free PDF editors for Mac that you can use that give you the best result. Some of the best PDF editors are as follows:
- Acrobat Reader DC.
- Adobe Acrobat for Mac.
- FineReader Pro for Mac.
- LibreOffice.
- macOS Preview Application.
- pdfFiller.
- PDF Expert.
- Skim.
Here are the best free PDF editors to try out! Although some editors are paid for WHILE some are free.
How to Edit a PDF on a Mac
With the rate at which the popularity of using PDF format is rising, there’s a question on every user’s mind on how to edit a PDF on a Mac.
Nowadays, most editors charge a lot for this service. This article will provide you with complete details on how to edit a pdf document on a Mac device.
- Open the PDF file you want to edit.
- Double-click on the exact text so that the cursor is inside the text box.
- Now, type or delete text as needed.
- Tap on the “Add Text” button in the toolbar to add PDF text.
- Then, click on anywhere you want to add text to the page.
- A dotted text box will be displayed, and you can then start typing new text as you wish.
That’s it!
How to Edit a PDF on a Mac via Quick Look
Once you have your Apple Mac updated to Mojave & Catalina in the early years, then you can edit PDFs on a Mac using Quicklook.
What is QuickLook?
It’s an enhanced tool that provides a fast full-size view of any document without having to open it. For instance, you can add a Signature, text, notes, rotate, and trim directly using Quicklook. Follow the steps below:
- Search or download the PDF document which you want to edit.
- Click on it once you find it, tap on the space bar, or right-click on it and select QuickLook from the Menu.
- Right-click on the PDF document and choose the good look.
- Once you do the above, this will open the Preview of the PDF.
- On the same page, search for the Pencil icon and choose it.
- Now, you will capture the Editing Toolbar with several tools such as Drawing Tool, Shape, Signature, and Text Tool-A in the square box.
- Once you click on Text Tool- A in the square, the square box filled with Red TEXT will be displayed.
- You don’t have to worry because you can change the text’s colour, size, and font style from the Aa Dropdown.
- You can also move it through the PDF by dragging and drop at the same point.
Although, some arrays of forms are designed to make it more simple to fill, and at times encounter the Text Box at the definite location where you want to make changes.
- Once the editing process has been completed, select Done and Share it.
How to Edit a PDF Using Preview
You can easily edit a scanned PDF on Mac using Preview, unlike QuickLook. The Preview is a pre-installed Mac feature that helps to edit the PDF on Mac for free. Follow the steps below to edit a PDF using Preview:
- Right-click on the PDF and choose Open With to edit the PDF using Preview.
- Select Preview from the Open With Menu.
- Choose the Pencil Icon located at the top.
- By doing so, this will feature the markup tool with a Text Section, A Rectangular Section, Sketch, Draw, Shape, Sign, Note Shape Style, Border, Text Style, and Fill Colour.
- There are several tools in the Preview to add text lines, draw, underline, and more.
Although, the methods seem to be the same as those used in QuickLook. That’s it! This is another way how to edit a PDF on a Mac.
How to make a PDF Editable with Acrobat
In case you want to make your PDF document editable, you can as well make it possible with Acrobat. Follow the steps below:
- Open your PDF file in Acrobat Pro.
- Tap on the Edit PDF tool on the right-hand panel.
- With the aid of different editing tools, you can add new text, edit text, or update fonts via selections from the Format drop-down list.
- Add, move, replace, or resize images using the tools in the Objects list.
That’s it! Now your PDF is editable with Acrobat.
How to Edit a PDF without Adobe
Another method ON how to edit PDFs is editing without Adobe. You can make the necessary changes to your PDF on Microsoft Word Document without stress.
You need to follow the steps below to learn how to edit a PDF file on Mac with MSWord.
- Open Microsoft Word and tap on the “File” option.
- Select the “Open” option.
- Now, choose the PDF file you wish to edit.
- Here, you will see a notification that your PDF file has been converted into an editable format.
- Select “OK” and you are ready to edit the file.
That’s it!
Recommended: How to scan PDF files using Adobe Reader on Android Phones
How to Add Text to a PDF on a Mac
Try clicking on the space where the PDF mentions entering some data from the same Preview. Currently, PDFs are sometimes designed in such a fragmented way that Preview itself has to highlight the location where you have to enter the text. However, if not, follow the given steps below:
- After opening the PDF in Preview, choose the Tool from the Preview Menu bar.
- Now select Annotate >> Text.
- The Tiny Box with a red color “Text” will be displayed on the screen.
- This can be dragged and dropped.
- Once the replacement procedure has been completed, you can start typing.
- In case you wish to change the text’s color and size, choose the Slanted A Icon located last in the Toolbar.
- Also, if you want to reform the position of the text, simply click on it and drag it accordingly.
That’s it! This is another way how to edit a PDF on a Mac.
How to edit a PDF in Word for Mac
To edit a PDF in Word for Mac, follow the simple steps below:
- Go to File >> Open.
- Locate the PDF and open it (you may have to choose Browse and find the PDF in a folder).
- Word will inform you that it’s going to make a copy of the PDF and convert its contents into a format that Word can easily display.
- Once you are done editing, you can save it as a Word doc or a PDF.
That’s it! This is another way how to edit a PDF in Word on a Mac.
How to Add Signature on PDF on Mac
Do you know you can also add a signature on PDF on Mac? Well, yes, you can! Avoid using a wrong Signature or even missing adding a signature on PDF. Follow the steps below to add your Signature or Stamp:
- Search for the PDF in which you want to add the Signature.
- Tap on it and press the Spacebar.
- The Preview of the PDF will open; now click on the Pencil icon.
- You will receive the Toolbar at the top of the next screen.
- Now, choose the Signature icon Dropdown (stated at the seventh position in the Toolbar).
- Choose to Create Signature to add the new one.
- You will receive three options on the next screen.
That’s it! This is another way how to edit a PDF on a Mac.
How to convert a PDF into a Word doc on Mac?
In case you have a PDF document and you wish to convert it to Word to add or remove some texts, well, you can follow the steps below to achieve that:
- Right-click on your PDF file.
- Go to Open With, and select Preview.
- Choose the text you want to copy and click on Command‐C.
- Go to Page’s or Microsoft Word on Mac and paste the text into the document with Command‐V.
- Save the file as DOC or DOCX (File >> Export To >> Word if you use Pages).
That’s it! You have successfully converted a PDF to a Word document on Mac.
How to Convert a PDF to Word for free on Mac?
Here is an alternative way to convert a PDF to Word for free on Mac. Follow the steps below:
- Open Adobe >> Tools >> Export PDF >> Add Files to Export.
- Under convert, select “Microsoft Word Document”.
- You can as well choose the document language.
- Finally, click on “Export to Word” to save your file.
That’s it!
Why can’t I edit a PDF on Mac?
Although, by default, PDFs are not editable by design. However, you may need to make changes in PDFs like correcting a typo in an invoice or even adding more pages to your document from time to time.
Whatever your reason might be, you need a go-to PDF app for Mac that provides the best way to edit PDFs in case you are not able to edit a PDF on Mac. This is another way how to edit a PDF on a Mac.