Master the Art of the PDF with These 9 Tips & Tricks

Intro

The easiest way to edit a PDF is with an online PDF editing tool or program, but there are other ways of working with PDF files. Users can take advantage of other PDF tricks like using non-PDF readers like Google Docs and Google Sheets to make small changes to PDF files without having to download or install new software. Other programs help users turn other file types into a PDF or vice-versa, which lets them turn PDFs into more easily viewable file types for use on other programs. Users can also find ways to combine several PDF files into one and make comments or annotations on specific files without having to buy expensive software.

Convert a Document Into a PDF

Converting a PDF has become a standard feature of many online PDF programs, while others are dedicated solely to file conversion. Users can find these apps everywhere online and some of them are available for free. Other programs may charge a premium for more advanced features like selecting the image resolution or making custom changes to a specific file.

No matter what program they are using, the process for converting a document into a PDF file is very simple. Users can often achieve it by simply opening or uploading the document to the browser, where it is automatically converted into a selected file type. There may be a section dedicated to conversion in the program’s browser where users can select from different file types that can be converted to PDFs (e.g. Word, Excel, Sheets, PowerPoint, etc.).

Turn Any Kind of Content Into a PDF

It is not only other file types that can be converted into a PDF. Some programs allow users to create a PDF out of anything from a screenshot or a website or even an image. A program like Adobe makes it especially easy as it has a specific feature that lets users do this type of conversion.

But for other programs, users should find dedicated conversion websites that also give users a wide amount of file types to convert including JPEGs, GIFs, and other visual media into a shareable and saveable PDF file.

Easily Gather Survey Responses, Signatures, and Other Information

PDFs are useful in not only sharing but gathering information. PDFs can become fillable forms that are sent out to relevant parties to be filled out and returned to the sender for several different purposes. Many online PDF editors and programs do feature a database of fillable forms and other templates to make surveys, questionnaires, and even important applications easier to fill and send.

Add Annotations, Comments, and Edits to a PDF

Adding annotations and comments to PDFs is a crucial feature to improve collaboration among all users. The process is different for every application, but some are more in-depth and give users the ability to comment, annotate and edit in real-time with other users who are working online.

Most PDF programs will have the ability to let users leave comments in different locations, usually in the margins, like with most word processing programs. Other programs will let users attach a sticky note or text box in a certain area if the comment they want to make is larger or longer than usual.

Combine Several Files Into One PDF

Combining several files (even non-PDF files) into a single PDF is also known as merging and it is easily achievable with many online and offline PDF programs. Users can collect several different PDF files and save them to their local drive or cloud-based account. They can then open them or drag and drop them into a specific browser to begin the merging process.

Once the file(s) has been opened, the process will begin automatically. Users may be limited to how many files they can merge depending on the program. Some programs have a file size limit but more than often allow users to merge as many files as they want into one file.

Extract Individual Pages Into Freestanding Files

Extracting individual pages from a PDF file is also possible with a majority of PDF editing programs. The process is known as splitting a PDF, while it can also entail simply deleting specific pages from an overly large PDF file. Users can open a PDF file in the specific merge or split feature on their browser-based program and then be shown the file in a thumbnail view so they can easily select the pages that need to be removed, deleted, or taken to add to another PDF file.

Search Any PDF for Anything You Need to Find

Many PDFs work with OCR (optical character recognition), which gives users the ability to find specific text in a large file. This is a feature that is common to only advanced PDF editing software like Adobe, although Google Docs also uses it to convert PDF-formatted text into a Google Doc.

A program like Lumin PDF offers users the ability to search for specific words, phrases, and terms in a large PDF file. The feature is among the premium ones that users can access with a premium Lumin account. But once unlocked, users will have an easier time searching and finding important text without having to read through the entire file.

View a PDF in Full-Screen Mode

The ability to view a PDF in full-screen mode is important for many reasons and luckily many PDF viewers and editors allow for such a mode. Users need to only check the View options of their specific browser or tool to enable the full-screen view of their selected PDF file.

Add Images to Your PDF

Adding images is a natural feature of PDF creation as they give any text a dynamic visual element. When adding an image to any new PDF, users can simply open the Insert tab or the Tools menu to see how to add specific content like images.