As we all know that PDF is the best format for viewing and sharing documents, it is widely used by computer users. However, due to PDF's special feature - un-editable, what will you do if you need to edit or revise a PDF file? The following 4 ways can help you edit PDF files:

1. Edit PDF through Gmail

Recently Gmail added a solution may solve this problem. If you received an Email with PDF file attached, you'll now get a "View" link along with the previously existing "Download" link, click it, the PDF Document will be turned into to HTML. Open the HTML file in Microsoft Word and choose Save as .doc. At this stage, you can edit your read-only PDF file in Word.

Pros: Free

Cons: Complicated, only compliant for one single PDF file conversion


2. Convert PDF to Word online

Now there are about 4-5 websites provide online PDF to Word conversion service for free. You need to upload the PDF file and enter your email address. Then the converted word file would be sent to your mailbox after several minutes. You can edit the word document after conversion. You could try Zamzar through http://www.zamzar.com or free PDF converter online at http://www.freepdfconvert.com/convert_pdf_to_source.asp

Pros: Free

Cons: Slow, not compliant for the conversion of confidential PDF files

3. Desktop PDF to word converter
This is a kind of software specially designed for converting PDF to word. A Free PDF to Word converter supports conversion of single file, batch files, and also selected pages. It helps users preserve the original layout of text, graphics and images after conversion.

Pros: Free, easy to use, support encrypted PDF files

Cons: The conversion speed is not very fast.


4. Edit PDF in Adobe Acrobat

Everyone knows that Adobe Acrobat is the professional tool to create PDF, and it is a piece of cake to edit PDF file in it. You can open your PDF file in Adobe acrobat, edit it directly, and then save your PDF file. However it's an expensive software, you need to pay a high price to purchase, and get familiar with all the features first. Many users complain that use the Adobe Acrobat make their computer run slow and it eat up a lot of disk space when the file saved. So it's the first software we may thought when edit a PDF file, but the last to choose.

Pros: Famous, professional

Cons: Not Free, $229 or above, Hard to Learn

As mentioned above, we may find there are many ways to edit PDF files, so don't worry again when facing problems concern with edit the PDF file, just follow the way which you think is most suitable.

Interesting! I tried the first way through gmail. But Gmail can not view the PDF file as HTML format by clicking the view button.

Welcome for your suggestion.

Hi W.Peterson,

Gmail is upgraded and the "view as html" function was removed.

A really simple way is to open the file with NOTEPAD and make any changes and then re-save it as its own filename (For simple changes)

PDF file can be opened with NOTEPAD. But NotePAD can not keep the original layout of PDF file(Table, column, fonts, images, and so on). I tried some pdf files with Notepad, but most of them with many stupid error codes and the layout lost.

Is it anything wrong with my computer?

Thanks for the informative post. The free online conversion services work well.

Foxit Software also has a PDF reader, editor, and creator.

The reader is free, the editor and creator have a six month demo license, or can be purchased at reasonable rates.

I use Foxit exclusively, as Adobe's Acrobat is big, slow, and cumbersome. Foxit is lightning fast, and runs fine from my thumbdrive.

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/