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How to I type into a PDF document?

Anonymous
2012-06-17T18:37:39+00:00

I need to add text to a PDF grad school recommendation form and can't seem to figure out how to add text.I am using a PC but with Adobe Reader.  Actually I just need to type directly into a PDF. Word has nothing to do with it but I had to pick a software option other than Adobe as this site doesn't have Adobe as an option for obvious reasons :)

Do you know how to type text into a PDF directly?  It's a 2 page PDF. Many thanks!

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-06-18T04:39:18+00:00

    A PDF is essentially a graphical representation of a document. Imagine a document printed on paper. It is not designed or intended to be typed into, but to be a finished version of the document that will maintain its formatting integrity when distributed electronically. You cannot simply edit it.

    Some methods have been suggested, but if these are not suitable, then that's the end of the matter. There are some PDF editing tools available such as Adobe Acrobat, that will enable you to turn a PDF into a form that can be filled, but this would be an expensive solution simply to edit a PDF.

    You cannot type text into a PDF.

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  1. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 322.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2012-06-17T19:33:01+00:00

     I need to add text to a PDF grad school recommendation form and can't seem to figure out how to add text.I am using a PC but with Adobe Reader. 

    You cannot open a PDF file in Word.

    Unless the form was created a fillable form in the utility used to create it, you will not be able to enter text into it and it will have to be done by hand.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-08-13T18:27:10+00:00

    It's possible with Adobe Acrobat

    Just get a free 30 day Adobe Acrobat trial

    https://www.acrobat.com/en\_us/free-trial-download.html?promoid=KQZBD

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  2. Jay Freedman 207.5K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2012-06-17T19:33:54+00:00

    Usually, when someone creates a form as a PDF that they want you to fill in on a computer, they put fields in it that you can type into. Unfortunately not everyone who creates a PDF form knows what they're doing, so there may not be any such fields. (Here I'm thinking of a particular giant insurance company that must remain nameless...)

    There are a couple of ways to add text with Word. Which one is best depends on whether you need to print the final version and mail the paper, or whether you need to submit it electronically. It also depends on whether the form is one page or more than one (if you insert a multi-page PDF into Word, it will only show the first page).

    For a print-only final version of a one-page form:  Click Insert > Object. In the dialog, click the From File tab, click Browse, and locate the PDF file. Click Insert. This puts a (non-editable) picture of the form into the Word document. If necessary, you can grab its corners and resize it to fit the page. Before you do anything else, press Ctrl+Home to make sure the picture is not selected. Then click Insert > Text Box and choose Draw Text Box from the bottom of the menu. Draw a text box on top of the picture in one of the places where text is needed, and type into it, then save. Repeat the draw-type-save sequence until you've completed the form. Then print it.

    For electronically submitted and/or multi-page forms:  Click this link:  http://www.google.com/search?q=pdf+to+word+online+free+converter. Use any one of the first half-dozen results to convert the PDF to a Word document. Some of the sites may reproduce the original form's fonts and layout better than others, but I can't tell which ones. Treat the result like any other document. If the school needs a PDF file instead of a Word file, use Word's command File > Save & Send > Create PDF/XPS Document.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-06-18T03:05:32+00:00

    Hi, Actually I just need to type directly into a PDF. Word has nothing to do with it but I had to pick a software option other than Adobe as this site doesn't have Adobe as an option for obvious reasons :)

    Do you know how to type text into a PDF directly?  It's a 2 page PDF. Many thanks!

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