# Inserting text in PDF files **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016 "2003-12-19T18:14:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/1 "2003-12-19T18:14:29Z")
I have to fill up some forms and print them out,but the problem is that these forms are in PDF format and I dont know if there is any way to insert text. Is there any way to import the text in some word processor like MS Word?Or is there any way by which I can directly insert the text in Adobe Acrobat itself? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/2 "2003-12-19T18:29:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by maleinblack \* > \*\*I have to fill up some forms and print them out,but the problem is that these forms are in PDF format and I dont know if there is any way to insert text. > > Is there any way to import the text in some word processor like MS Word?Or is there any way by which I can directly insert the text in Adobe Acrobat itself? > > Thanks in advance. \*\* Putting text into PDFs suck. Your best bet is to copy yhthe text from the PDF to the clip board and paste into WORD. Fill out the form and print to the DISTILLER to turn back into PDF. This only works if you have the full blown acrobat. ---
**Author:** ![GraphicsGal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@GraphicsGal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraphicsGal)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/3 "2003-12-19T18:39:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by maleinblack \* > \*\*I have to fill up some forms and print them out,but the problem is that these forms are in PDF format and I dont know if there is any way to insert text. > > Is there any way to import the text in some word processor like MS Word?Or is there any way by which I can directly insert the text in Adobe Acrobat itself? > > Thanks in advance. \*\* I have a little experience with this and here is what I have learned at my work. 1. Many pdf files can be opened and edited in Adobe Illustrator, then resaved or redistilled as a pdf. 2. If you have a form that was meant to be interactive, from what I understand, you have to have the full version of Acrobat (not just Reader), in order to fill out the form, resave the file and then email the new file back to the originator. I found a number of forms like this when job hunting; I was able to fill them out only in the full version of Acrobat. 3. If the form is not meant to be interactive (there are spaces for responses but you cannot tab through them like any other online form), it is possible to add text within Acrobat (again, full Acrobat, not just reader). This text will sit on the page in a black outlined box (I had to do this in a document with extensive scanned elements that were, therefore not searchable in a text search…adding the text made them searchable for that text string). This is not beautiful but it works. 4. If you have only Acrobat, you can capture text out of the document and paste it into Word or the like, but you may get some disappointing results if the original form was heavily formatted…in other words, it may look nothing like the original document. 5. You may want to print out the form, fill it in by hand or with a typewriter, and either scan the file to make a pdf of your filled out document, or fax the form wherever it needs to go. Wish I had more to offer. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/4 "2003-12-19T19:13:55Z")
Look at PDFWiz by [Gnostice](http://www.gnostice.com/PDFWiz.asp) I _think_ it will provide some functionality that you want. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/5 "2003-12-20T02:48:12Z")
This is what _I_ do: - Open the file in Adobe Acrobat. - Save it as TIFF at whatever resolution I want. (Tiff supports documents with several pages too) - Open TIFF document in Imaging which comes with Windows and which allows Annotation - Fill the form using the Imaging Annotation tool ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/6 "2003-12-20T05:14:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GraphicsGal \* > \*\*3. If the form is not meant to be interactive (there are spaces for responses but you cannot tab through them like any other online form), it is possible to add text within Acrobat (again, full Acrobat, not just reader). This text will sit on the page in a black outlined box \*\* The Text Annotation tool shoud allow you to add text without the box. At least it works on my Acrobat 5.0. Make sure you check the “print annotations” (?) box when printing. ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/7 "2003-12-20T05:23:44Z")
You must have the full version of Adobe Acrobat (not just the Reader) in order to edit documents. The easiest way I’ve found is to use the form tool and insert form fields in the document. Text boxes are available also, but I find them a pain to use. With form fields, you can easily tab your way around the document and fill in what you need to fill in. ---
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/8 "2003-12-20T07:53:19Z")
Thanks for all the help and tips folks.Unfortunately I only happen to have Reader and not the whole Acrobat ☹ I have tried to copy the whole stuff to a clipboard and then paste it to my word processor as **billy** suggested but the formatting is all screwed up.I will now try what **sailor** suggested.I feel that the software suggested by **|Khadaji** wont serve my purpose.Thanks anyway. In the end if nothing works I might have to go to a friends place who has the full Acrobat version but I would like to avoid that as much as possible. Keep those great tips coming in! Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/9 "2003-12-20T14:15:35Z")
maleinblack, if you have any problems, just email me the PDF file and I will convert it to TIFF for you. I use this system often when any friend asks the same question. I just convert the file to TIFF for them as everybody has Imaging in their computer. I have even added some symbols to “rubberstamp” like a check mark. The good thing about TIFF is that anyone can annotate it using the Imaging software which comes with Windows. OTOH with this system you are just annotating over a random graph so you cannot tab from one field to another but you have to place your annotation tool each time. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/10 "2003-12-20T14:28:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by maleinblack \* > \*\*I feel that the software suggested by **|Khadaji** wont serve my purpose.Thanks anyway. > Keep those great tips coming in! Thanks again. \*\* OK then, try [Planet PDF](http://www.planetpdf.com/) and see if they have some tips or links to good software. ---
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inserting-text-in-pdf-files/220016/11 "2003-12-20T17:36:58Z")
Thanks a lot for your generous offer **sailor** but thanks to the wonderful site pointed out by **Khadaji** I managed to download a tool for inserting the text. Its a trial version but I think it will serve my purpose and I will uninstall it as soon my work is done.