# Modifying PDF's

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modifying-pdfs/126562>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 1, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modifying-pdfs/126562 "2002-09-01T14:42:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PhilAlex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@PhilAlex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhilAlex)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modifying-pdfs/126562/1 "2002-09-01T14:42:43Z")

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Okay, let me clarify the question (And thanks to the answers so far!)

Yes, they would be scanned, but when I said Modified, I really only meant adding a few pages at the start (Such as a new introduction) and adding a few pages at the end (Contact information, and what else is available)

Surely, this can be done cheaply and effectively…

(Perhaps I could MERGE my Intro into the book, and then Merge the later pages in a separate operation?)

Phil

(Who really doesn’t want to go the OCR route!)

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**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modifying-pdfs/126562/2 "2002-09-01T14:52:01Z")

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Adobe Acrobat has a function wherein you can insert pages before, within, or after the pages you have open in the window at the time. Maybe the fourth area from the left on the taskbar, down to “Insert Pages”.

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modifying-pdfs/126562/3 "2002-09-01T18:16:32Z")

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I gather this was meant as a continuation of [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=133467)?

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**Author:** ![PhilAlex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@PhilAlex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhilAlex)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modifying-pdfs/126562/4 "2002-09-01T18:39:34Z")

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Ya. Doofus (That’s me) hit NEW Thread instead of Post Reply.

Feh. There’s a zillion proggies on TUCOWS that lists themselves as PDF creators, but most want plain text to input, or hijack a printer stream.

Really, I may end up just splitting the PDF, inserting the pages I need, appending the other pages at the END, and re-joining them.

Phil

PS: (And without buying the full “acrobat” deal. That’s implied, methinks)

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**Author:** ![Omphaloskeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bcef8e/32.png) [@Omphaloskeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omphaloskeptic)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modifying-pdfs/126562/5 "2002-09-02T19:25:00Z")

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You can also convert the PDF to PostScript (e.g. with pdf2ps) and use a PostScript editor. Since PostScript files are ASCII you can even edit them by hand if you feel like it.