PDF is one of the universally used file formats. You must have used PDF at some point due to personal matters or work. The format is highly trusted, reliable, and easily accessible. It is also adopted globally and, therefore, makes it easier to share documents and files. What’s more, PDFs work on various platforms, including macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android.
But do you know that PDFs can go beyond reading and printing? If you only know the basics, here’s a chance for you to learn what more you can do with PDFs. Read along and become a pro when it comes to using PDF files.
1. Convert PDF to Word
So, you’ve received a PDF file, and you want to edit the file. While editing PDF files has been discussed below, you’ll see that it isn’t as easy as editing in Google Docs or MS Word. You’ll need additional tools to make any edits. The best solution would be to convert the PDF file into MS Word.
If you’re using Windows, you can open the PDF file in Acrobat and select the ‘Export PDF’ tool found in the right pane. Then, select MS Word as your export format and click Word Document. Finally, click Export, and your file will be converted and ready for you to edit.
2. Creating PDFs without using Adobe Acrobat
Do you find it challenging to download the Adobe Acrobat software? If so, you can create PDF files without using the software. Here’s how.
- Google Chrome: Press Command + P (macOS) and Control + P (Windows) to open the print settings and click Change to select the printer. Then, click Save as PDF to convert a webpage into a PDF file.
- Other browsers: CleanPrint is a free add-on for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and also Google Chrome. You can install this add-on and select from various options, including PDF, print, email, text, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Google Cloud Print.
- File conversion: PDF documents can be created using standard file formats like PPT, MS Word, etc. Then, you can convert that file into a PDF document by using tools like pdf24.
3. Translating PDF Documents
What do you do if someone has sent you a document written in German or French? There’s no need to fret because you can easily translate the document using Google Translate. It is used for translating documents or text from one language to the other.
All you need to do is open the page that has to be translated, upload the PDF document using the browse button, and select the language you wish to translate your file into. Then, select the blue translate button, and voila, your document is translated.
4. Editing a PDF File
PDF documents are read-only, but there might be times when you need to add or change something to the existing document. In such cases, you can use tools like TOUCHPDF and PDFZen or refer to how you can convert to Word and edit (mentioned above).
You can also use tools like Foxit and Nitro pdf if you want to use them offline. These tools are desktop software that is used to edit PDF documents.
5. Print and Copy a Restricted PDF File
There might be instances when you stumble upon a PDF file on the Internet that’s useful to you, and you wish to print or copy some of its text. But there are some restrictions on the document, and you cannot do it.
No worries because the password can be easily removed from a restricted PDF document by using the pdf. There’s also PDFCrack, an online web service which is helpful in removing passwords from protected PDF documents.
6. Extracting Text from a Scanned PDF Document
Extracting text from a PDF document is easy, and you can use a text selection tool, but it is not the same when you have to copy text from scanned pages. Google Docs must be used to extract text from scanned PDF documents. Upload the document to Google Docs, and it will automatically convert the file into a format that you can copy the text from without a hassle. If you don’t want to use Google Docs, you can use tools like FreeOcr or onlineocr.
So, these are a few PDF tips and tricks that you must know if you use the file format regularly. Now, you can do so much more with PDFs than reading and printing the file.