Adding text to PDF on mac becomes easier these days, Adobe Acrobat is not the only way out to solve this, you can add text to PDF on mac with free Preview, online PDF Editor, even buying an affordable PDF tool to add text anywhere in the PDF.

Add Text to PDF on Mac with Preview

Mac Preview comes with each version of MacOS, it is the free mac tool to manage PDFs and images, you can view, edit, annotate, sign, print... To add text to PDF with Preview, you just need to find the right toolbar.

Follow the easy steps to add text to PDF on mac with Preview:

Master PDF Editor for Mac. Master PDF Editor is PDF editing software for Mac that comes with loads of features allowing you to convert PDF to numerous other file types and edit just about any aspect of your PDF document. Pros: It can be used to edit both text and images. You can convert PDFs to other formats, including Word and Excel. Mac Preview is the free utility to view, annotate, compress and manage PDF pages, but it is not capable of editing the PDF text. It does support filling out PDF forms, but the original PDF should come with form fields and interactive elements.

1. Open PDF with Preview
2. Click “Show Markup Toolbar” and choose the Text Toolbar as marked as following
3. Add text box where you prefer to place and input needed text, you can also utilize the toolbars to adjust font size and color.

Cons:

You cannot add text at place where there is no room for added text. You can only add text in blank area of the PDF file. Otherwise, you will need to erase the original text with white color (choose the “Sketch” toolbar, then choose the “Border Color” as White) and replace with your preferred one.

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Add Text to PDF on Mac with OCR PDF Converter (Scanned PDF Included)

If you want to add text to PDF as freely as possible, like inserting text to a phrase it sentence, modify text or punctuation, adjust layout or format, you may need to make the PDF fully editable.

With a PDF OCR Software for Mac, you will be able to convert your PDF to fully editable Word, Excel, HTML or other formats, then you can add text to PDF on mac anywhere and any style. Let’s say Cisdem PDF Converter OCR, a tool helping users to export native, scanned, even images into editable formats, then you can add text to PDF on mac without any limitations in your preferred file editor.

Let’s add text to PDF on mac with PDF OCR Software for Mac

1. After you have run the program on your mac, go to 'Converter', then drag and drop PDF that you want to add text into the program. It supports batch conversion.
2. Make PDF editable in Word or other format to add text to PDF on mac. Select the page range and output before clicking “Convert”.
3. Open the PDF in editable format and add text to PDF on mac in Microsoft Word or other preferred file editor.

Cons:

You cannot directly add text to PDF mac with PDF OCR Software for Mac.

Add Text to PDF on Mac with Adobe Acrobat

But if you have already installed Adobe Acrobat on your mac, you can definitely add any text to PDF on mac. Here we take Adobe Acrobat DC as the example to add text to PDF on mac.

1. Open PDF with Adobe Acrobat DC
2. Go to Tools>Edit PDF, choose the text toolbars to add text as needed

Cons:

High cost

Final Thoughts

To add text to PDF on mac, you can absolutely utilize mac Preview, though it is not perfect for coping with adding text as freely as possible, there is no software installation and cost required. Yet, PDF OCR Software for Mac is a good choice if you want to add text to a PDF on mac after you have converted the PDF into fully editable format.

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PDFs are everywhere. But are they easy to deal with? Absolutely not. Unlike Microsoft Word or Google Docs where you can easily edit text and images, PDFs feel like “words carved in stone.” You need additional tools to change text, sign, or redact information. No wonder many people want to know how to change PDF to Word to make it more editable.

Mac Pdf Converter To Word

Indeed, Word documents give you more editing tools, so it makes a lot of sense to convert PDF to Word, make edits, and then convert it back. How to convert PDF to Word on Mac? You can use copy and paste, but it’s too much work — you’ll end up spending more time on transferring text than actually editing it.

Get the best PDF editor for Mac

Change anything in your PDF without converting it to other formats. PDFpen can handle OCR, signatures, images, and so much more.

The point is you absolutely need to know how to convert PDF to Word on Mac — whether to sign your lease agreement or correct a file at work. So why not learn the best ways to convert PDF to Word doc now to make your life much easier later on.

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How To Convert PDF To Word On Mac

So how do you turn PDF into Word quickly and seamlessly? Truth is there are a few ways to convert PDF to Word to make simple edits in your files. For example, you could convert PDF to Word doc using Google Drive or Adobe Acrobat Pro. You could also capture PDF text with a built-in Mac utility called Automator. But the real secret is to know a few advanced apps that do all the work for you. Let’s dive into all.

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How to change PDF to Word with Google Docs

Google Docs is a popular online editing tool and there’s a good chance that you already store some PDFs within its storage solution called Google Drive, which also allows you to convert PDFs to Word docs without the need to download a PDF to your computer first. Just note that if your PDF includes lots of images, Google Drive might remove them in the final document.

Here’s how to set your Google Drive to read PDF files in Google Docs and then convert them into Word documents:

1. Click on the cog symbol at the top right in Google Drive and choose Settings
2. In the General tab, check the box in 'Convert uploads' that states 'Convert uploaded files to Google Docs editor format'
3. Find the desired PDF file within Google Docs and right-click on it.
4. Choose 'Open with' and select Google Docs
5. Once a new Google Doc window opens, click File in the top-bar menu and select Download as Microsoft Word

Google Drive works really well if you have a simple PDF text document that you need to edit in Word. However, if your PDF file is image-heavy, you’re going to need a more powerful PDF to Word converter for Mac.

How to convert PDF to Word using Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro is another complete solution to create and edit PDFs. The good thing about it is that your fonts and layout features, such as bullets and tables, will be left intact. Even when you’re out of the office, you can still export PDF to Word using a mobile version of Acrobat.

To convert from PDF to Word using Adobe Acrobat Pro:

1. Open your desired PDF file
2. Choose the Export PDF tool on the right sidebar
3. Select Microsoft Word as the export format and then Word Document
4. Click Export
5. Save and name your Word file in your desired location

If the PDF file contains any scanned text, Acrobat will recognize it automatically.

How to convert from PDF to Word using Automator

Automator is a Mac utility, built right into your macOS. It generally helps with menial tasks, such as renaming files in batches or moving files in bulk. For our purposes, Automator also offers to help with extracting text from PDF without converting the file to Word. You can then edit the text in any text editor, such as the Ulysses app.

To use Automator for extracting text:

1. Open Automator via the Applications folder
2. Select Workflow and tap Enter
3. Click on Files and Folders in the left column
4. In the second column, select Ask for Finder Items and drag it into the right pane that says 'Drag actions or files here to build your workflow.'
5. Choose the PDFs in the left column and select Extract PDF Text located in the second column
6. Drag and drop Extract PDF Text to the right under Find Files and Folders
7. Select Rich Text instead of Plain Text to retain formatting
8. Choose where you want Automator to place your extracted text files
9. Save as an application, open the new Automator application, and select the PDF you want to grab the text from

Open the new Rich Text document in a word processor like Ulysses, a focused writing app. Ulysses helps you write with a clean distraction-free user interface as well as structure and format your piece in its Markdown editor. Conveniently, you’re also able to keep your side notes, sketches, and manuscripts in the app’s library. When you’re done, just export your work into a well-designed ebook or a new PDF file.

Free Convert Pdf To Text Mac

Ulysses can also be the answer to how to convert Word to PDF on Mac, since it’s able to open Word files and export anything as PDF too.

On another note, Automator works great for working with text files, but what can you do if you want to extract words from images in your PDF?

How to extract text from images with Prizmo

When you want to grab text embedded in an image, you need Prizmo.

Free Pdf To Text Mac Software

Prizmo is an essential app that uses optical character recognition (OCR) to create searchable PDF documents. It also lets you edit or correct small errors or formatting mistakes in scanned files, just as you would be able to in your favorite word processor. All in all, Prizmo is your best friend if you’re looking to work with text in any printed papers, business cards, or even receipts.

How to extract text from anywhere with TextSniper

Whether you are struggling to turn your PDF scans to text or wondering how to quickly capture text from a banner, landing page, video still, or other non-textual format, try TextSniper.

This precise tool works just like a screenshot, only for text. Use app shortcut Command + Shift + 2 or manually find the feature in the app’s menu in your Mac’s menu bar to prompt the selection tool.

Select any part of your screen with the text you need copied and in mere seconds, your text is copied to your clipboard. Use Command + V to paste the text to Word or any other text editor of your choice.

How to edit PDFs without converting them to Word

If figuring out how to export PDF to Word sounds like too much work — there’s another way to edit them as well, using PDFpen.

PDFpen is a powerful editor you can use to add new images, text, and even signatures directly to your PDF files. You can also erase and edit existing content, resize or move graphics, and copy and paste from other sources while retaining formatting.

Use PDfpen when you need to review and add feedback to PDF files. You’d be able to simply highlight, underscore, or add corrections to any file. With a simple drag and drop feature, you can add new pages, reorder existing ones, or combine separate PDF files into one. If you’re going to be editing PDF files on a regular basis, PDFpen is a must-have.

Now that you know how to export PDF to Word, extract text from PDF, and even edit your PDF file directly, you can take control of your important documents and make edits as needed.

Best of all is that all four apps mentioned above: Ulysses, Prizmo, TextSniper and PDFpen, are available absolutely free for seven days as part of the trial for Setapp, a collection of more than 160 Mac apps, all of which promise to make your day on Mac as productive as it can be. Try and see for yourself today!