Editing a PDF file with Adobe Reader XI – Part 1

One question that we frequently get is: ‘How can I edit a PDF file‘?

To answer this question, it first depends on exactly what you mean by ‘edit‘.  Do you need to make changes directly to the PDF itself to remove or replace text/images?  Or do you just need to make comments on an existing PDF file?  For example, what if you just needed to markup or make comments on a PDF file that a coworker sent you to review?

To do advanced editing (removing or changing text/images) you will need a full-blown PDF editing software program; the most popular software is the full Adobe Acrobat product.  This can be expensive, however.

If you just want to make comments or markup a PDF file to return for review, then the better alternative is to use the new annotation features that are available in the free Adobe Reader XI software.  In this latest incarnation of Adober Reader, you’ll have access to a full set of commenting and markup tools, including sticky notes, a freehand drawing tool, and typewriter, highlight, underline, and strikethrough tools.

Here is a short video that describes the annotation features in Adobe Reader XI.

You can also read an interesting overview of other Reader XI features at Adobe’s Reader blog.