Trying to type on a PDF isn’t as straightforward as you might have imagined, huh? You probably thought of converting your PDF file to a Word document to edit it or type on it, but we’re here to tell you that you don’t have to. There are actually several tools that have been developed for this specific purpose, and in this post, we cover two of the best, so stick around.

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While there are numerous ways you can type on your PDF files, the most frequently used tool is Adobe Reader. This downloadable software won’t only allow you to type freely on your PDF, but it can also give you multiple, additional edits.


Adobe Reader can be used on Windows, Android, and iOS devices. Nevertheless, some people might not want to use Adobe Reader. If you’re one of those people, the following section covers an excellent alternative. 


Before you begin to type on your PDF, you should always make sure that you have permission to proceed if needed, as some PDF documents have ‘View Only’ administrator restrictions that prevent any type of editing. 


It’s also worth noting that some PDF documents are protected by passwords. If you’re dealing with such a document, you must have the password to proceed with editing. 


With that out of the way, here’s how you can type on a PDF using Adobe Reader:


Once you’ve opened Adobe Reader, locate the 'Tools' tab at the top left corner. 

In ‘Tools,’ click on the tab with the pencil icon, titled ‘Fill and Sign.’

It’ll now show you the option to select the PDF file from your saved documents. Simply click on ‘Select a File’ and take your pick. 

After picking the file you’d like to type on, you’ll be prompted with this question: ‘Who needs to fill and sign?’ Since that’s you, just go ahead with the ‘Fill and Sign’ option.  

Next, click the 'Ab' icon on the leftmost part of the toolbar. 

When you click on the icon, you’ll notice that your cursor has replicated the ‘Ab’ in the icon. Now, just click on whichever space you’d like to add text to. 

Once you’ve chosen your space, you’ll also be able to format your text size as well as move the text around by hovering over the dotted line that appears left of the text. 

All that’s left to do now is to make sure you’ve saved your document by going to the ‘File’ tab and clicking ‘Save.’ 

Typing on PDF Files Using Adobe Reader

If you’re a Mac user, then you might be more inclined to use Preview rather than Adobe Reader, as the former is more user-friendly on Mac devices than the latter. We’d recommend trying both tools to see which one works best for you. 


That being said, here’s how you can type on PDF files using Preview:


Firstly, right-click the PDF file on which you’d like to type. Then, choose the ‘Open With’ option and proceed with Preview. 

Once you’ve opened the file with Preview, there are three approaches that you can take to type on the PDF, which are: 

The most thorough approach is to start from the top toolbar. There, you’ll find the ‘View’ tab. Click on it and then choose the ‘Show Markup Toolbar’ option. 

Another way you can access the Markup Toolbar is by clicking on the pencil icon at the top of the page, right next to the search bar. 

If the option is available, you can easily click on the space on which you’d like to type. This will show if your PDF has lines or boxes ready to be filled. If not, then proceed with steps (a) or (b).

After accessing the Markup Tool, click the ‘T’ icon near the upper left part of the page. 

Similar to Adobe Reader’s ‘Ab’ icon, you should now be able to choose the space where you want to include your text box. You’ll also be able to move the text box around as you see fit. 

Now, all you have to do is type in the text box. Make sure it fits in with the rest of the text on the PDF. 

While Adobe Reader offers you the option to change the size of the font you’re using, as mentioned earlier, Preview can give you more format options to make it snazzy. Click on the ‘A’ icon in the Markup Toolbar. You’ll be prompted with various fonts, text colors, and text alignment formatting for you to choose from. 

Lastly, don’t forget to save your work! Wouldn’t want all your hard work to go away. 

Pro-tip: if you also want to sign a PDF document via Preview, all you have to do is click on the cursive writing icon at the top of the Markup Tool. Next, simply sign your name on the trackpad, click on ‘Done,’ and voila!  

Typing on PDF Files Using Preview

There you have it; the two simplest and most effective ways to type on a PDF document. As we mentioned earlier, there are plenty of other ways to type on a PDF document, but they’re not as simple and straightforward as using Adobe Reader and Preview. 


If you gave both Adobe Reader and Preview a shot and you’re looking for a different approach, you may want to consider Sejda, CloudConvert, Xodo, Foxit, PDF Expert, Adobe Acrobat, and PDFelement. These are editing tools that are suitable for typing on PDF files. 


Whether you’re looking to fill a PDF form, sign some PDF documents, or complete a test in PDF format, we assure you that one of the options highlighted in this post will be quite useful. 

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How to Type on a PDF

Typing on PDF Files Using Adobe Reader

Typing on PDF Files Using Preview

Simple, Right?