I have a 16 page PDF file which needs to be “edited.” Does anyone know if this can be accomplished? Can anyone actually do this?? I imagine you would need the appropriate software.
This file was in fact originally a Microsoft WORD file. However, now it has some signatures and other stampings on it. Obviously, if I just get the Microsoft WORD file, adjust it as necessary, and get someone to convert it to PDF, those signatures and stampings are going to be gone. That is not desirable.
I get the impression that this file was perhaps scanned into its present PDF format … however, my “impression” may be in error.
At any rate, I am hoping to find some member of the forumosa.com community who could edit out some lines of the file … while leaving the current spacing, page numbering, and page layout the same … (Specifically, there are actual physical “addresses” of several people people in there, and these people would prefer to maintain their privacy … )
If anyone can help out with this chore, please give me an email. Thanks.
If it was scanned originally then I doubt you can edit it as it is a graphics file (i.e. jpeg of sorts).
you can printscreen each page. Paste each into a graphics editor and remove the stuff that way by cut/crop. Save each as a separate image. Import each page into Word (import a graphics file), then produce a new PDF that way.
Whether that is appropriate or ethical, I don’t know…
If you can select text with the selection tool, it wasn’t scanned. There’s also document metadata like author, title, and maybe what software created it.
If it was originally in Word, you’re in luck. Acrobat 8 started shipping today (06/11/02). It can open convert PDF to Word while retaining layout like fonts, layout, and tables.
…However, by accident, I did discover a neat trick in Adobe Reader v7.0.7 and Word, that should save you a lot of time and trouble.
Here’s what you can do.
download, install Reader 7.0.7. it’s free and easy.
open your document in Reader.
place the ‘hand’ icon over the area you want to copy, then click. It will change to small cross hairs. Keep holding the left button and drag.
When finished, right click the mouse, and you’ll see copy to clipboard. Click on that.
Open word and paste it into the empty document.
You can paste sections of the document that remain the same. then retype the rest by hand. You can also click to get a whole page, and paste that. You will need to practice a few times, and resizing the graphic in Word might need some practice, too.
If it is a scanned document, I have to agree with the earlier reply that you are dealing with a picture of the document, not the meta data that makes it up.
One other ting to consider, Acrobat has some interesting security features when used to creat a PDF, and there are a number of levels that can bet set.
Eg, some PDFs can be edited using Acrobat. In others the text may not even be selected and copied to a clipboard at all. Also, even barebones functionality such as simple printing of the document can be switched off.
The above is FYI. Generally, selecting/copying text and printing is allowed, but often editing is not. It’s kinda the whole purpose of having a PDF - to retain the content identity as it was intended by the author.
If the PDF was scanned, OCR and proofreading is the way.
If you can copy the text, copying and pasting manually into Word works. If you want to convert the PDF to Word while retaining all formating and page layout (fairly well), Acrobat 8 Standard or Pro is the way.
It’s easy enough to post your PDF online (thru a service like RapidShare). People can try it out.
Having a re-read of the OP, it seems that OCR would not work of the intent of what he is trying to do. He said that signatures and stamps need to remain on the document, but some addresses etc need to be removed.
I believe the easiest way to do this is print the doc, white out or black out the details as required, rescan the document as a PDF.
Infact, I believe OCR a doc to edit it, would seem more dodgy as it would be difficult to tell which other details haven’t been altered. Doing white/black out of sensitive info and rescanning is a very acceptable and some would say a preferable way to do it, while retaining the document’s authenticity.
scan the document. cut the graphics and put into layout program like Adobe InDesign
OCR or type the text and use InDesign to accurately reproduce the layout
layout - there are rulers that can measure margins, font size, and such. To figure out the exact fonts used, there are online sites that help you ID fonts. Like IdentiFont.
If this document was printed using the PDF driver in an application like word or what not, the original text should be preserved and you may be able to edit it according to the permissions in the document if you have Adobe acrobat PDF writer.
PDF2WORD let me convert a very complex document reasonably well including graphics. The document even allowed me to convert documents protected against editing.
PDF2WORD gives you 100 free conversions before you have to buy it.
I now have an updated version of the original PDF document which needs to be edited in the same way.
(Unfortunately, the helpful member of the forumosa.com community who was finally able to produce a very “secure” and “professional looking” edited version of the original PDF document back there in November seems to have left Taipei for a while, and hence is not responding to emails … )
Hence, I am again asking if someone with the appropriate software could do this minor editing chore for me.
Please contact me my email if you are able to help. Thanks.
There is a lovely (unfortunately not free, but comes with a 30 day free trial) program that edits pdf files beautifully…check out www.bluebeam.com I’m still on the 30-day trial but I will likely buy the product. I trialed several other pdf editors but they all had various problems. This one seems to be the most full-featured and stable.
Here is the problem:
I have pdf files that I need to edit (and when I say edit, I mean actually move text, delete text, etc., not put “stickies” on top of the fixed pdf file).
The original document was created by some proprietary software that isn’t something off the shelf (it’s for generating oil and gas title ownership and leasehold). I believe that the stuff is being scanned, since all the free software I have tried to convert this (to Word) ends up a picture file within a Word document.
I know that there is at least one other way to create a pdf, since I get other work, when I am wearing a different hat, that appears to have been created with InDesign and then pdf’ed. This I can, to some extent, edit.
Is there a way (paid software is OK) to convert pdf to files that can be truly edited?
If not, how can the source send me information in such a way that it can be edited (meaning is there a way to save to pdf that is edit-friendly?)?
If anyone needs to see an example of the actual file, PM me.
[quote=“wolf_reinhold”]Here is the problem:
I have pdf files that I need to edit (and when I say edit, I mean actually move text, delete text, etc., not put “stickies” on top of the fixed pdf file).
The original document was created by some proprietary software that isn’t something off the shelf (it’s for generating oil and gas title ownership and leasehold). I believe that the stuff is being scanned, since all the free software I have tried to convert this (to Word) ends up a picture file within a Word document.
I know that there is at least one other way to create a pdf, since I get other work, when I am wearing a different hat, that appears to have been created with InDesign and then pdf’ed. This I can, to some extent, edit.
Is there a way (paid software is OK) to convert pdf to files that can be truly edited?
If not, how can the source send me information in such a way that it can be edited (meaning is there a way to save to pdf that is edit-friendly?)?
If anyone needs to see an example of the actual file, PM me.[/quote]
If it’s a PDF then you can use Acrobat to edit it. Not the free program. You have to pick the right tool. There’s one for editing text, another that only select blocks of text, another one for pictures and stuff. If the PDF file has no text, but just pictures of the text, then you need to use an OCR program to read the text. I’m not sure, but I think the latest Acrobat program can OCR the images. I’ll have to check when I get to work tomorrow.
