What Is a PDF Editor?
A PDF (Portable Document Format) editor, also known as PDF editing software, refers to software designed for creating and editing PDFs, allowing for mutual conversion between office files, image files, and PDFs.
Typically, PDF editors offer a variety of functions, such as adding new text to PDF documents, inserting images, adding text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to PDFs generated from images, accurately marking each character, adding watermarks, adding backgrounds to PDFs, attaching files to PDF documents, and inserting pages.
Moreover, PDF editors enable direct editing of PDF documents, including rearranging pages, merging with other PDFs, adding input forms, and setting security features like print and edit permissions.
Uses of PDF Editor
The primary use cases for PDF editors include the following, making them an indispensable tool in the business world:
- Direct conversion of office files to PDF without using a printer.
- Conversion of PDFs back to office files.
- Applying OCR to files converted from a scanner to add text.
- Directly inputting text into PDFs and editing existing text, rather than adding annotations.
- Creating forms allowing only form field entry.
- Controlling the viewing, editing, and printing of PDF documents using passwords.
In business, PDF editors are widely used for internal document circulation and storage. Externally, they are employed for the creation, exchange, and storage of quotes, invoices, contracts, administrative documents, applications, equipment catalogs, operation manuals, pamphlets, and download files from web services, among others.
Compared to traditional paper-based methods of information sharing and communication, PDF editors are recommended for the current trend of paperless workflows.
Principles of PDF Editor
To create electronic files, software tailored to the specific purpose is used. The files created are in a format unique to the software used, and to open such a file, the software that created it is required.
For example, if you distribute an electronic file created with Microsoft Office, someone needs an application compatible with office to view the file. However, if you convert an office file to PDF and share it, the recipient can view it with a PDF reader.
PDF was developed by Adobe in 1993 as a file format for displaying documents, including formatted text and images, independently of software, hardware, and operating systems.
Based on the PostScript language, each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document, including text, fonts, vector graphics, raster images, and other information needed for display. PDF editors enable the editing of previously view-only PDFs.
Other Information on PDF Editors
1. Convenient Recommended Features with Cloud Integration
A recommended feature of PDF editors is the file-sharing functionality combined with cloud integration. This allows users to share the latest PDF files among stakeholders, enabling real-time collaborative revision work even when users have different PC operating environments for telework.
Utilizing the characteristics of the cloud, PDF editors, when integrated, facilitate not only file format conversion to PDF but also features like signatures, page revisions, image insertion, file merging, compression, and more, which can be smoothly performed by multiple users on the cloud. Cloud-compatible PDF editor SDKs that support mobile OS such as Android and iOS, in addition to windows PC and Google Drive, are available, allowing users to choose based on functionality and suitability.
2. Comparison between PDF Reader and PDF Editor
The most significant difference between the two software types is the ability to create PDFs. PDF editors, having the capability to convert electronic files created with applications like Microsoft Office or scanned paper-based information into PDF format, allow for the creation of new PDF files. On the other hand, PDF readers can only open files that have already been converted to the PDF format.
PDF editors also come with convenient editing features such as timestamp functionality and embedded audio, among others. Since the features vary depending on the manufacturer, it is essential to choose a PDF editor that suits the intended purpose.