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Can I Use Photoshop to Edit PDF?

Last updated on December 12, 2022 @ 6:23 am

There’s no doubt that Photoshop is a powerful tool for editing images. But can it be used to edit PDFs? The answer is yes, but there are some limitations to what you can do.

First, let’s take a look at how to edit a PDF in Photoshop. To do this, you’ll need to open the PDF in Photoshop and then use the “Edit PDF” tool.

This tool allows you to make changes to the text and images in a PDF. However, you won’t be able to change the overall layout of the PDF or add new pages.

One of the tools that can edit PDFs in Photoshop is the Patch tool. Simply drag it to the area you want to replace and move it to the place you want to match. In the example below, the Patch tool was moved to the white space, and thus, the text was instantly patched with white color.

Use patch tool to edit pdf in photoshop Drag the patch tool to replace photoshop

Alternatively, you can create a new layer and place a rectangle & text above the PDF document area where you want to change. Then match your newly added elements to the overall scheme of the document through the Appearance panel.

Use rectangle & text tool to edit pdf photoshop

Now that we’ve covered how to edit a PDF in Photoshop let’s talk about some of the limitations. One big limitation is that you can’t save your changes to the original PDF.

PRO TIP: Warning:

Editing a PDF in Photoshop can be tricky and result in an unusable file. It’s best to edit PDFs in a dedicated PDF editor like Adobe Acrobat or Foxit PhantomPDF.

Instead, you’ll need to save your edited version as a new PDF file. Additionally, if you’re working with a scanned PDF, you may not be able to edit the text since it will be saved as an image. In this case, you’ll need to use OCR software to convert the scanned PDF into an editable format.

Despite these limitations, Photoshop can still be a helpful tool for editing PDFs. If you need to make small changes to a PDF, such as correcting typos or updating images, then Photoshop can be a good option. Just keep in mind that for more complex edits, you may need to use specialized PDF editing software.

Can I Use Photoshop to Edit PDFs?

Yes, but there are some limitations depending on the type of PDF you’re trying to edit.

Madison Geldart

Madison Geldart

Cloud infrastructure engineer and tech mess solver.