This tutorial explains simple steps to modify PDF documents using the LibreOffice Draw application.
PDF a.k.a portable document format, is a widely used format for digital document distribution. Due to its popularity and adoption across various mediums and devices, it is often a de-facto standard format to publish and distribute documents.
Many small businesses and home users can not purchase commercial software that can modify existing PDF documents because those are expensive.
However, LibreOffice, the free and open-source office program used by millions of users worldwide, has a built-in PDF editor. LibreOffice Draw can modify, edit, save, and create PDF files for free. You do not need to buy expensive pdf editors out there; the good news is that LibreOffice runs on Windows and Linux.
However, there’s still a catch. With LibreOffice Draw, you can make simple edits and changes, add texts, add images, and text boxes in your existing PDF files – which is more than enough for most users.
LibreOffice Draw opens PDF as an image file in its editor, where you can modify block-by-block and then save it in PDF format.
This is how you can do it.
Note:
- LibreOffice doesn’t directly edit PDFs. Instead, it imports PDF content into its own format (ODF) for modifications.
- The import process isn’t perfect. Some PDF objects are recreated more accurately than others in LibreOffice.
- After editing, you export the ODF document as a new PDF. The original PDF remains untouched.
- LibreOffice is not designed to be a full-fledged PDF editor. It’s primarily for creating and editing ODF documents, with PDF import/export capabilities.
Steps to modify PDF documents using LibreOffice Draw for Free
- Open LibreOffice Draw, and from the file menu, open the PDF file you want to modify.
- Once the file is open, click on the section where you want to modify it. You would see a rectangle box to edit the texts. You can now change texts and images.
- If the PDF is not editable, i.e., the entire PDF page is opened as a single image file, then it is difficult to edit. This is since your file is created with a read-only attribute. However, if that is the case, you can draw white rectangles/shapes with the background colour to redact the sections. Then, add a new text box or images.
- Once the editing is over, save the file from the menu –>
File -> Export-> Export as PDF.
Now, you will have your modified PDF file for use.
Closing Notes
I hope the above guide to modifying PDF documents in LibreOffice Draw for free helps you to change your PDF documents. Also, you can try out other options that are present in this program itself.
Do let me know in the comment box below if this article helps you.