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How to edit a pdf

Avatar Sarita Mondkar
Goodmorning All,

I am quite new to the group. Thanks to Eric for registering me and introducing me to augwessex.

I am still learning to use the mac.I haven't looked back in the previous posts, but I have a question about pdfs.
Is it possible to edit a pdf without downloading software? I need to send a bank statement for proof of ID and I don't have a scanner, so i thought I could download a statement and blackout all a/c details and so far haven't found a way to do it. I would appreciate any suggests.
Thanks very much,
Sarita

Re: How to edit a pdf

Avatar Derek Wright
If you have a smart phone you could take a picture of the document and then import it into the Mac and use Preview to work on the picture.

If you look at the various phone apps you can find apps then scan documents to create text files etc.

Re: How to edit a pdf

Avatar Andrew Kemp
The Preview application that comes with macOS has features for marking up and annotating PDFs (adding notes, drawing lines/shapes, &c.).

However, I don’t think they are suitable for this particular purpose, because as far as I know they do not include a proper redaction tool. The problem is that while you could use Preview’s annotations to apparently obscure parts of the document – e.g. by drawing black rectangles over it – the obscured content would still be present in the file and could be extracted by somebody with a bit of technical knowledge.

(Of course if you are going to print the result instead of sending the edited PDF then it should be fine.)

Re: How to edit a pdf

Avatar Derek Wright
You can also get Preview to export the PDF file as a JPG after you have applied the changes, the JPG file would not know of the redacted data so should be secure.

Re: How to edit a pdf

Avatar Sarita Mondkar
Thank you for you suggestions, Derek and Andrew, I tried the first already, taking a photo with an iphone, but it wasn't acceptable. I don't think I have the preview application. I have to learn how to do the preview application. This evening before I saw your message, I downloaded acrobat reader pro dc. as a trial. but i don't really like it, as you said it can be reverted to original. I guess now that shops are open, I will try Ryman. Thank you for your help.

Re: How to edit a pdf

Avatar John Nicholas
A work-around which occurs to me (I think):-

If you have the pdf, then drag it on to a Pages blank template. Size it on the page to suit you. Put coloured or white rectangular shapes over anything you want to redact. ( At this stage you could Select All and "Group" the base document and the redaction rectangles.....this prevents anything slipping around in to wrong positions if you subsequently want to resize the composite document)). Take a screenshot of the modified page or export it as a pdf, and use this as your edited pdf. If for some reason you want to keep a copy of the interim and the final version then keep both the Pages version and the final pdf or screenshot. It's only the Pages version that can be edited so don't send this anywhere you don't want to !!

Re: How to edit a pdf

Avatar Derek Wright
Sarita
If you are using a Mac (as opposed to an iphone or ipad) then you will have Preview on your computer. Get to know how to use the app it is possibly the most useful app on the machine.

Re: How to edit a pdf

Avatar Eric Jervis
Hi Sarita, download the statement as a pdf, double click on it and Preview will open, click Edit - Select all - Edit - Copy; open a blank page in Pages, click Edit - Paste, insert boxes to obscure the details, click File - Save - File - Export - to pdf and its done.

Re: How to edit a pdf

Avatar Sarita Mondkar
Thanks Eric,
I will try that now.

Re: How to edit a pdf

Avatar Tony Still
Do follow Derek's advice to export from Preview as a JPEG (or a PNG) though or, as Andrew pointed out, your details will remain in the file.
 
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