TweakPDF

Edit PDF on Mac, including the existing text

To edit a PDF on Mac, open this page in Safari or Chrome, drop the file in, click the word you want to change and type. TweakPDF replaces the text that is already in the document, in its own font, which Preview cannot do, and you can sign the file in the same session with nothing to install.

Drop a PDF here

Up to 25 MB · up to 100 pages

Three files a month, free. Sign in with Google when you download.

invoice.pdf · p. 1

Invoice number 20242025 total

old characters removed from the file

What Preview can and cannot do

Preview comes with every Mac and is good for working on top of a PDF: it can add text boxes, shapes, highlights and a signature. What it cannot do is change text that is already in the document.

That matters when the mistake is in the text itself: a misspelled name, last year's date, a wrong phone number. A text box placed over it only adds a layer on top, and the original words stay in the file underneath.

So Preview is fine for notes and highlights. To change the words themselves, you need a tool that edits the existing text.

Edit text in a PDF on Mac, in the browser

  • Nothing to install

    It works in Safari and Chrome on a Mac, with no download, no setup and no App Store app.

  • The document's own font

    Your correction uses the font embedded in the PDF, in the original size and color, on the original baseline. Spacing is adjusted so the rest of the line stays put.

  • Old text deleted, not covered

    The characters you replace are removed from the file, so searching or copying the page finds only the new wording.

  • Check before you save

    Preview & download shows the page rendered from the finished file before anything reaches your Mac.

Sign the PDF on your Mac too

If the document also needs your signature, press Signature, then Add signature. Draw it with the trackpad or mouse, type your name in a handwriting style, or upload a photo of your signature on plain light paper; the background is removed and only the ink stays.

Click the page where it belongs. It goes in as vector ink, sharp at any zoom, and you can correct text and sign the same file in one go. This is a simple electronic signature, not a certified digital one.

Before you start

TweakPDF is for correcting the text a PDF already has. It cannot switch text to another font or reflow paragraphs, and it does not add or remove pages, fill in form fields, or convert, compress or merge files.

Files can be up to 25 MB and 100 pages. A password-protected PDF needs its password removed first. Turn on Show text to see which words are editable and which areas are pictures; scanned pages are detected automatically and can be corrected as well.

If you still have the source file, such as a Word document, editing it and exporting a new PDF is the cleanest fix. TweakPDF is for the times when all you have is the PDF.

How to edit a PDF on Mac

  1. 1

    Drop in your PDF

    Open this page in Safari or Chrome on your Mac and drag the PDF onto it, or press Choose file.

  2. 2

    Click and type

    Click the word, date or number you want to change, type the new text and press Save. Use the Signature button if the document needs your signature.

  3. 3

    Check and download

    Press Preview & download, look over the finished page and sign in with Google. The edited PDF lands in your Downloads folder.

Questions about editing PDFs on a Mac

Can I edit text in a PDF with Preview on a Mac?
No. Preview can add text boxes, shapes, highlights and signatures on top of a PDF, but it cannot change text that is already in it. To change the existing words, use an editor that replaces text, such as TweakPDF in Safari or Chrome.
How can I edit a PDF on Mac for free?
Open TweakPDF in Safari or Chrome: 3 files a month are free. No account is needed to upload, edit and check the result; Google sign-in is asked for only when you download. Pro is $6 a month for up to 1000 files.
Do I need to install an app to edit a PDF on my Mac?
No. TweakPDF runs in a browser tab in Safari or Chrome, so there is nothing to download from the App Store or anywhere else.
Will the changed text match the rest of the document?
Yes. It is drawn with the font the PDF already contains, at the same size and color and on the same line. Only a character the file has no copy of at all falls back to the closest matching font, and the preview tells you when that happens.
Can I sign a PDF on a Mac in the browser?
Yes. Press Signature, then Add signature, and draw, type or upload your signature; then click the page to place it. It is a simple electronic signature, not a certified digital signature.
Where does the edited PDF go on my Mac?
Into your Downloads folder, like any other file you download in Safari or Chrome.
Is my document kept on your server?
Only while you need it. It is deleted two hours after you stop working, or at once with Delete file now; a downloaded result is kept 24 hours so a second download is free.

Fix your PDF without leaving the browser

Open the file in Safari or Chrome and change the first word that needs fixing.

Choose a PDF