off topic - PDF

[Gretel]

Does anyone know how to erase text in a PDF document?

I am getting cross-eyed trying to read, understand and follow the help menu instructions and getting nowhere. The funny thing is, that I have done this right after I got my PDF software and it was really simple.

[JohnH]

Have you tried higlighting, right-clicking and then following a "Cut & Paste" process?

[gkaiseril]

Are you talking about form fields or the displayed text?

To even try to edit a PDF, you will need Acrobat Standard, Acrobat Professional, or Acrobat Professional Extended. You can not use Reader. And Acrobat is not designed to author PDFs. There is a "Text Touchup Tool", found under "Tools => Advanced Editing". With version 8 you select this tool and then click on the page you want to edit and wait for the page to be rendered into an editable object. You can then select the items to edit. You need to be careful because the text shifts are not like a Word document. Another problem you may encounter is not have the necessary fonts to edit the PDF.

You should keep an unedited backup of the PDF incase the editing goes south.

[Roberts]

Go to Download.com.

Enter "edit pdf files" and you'll find a listing of software that will let you convert and edit pdf files. You can usually find a free piece of software or one that has a full working demo version to practice with.

[Gretel]

Thanks for all your replies.

I have Adobe Acrobat 8 and get only as far as highlighting the text. No option to delete it. I know I have done this before, I should have written down how I did it. I know a finished PDF document is not supposed to be edited but I wanted to delete the info on top of the page from the fax machine.

Maybe I will get a brilliant idea at night.

[DonPriebe]

Now you see it, ... now you don't

I know a finished PDF document is not supposed to be edited but I wanted to delete the info on top of the page from the fax machine.

I use the tools menu to insert a text box over the part I want to blank out. Just don't enter any text into the box and set the border to 'none'.

[Bees Knees]

The correct way is:

Go to tools menue,

Then go to advanced editing,

Then select the Touchup Text Tool.

Highlight text, right click, and select delete.

Keep in mind you can only do this if your computer has the font that the original text was created in, and only if the PDF document is not locked to prevent you from doing this.

[Gretel]

The correct way is:

Go to tools menue,

Then go to advanced editing,

Then select the Touchup Text Tool.

Highlight text, right click, and select delete.

Keep in mind you can only do this if your computer has the font that the original text was created in, and only if the PDF document is not locked to prevent you from doing this.

Thanks, Bees. I did it the right way, and the solution is your last sentence. I just tried again with a PDF created by my computer and no problem. This also explain why I could do this with ease.

I guess I either have to download all fonds (which I think is impossible) or will not be able to do this.


Quote from Don (don't know how to make quotes from 2 different people appear)
I use the tools menu to insert a text box over the part I want to blank out. Just don't enter any text into the box and set the border to 'none'.

Don, Thanks. How exactly do you insert a text box?

[DonPriebe]

... How exactly do you insert a text box? ...

I'm using Adobe Acrobat Professional version 8.1.3.

Tools | Comment & Markup | Text Box Tool

Click somewhere near where you want to insert a comment or blank out part of the document. You'll get a box and a blinking cursor. Either enter your comment or leave it blank. Click somewhere outside the box. You now have a text box that covers up whatever was under it.

Clink inside the box to select it. It now has handles so you can move and/or resize it. Right click and select 'Properties' to make the border bigger or eliminate the border completely.

If you distribute the .pdf without protecting it, the recipient can easily undo your text box and see the original.

[Gretel]

Thank you so much, Don. It worked, I am delighted. You made my day and have a great one yourself.