Editing PDFs on a Mac: The best tools and apps

PDF files are an indispensable part of everyday life - whether for contracts, reports or personal documents. On your Mac, you have numerous ways to edit PDFs efficiently without having to install complex software. Thanks to the built-in tools in macOS, such as Preview and Quick Look, as well as versatile third-party apps, editing PDFs is quick and easy. This article explains the best ways to edit PDFs on your Mac - from simply adding annotations to professional editing with Adobe Acrobat Pro and Nitro PDF Pro.

The PDF format ensures that the layout and content of your documents look the same on every device. But that's exactly what makes it difficult to make changes, because PDFs can't be easily edited. However, if you have a Mac, you have a clear advantage: macOS offers built-in tools that allow you to use many editing functions for free. For more in-depth editing, there are also specialized apps available that give you even more control over your PDFs.

PDF editing with the Preview app on Mac

Preview is the standard PDF viewer on the Mac and a free solution for basic editing. Here is an overview of the most important features:

notes and markings

In Preview you can easily highlight, underline or strikethrough text.

Click the pencil icon in the toolbar to open the Markup toolbar.
Highlight: Select the desired text and click the highlight button to highlight text.
Add shapes and notes: Choose Annotations from the Tools menu and add shapes such as circles or rectangles to mark important areas.
Add comments: Use the Notes tool to add text comments, which are useful when you want to provide feedback on a document.

Add text

Preview lets you insert new text into a PDF, even if you can't edit existing text.

Open the PDF in Preview and activate the Markup toolbar.
Click on the text tool; a text box will appear that you can adjust and move to the desired location.
Add your text and change the size and position of the text box if necessary.

Add signatures

With Preview you can digitally sign documents directly:

Open the PDF in Preview and click the Sign icon in the Markup toolbar.
Create your signature either with the trackpad or by taking a photo of your handwritten signature.
After you save the signature, you can drag it into the document and adjust the size.

Manage and organize pages

The Preview app offers some simple tools to organize the pages of a PDF document:

Rearrange pages: Open the sidebar and drag and drop the pages to the desired position.
Delete pages: Right-click the page thumbnail and select Delete to remove individual pages.
Merge PDFs: Open a PDF file, drag a second PDF file into the sidebar and insert it into the document.

Quick Look for quick annotations

Quick Look is another handy tool on your Mac that allows you to quickly preview files in the Finder. This feature is especially useful when you just want to add quick notes or highlights without opening an app.

Select the PDF file in Finder and press the space bar to activate Quick Look.
Click the Markup icon to use annotation tools such as text, shapes, and highlights.

Quick Look is ideal when you want to quickly make a note or highlight an area.

Advanced PDF editing with third-party apps

For professional editing that goes beyond the functions of Preview, Adobe Acrobat Pro and Nitro PDF Pro offer helpful additional options.

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro is a popular tool for advanced PDF editing and offers you:

Text and image editing: Edit existing text and insert new images directly into your PDF.
Create fillable forms: Ideal for business documents or questionnaires.
Maintain confidentiality: Black out sensitive information or add watermarks to protect documents.

Nitro PDF Pro

As an alternative to Adobe, Nitro PDF Pro offers similar professional features and is also available on Mac.

Editing and merging documents: Nitro allows text and image editing as well as merging multiple PDFs.
Collaboration and commenting functions: Comment on documents together with others to optimize the work process.
File conversion: Convert PDFs to other formats such as Word or Excel.

Both apps are paid and offer extensive features for anyone who needs a professional solution.

Other alternatives

Google Docs is a free PDF editing alternative that's great for collaboration. However, keep in mind that Google Docs can cause problems with complex PDF formatting.

Editing PDFs on Mac: Which solution suits your needs?

On Mac, you have a wide range of options for editing PDFs. Preview and Quick Look are fast, easy-to-use, and free—ideal for basic edits like annotations, signatures, and adding text. However, if you need more in-depth editing features, Adobe Acrobat Pro and Nitro PDF Pro offer powerful tools for anyone who regularly works with PDFs. Whether it's simple annotations or professional edits, with the right tools, you can ensure your PDFs always look exactly the way you need them to. Looking for new accessories? Visit our Amazon Storefront —there you'll find a variety of products from leading manufacturers, including HomeKit and more! (Photo by Unsplash / Kaitlyn Baker)