When it comes to locking your document’s formatting, a PDF is the best option. However, once it becomes a .pdf file, it gets tricky to edit or delete text from it.
Is this something that you’re going through right now?
Whether you are stuck with a spelling error in your resume or need to make a few changes in your final report, whatever’s the case, you’re at the right address. In this post, you’ll find six ways in which you can delete text in a PDF. What are those? Let’s find out!
Is it Possible to Delete Text from All PDFs?
No, it is not possible to delete text from all PDFs. A few of them are either locked or copyrighted, which makes them unethical and illegal to edit.
You have two options in this case: either censor the text or contact the owner to seek permission. We recommend you to get written permission, because even though it is a time-consuming step, it will safeguard you against any future legal consequences.
How to Delete Text on a PDF Using Google Docs?
Even though there are multiple apps and software available to delete text on a PDF, the simplest way to do it if you have a Google account is by using Google Docs. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: Open a New Document on Google Docs
Start the editing process by opening Google Docs and signing into your Google account. Start a new document by clicking on ‘Blank’.
Step 2: Open the PDF File in the New Document
After opening the new document, click on ‘File’ and then ‘Open’.
In the ‘Open a file’ window, choose your desired path and upload the PDF that needs to be edited.
Your uploaded file’s tab will look similar to the one given in the below image. Bring the cursor onto the file, which will make the ‘Open with Google Docs’ option visible. Click on it and your pdf document will be opened in Google Docs.
Step 3: Delete the Text
On opening the PDF file on Google Docs, you’ll notice that it has become editable. Navigate onto the text that you want to delete and remove it just as you do on a word file.
Step 4: Save the Document
Once you are done deleting the text, you can save it again as a PDF file by clicking on ‘File’, choosing ‘Download’, and then ‘PDF Document’.
How to Delete Text in a PDF Using Adobe Acrobat?
Adobe doesn’t offer editing services in its Reader; you need to upgrade to either Acrobat Standard DC or Acrobat Pro DC to avail this service. Here’s how you can delete text from your PDF in three easy steps in Adobe.
Step 1: Open the PDF Document
Open the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and click on ‘Tools’. Choose ‘Edit Text and Images’. A window similar to the one given in the image will pop up. Click on ‘Select a File’ and open your desired PDF document.
Once your desired file is open, click on the text that you intend to delete. The built-in editor will create a text box around it as shown in the image, which can then be edited or deleted.
You can also delete an image through this option in the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. All you have to do is click on the image, and multiple editing options will pop up in the Options section on the right side of the screen. Press the Delete key to remove the image.
Once you are done deleting the text from your PDF file, click on ‘File’ and choose ‘Save As’ to save your file.
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How to Delete Text in a PDF Using MS Word?
If your PDF document doesn’t have a lot of graphics, then you can use MS Word to delete text from it in a simple 3-step procedure. Here’s what you have to do:
Step 1: Open the PDF Document in MS Word
Open MS word and click on ‘Open’ in the left pane. In the next window, click on ‘Browse’ and open your desired PDF. A dialogue box similar to the one given in the image will appear, asking for your permission to convert the PDF to a Word document.
On pressing Ok, your PDF will be converted to an editable Word Document.
Step 2: Delete the Text
Select the text that you want to delete, and either press the Delete button or use the Backspace key to remove it. After being converted into a Word document, your PDF is completely editable, which means you can delete images, tables, or even complete chapters. You can also update the Table of Contents if your edits are substantial!
Step 3: Save the Edited PDF
After you have completed deleting the undesired text from your document, you can save it again as a PDF file by clicking on ‘File’ and then Save As. Choose PDF from the dropdown list, and your document will be saved as a .pdf file.
How to Delete Text in a PDF in Windows?
If you are using a Windows PC or laptop, then you can use Icecream PDF Editor. To head directly to the download page, click here.
Once you have downloaded and installed the app, follow these three easy steps to delete text in a PDF:
Step 1: Open Your PDF
Open your PDF by clicking on ‘Open’ in the front pane. It will open a new window from where you can search and open your desired PDF document.
Step 2: Delete Text
After opening the document, select the ‘Text’ tool from the left pane. Click on the text that you want to delete, and remove by using the Delete button or the Backspace key.
Step 3: Save the PDF
After removing all the undesired text, click on ‘File’ and then ‘Save As’ to save the edited PDF document.
If you are still confused, then watch Icecream PDF Editor’s detailed tutorial to learn how to delete text in a PDF on Windows.
If you are looking for software that would allow you to delete text on a PDF in Mac, then PDFelement is your best choice. It works with macOS 11 Big Sur, macOS X 10.15 (Catalina), and 10.14 (Mojave). To get started, download it by clicking here.
Once you’re done downloading the software, follow these three simple steps to get rid of unwanted text from your PDFs.
Step 1: Open Your PDF File
Open PDFelement and click on the ‘Open File’ option. It will direct you to the finder from where you can find and open your desired PDF document.
In order to delete text from your PDF, you’ll have to enable the editing mode by choosing the ‘Text’ option from the top toolbar. Click on the text that you want to remove and use the Backspace to delete it. If you want to delete a whole paragraph, then choose ‘Select Whole Paragraphs’.
