Recommended Free PDF Editing Tools

You can edit the PDF documents you deal with at work or school for free: a web service like iLovePDF handles merging, splitting, compression and conversion, while free desktop editors like ALPDF or ezPDF Editor 3.0 let you change the text itself, run OCR and add signatures.

Which free PDF tools are worth using?

These three are good starting points:

1. ALPDF: A domestic program that provides various functions such as text editing, image addition, merging, and conversion. The intuitive interface makes it easy to use.
2. ezPDF Editor 3.0: Provided free to individual users, supports powerful editing functions and HWP (Korean) file conversion function.
3. iLovePDF (Web Service): Can be used directly in a web browser without separate installation. You can quickly process essential functions such as PDF merging, splitting, compression, and conversion.

Manage your PDF documents efficiently by choosing the tool that suits your situation.

Why are PDF files hard to edit?

PDFs are designed not to change. In modern business environments and academic life, Portable Document Format (PDF) files are an indispensable standard document format. Most important documents such as contracts, resumes, manuals, and major books are distributed as PDF, thanks to the great advantage of not breaking fonts and showing the original layout regardless of operating system or device.

However, this 'unchanging nature' of PDF is a double-edged sword. When there is a fatal typo in a PDF file you received from someone, when you want to combine or divide several pages, or when you need to add a signature in a hurry, a regular word processor cannot do the job. There are powerful paid editors like Adobe Acrobat Pro, but they are expensive. Luckily, there are some great free tools that are perfect for everyday editing needs.

How do you edit a PDF without installing anything?

Use a web-based tool such as 'iLovePDF'. For regular users who only need to edit PDFs once in a while, installing a heavy program is a hassle.

1. Intuitive and overwhelming convenience: When you access the website, solutions to almost all problems we encounter when dealing with PDF, such as 'Merge PDF', 'Split PDF', 'Reduce PDF size (compress)', 'Convert to Word', 'Convert to Image', are listed in large buttons.
2. Drag-and-drop operation: Just click on the menu you want, drag and drop a PDF file on your computer or Google Drive, and the server will process the task in an instant and allow you to download the converted file.
3. The most commonly used 'PDF Merge and Split': You can combine resumes and portfolios that have been scanned into multiple pages into one file, or separate only the three chapters that you will study today from a PDF of a hundreds-page major book in just a few seconds.

How do you edit the text inside a PDF for free?

Install a desktop editor such as 'ALPDF', which is provided free of charge to individual users in Korea. Web-based tools are excellent for merging and dividing files, but they have limitations when it comes to delicate tasks such as editing the text itself or deleting and re-entering sentences.

1. Just like editing a word document: Using ALPDF's powerful 'text editing' function, you can correct typos or insert new sentences by clicking on the text area of an already completed PDF document. The size and color of the font can be freely changed.
2. OCR technology that converts scanned images into text: The highlight of ALPDF is its optical character recognition (OCR) function. When you run OCR on a PDF file that has been scanned as an image and whose text cannot be selected by dragging, the program automatically recognizes the text in the image and converts it into an actual text document that can be copied and modified. It saves you the enormous trouble of having to retype things.
3. Easy to add signature and annotation: When you receive an electronic contract or payment document, you can use ALPDF to draw a signature with the mouse or stamp and save a pre-made stamp image. It also supports functions for underlining, highlighting, and attaching post-it notes, making it great for academic purposes.

Which tool should you choose?

Use both, depending on the task: a web service like iLovePDF for merging, splitting and converting, and desktop software like ALPDF for text edits, OCR and signatures. PDF files are no longer just 'read-only' documents, and with the two used in parallel you can edit and process any type of PDF document you encounter.