Save edited, converted, compressed, or repaired output to a separate folder until the result has been verified.
GiliSoft PDF Editor User Guide
PDF Editor User Guide for Windows
Edit, OCR, organize, convert, protect, and repair PDF documents from one workspace.
Before you edit or process a PDF
Keep the original document available and identify whether the file contains editable content, scanned page images, encryption, or damage before choosing a task.
Try selecting text. If the page behaves like one large image, it may need OCR or text-layer processing.
Open the file normally and confirm that you are authorized to edit, decrypt, or change its content.
Use a page with typical fonts, tables, images, columns, or forms before processing a long document.
PDF Editor is the task-focused workspace for direct PDF changes, OCR, organization, protection, and repair. Use the dedicated PDF Converter page when the primary job is broad format conversion rather than document editing.
1. Open the PDF Editor workspace
Choose the task that matches the document problem
- Open GiliSoft PDF Editor.
- Choose Edit PDF for direct content changes.
- Choose New PDF or File to PDF when creating a document.
- Choose Scan PDF, Text-layer PDF, or PDF to File when working with scanned or reusable content.
- Choose Compress, Merge, Split, Encrypt, Decrypt, or PDF Repair for a focused document task.
- Add the source file and confirm the output folder before processing.
The home screen separates editing, conversion, OCR, organization, security, and repair so each task starts from the correct tool.
Choose the PDF task from the main workspace2. Edit PDF text, images, and page content
Make document corrections without rebuilding the PDF
- Open Edit PDF and add the document.
- Navigate to the page that needs a correction.
- Select the text, image, or supported page object.
- Apply the smallest necessary change.
- Review line breaks, font appearance, image placement, and nearby content.
- Save a new copy and open it in another PDF viewer.
Exact editing behavior depends on how the original PDF was created. Scanned pages usually require OCR before their text can be reused.
Correct supported text, images, and page content3. Create a new PDF or convert files to PDF
Choose between building a new document and converting existing source files into standardized PDF output.
Start a new PDF and add the required content
Create a PDF from supported documents or imagesNew PDF
Use the new-document workspace when the content will be assembled directly rather than converted from an existing file.
File to PDF
Add supported Office files or images, arrange them in the intended order, and select the PDF output location.
Verify the complete document
Check page size, orientation, margins, image clarity, fonts, and page order in the exported PDF.
4. Convert PDF content for office reuse
Choose the output by the next application
- Open PDF to File.
- Add the PDF that contains the content you want to reuse.
- Select the supported Word, Excel, image, text, or other available output that matches the next task.
- Choose a separate output folder.
- Convert a representative document first.
- Inspect tables, columns, page breaks, charts, and images in the destination application.
Conversion creates reusable output, but complex PDF layout may not reproduce exactly in an editable Office format.
Select an output format for office reuse5. Scan documents and create searchable PDF text
Scanning captures page images. OCR recognizes characters. A text-layer PDF keeps the page appearance while adding searchable text.
Capture paper pages and review the scan quality
Add searchable text to image-based PDF pagesScan clearly
Keep pages straight, evenly lit, complete, and readable before recognition.
Choose the language
Select the correct OCR language when the option is available, especially for names and specialized terminology.
Proofread the result
Check numbers, dates, tables, columns, punctuation, and unusual characters after OCR.
6. Compress, merge, and split PDF documents
Use these focused tasks to prepare reporting packs, client files, archives, email attachments, and selected page sets.
Reduce PDF size and compare the visual result
Arrange PDF files in the final reading order
Extract or separate the pages required for deliveryCompression
Compare output size with image and text clarity rather than automatically choosing the strongest reduction.
Merge order
Confirm that covers, contents pages, appendices, and supporting documents appear in the intended sequence.
Split rules
Check page ranges carefully and open every resulting file before deleting or archiving the source.
7. Encrypt or decrypt an authorized PDF
Prepare sensitive documents for controlled sharing
- Open Encrypt PDF and add the document.
- Set the available password and security options.
- Save the protected output as a separate file.
- Close it and verify the password in another PDF viewer.
- Use Decrypt PDF only when you know the password and are authorized to remove protection.
- Confirm that the decrypted output opens and contains every expected page.
Keep document passwords in an approved password-management process rather than embedding them in the email that carries the PDF.
Apply PDF password protection before sharing
Remove known protection from an authorized documentVerify outside the editor
Reopen the protected or decrypted result in another PDF viewer and confirm the expected access behavior before delivery.
8. Attempt to repair a damaged PDF
Work from a copy of the damaged file
- Duplicate the damaged PDF and keep the original untouched.
- Open PDF Repair and add the copied file.
- Choose a different destination for repaired output.
- Run the repair attempt.
- Open the result and inspect every page.
- Confirm text, images, attachments, links, forms, and page count where relevant.
PDF Repair addresses damaged PDF files. Recovering a deleted PDF from a drive is a separate data-recovery task.
Attempt PDF repair and verify every recovered pageFinal PDF Editor checklist
Confirm these points before sharing, archiving, printing, or processing more documents.
PDF Editor troubleshooting and FAQ
Why can I not select or edit the PDF text?
The page may be a scanned image or the text may have been converted into outlines. Try OCR or a text-layer PDF task and proofread the recognized output.
Why did the layout change after conversion?
PDF is a fixed-layout format. Fonts, tables, columns, and charts may be reconstructed differently in Word, Excel, or other editable output.
Why is the compressed PDF still large?
High-resolution page images often dominate file size. Compare output clarity and size and avoid excessive compression when small text must remain readable.
Can I merge PDFs with different page sizes?
Yes, but review the result carefully. Mixed page dimensions and orientation can affect printing and on-screen presentation.
What if I forget a PDF password?
Use the approved password record or obtain access from the document owner. This guide does not recommend bypassing unknown protection.
Can PDF Repair recover a deleted PDF?
No. PDF Repair attempts to fix a damaged file that still exists. Use GiliSoft Data Recovery when a PDF was deleted or lost from a storage device.
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View PDF ConverterUse GiliSoft PDF Converter when your main task is moving files between PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, image, text, and eBook formats.
Ready to edit and prepare your PDFs?
Correct document content, run OCR, organize pages, convert files, reduce size, protect sensitive documents, and review the result.
