{"id":66927,"date":"2026-11-11T20:48:49","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T20:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/edit-pdf-with-pdf24\/"},"modified":"2026-11-13T13:11:07","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T13:11:07","slug":"edit-pdf-with-pdf24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/edit-pdf-with-pdf24\/","title":{"rendered":"Edit PDF: add text, redact, highlight \u2013 step by step"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With PDF24 you can edit a PDF for free: add text and images, redact or white out parts, highlight text, add comments, shapes and stamps, and rotate or delete pages \u2013 online in your browser or offline with PDF24 Creator. This guide shows step by step which tool to use for what and explains one important difference: what is only <strong>covered<\/strong> is still in the file. What is <strong>redacted<\/strong> is really gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#overview\">Which tool for what?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#editor\">How the PDF24 editor works<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#change-text\">Replace existing text: the workaround via redaction<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#add-text\">Add text to a PDF<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#fonts\">Fonts, custom fonts and special characters<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#redact\">Remove text or images: redact or white out<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#cover\">Redact or just cover? The important difference<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#highlight\">Highlight, underline or strike out text<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#comments\">Comments and notes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#images\">Insert images<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#shapes-stamps\">Shapes, arrows, stamps and QR codes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#signature\">Add a signature<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#pages\">Rotate, delete or reorder pages<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#saving\">Saving: where is my edited PDF?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#toolbox\">Edit PDFs offline in the PDF24 Toolbox<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#problems\">Frequently asked questions and problems<\/a><\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"overview\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which tool for what?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The central place is the PDF24 editor on <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/edit-pdf\">Edit PDF<\/a>. For single tasks there are tool pages of their own that open the same editor with just the matching tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Add text, images, shapes, stamps:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/edit-pdf\">Edit PDF<\/a>, mode \u201cInsert\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Highlight text, comments, notes:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/annotate-pdf\">Annotate PDF<\/a> or mode \u201cAnnotate\u201d. Offline also in PDF24 Reader.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Remove, redact or white out text or images:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/redact-pdf\">Redact PDF<\/a> or mode \u201cRedact\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Replace existing text:<\/strong> only with the workaround of redacting in white plus new text, see <a href=\"#change-text\">Replace existing text<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Sign:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/sign-pdf\">Sign PDF<\/a>, see <a href=\"#signature\">Add a signature<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Fill out a form:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/fill-out-pdf\">Fill out PDF<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Rotate, delete, reorder pages:<\/strong> mode \u201cOrganize\u201d or the separate tools, see <a href=\"#pages\">Pages<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Offline, without internet:<\/strong> the PDF24 Toolbox in the free <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/creator\">PDF24 Creator<\/a> with \u201cEdit PDF\u201d, \u201cBlacken PDF\u201d and \u201cAnnotate PDF\u201d, see <a href=\"#toolbox\">PDF24 Toolbox<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Online there is nothing to install and no sign-up. Your file is transferred encrypted and deleted automatically from the PDF24 servers one hour after the upload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"editor\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the PDF24 editor works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The editor is divided into <strong>modes<\/strong>. You choose the mode at the top of the bar with the button showing the name of the current mode (\u201cInsert\u201d when the editor opens, with a small arrow). There you find \u201cInsert\u201d, \u201cAnnotate\u201d, \u201cRedact\u201d, \u201cOrganize\u201d, \u201cFill out\u201d, \u201cAdd watermark\u201d, \u201cAdd page numbers\u201d, \u201cSign\u201d and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>toolbar<\/strong> always shows the tools of the chosen mode. Point at an icon with the mouse to see its name. Where the toolbar sits (at the side or at the top) you change with the icon \u201cToolbar position\u201d at the end of the toolbar. On a phone the tools sit in a bar at the bottom of the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the top you also find \u201cLoad PDF\u201d (open another file), \u201cSave PDF\u201d (disk icon), \u201cPrint\u201d, \u201cUndo\u201d and \u201cRedo\u201d. The sidebar on the left (\u201cShow or hide the sidebar\u201d) holds page thumbnails and the search. Text recognition is opened via the button with the name of the mode: its last entry, \u201cOCR\u201d, opens the \u201cOCR\u201d panel on the left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nothing you change in the modes goes into the PDF until you save. Your original file stays unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"790\" src=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-editor-mode-menu.png\" alt=\"The PDF24 editor with the mode menu open (Read, Insert, Annotate, Redact \u2026) and the toolbar of the &quot;Insert&quot; mode\" class=\"wp-image-67035\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-editor-mode-menu.png 1000w, https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-editor-mode-menu-300x237.png 300w, https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-editor-mode-menu-768x607.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The button with the name of the mode switches between the modes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"change-text\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Replace existing text: the workaround via redaction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clicking text that is already in the PDF and retyping it \u2013 PDF24 can't do that yet. This function is in the works and will be released with one of the upcoming versions once it is finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today you replace a word or a line like this: you redact the old spot in white and write the new text on top \u2013 both in one pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/edit-pdf\">Edit PDF<\/a> and choose your PDF.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Switch to the mode \u201cRedact\u201d with the button showing the mode name and choose the color \u201cWhite\u201d in the toolbar (on a colored background \u201cCustom color\u2026\u201d).<\/li>\n\n\n<li>With \u201cRectangle\u201d, drag a box over the word or line that should go.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Switch to the mode \u201cInsert\u201d, choose \u201cInsert text\u201d (the \u201cT\u201d icon) and click the white box.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Type the new text and match font, size and color to the original (see <a href=\"#add-text\">Add text<\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Save with \u201cSave PDF\u201d. The old text is then no longer in the file; the new text sits on the white box and is real, searchable text.<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Good to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A page you redact is saved <strong>as an image<\/strong> (150 dpi). The rest of the text on that page looks the same but can no longer be selected, copied or searched. Other pages stay unchanged. If you need searchable text again, run the file through <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/ocr-pdf\">PDF OCR<\/a> afterwards.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Redacting also removes the bookmarks, document properties and file attachments of the PDF. If you need them, untick \u201cRemove bookmarks, metadata and attachments\u201d when saving (more under <a href=\"#redact\">Redact<\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n<li>If you need to change a lot of text, <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/pdf-to-word\">PDF to Word<\/a> is often faster: change the text in Word and save it as a PDF again. The layout may shift.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>A white rectangle or a text box with a white background <strong>over<\/strong> the old text is not enough: it only hides the text, which stays in the file and can be copied and found. See <a href=\"#cover\">The important difference<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"add-text\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Add text to a PDF<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/edit-pdf\">Edit PDF<\/a> and choose your PDF. The editor starts in the mode \u201cInsert\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>In the toolbar choose \u201cInsert text\u201d (the \u201cT\u201d icon).<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Click the spot on the page where the text should go and start typing. Enter starts a new line.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Click next to the text box to finish typing.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Save with \u201cSave PDF\u201d.<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Change font, size and color:<\/strong> Click the text box once. A small bar appears above it with font size, font, \u201cBold\u201d, \u201cItalic\u201d, \u201cUnderline\u201d, \u201cStrikethrough\u201d and \u201cFont Color\u201d. If you select single words while typing, the formatting applies to them only. The size and font you chose last are used for the next text box. Undo with Ctrl+Z.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Move and rotate:<\/strong> Drag the selected text box to the right spot. The rotation handle on the box turns it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Change the text later:<\/strong> As long as the editor is open, double-click your text box to edit it again. To remove a selected text box, press Del. Once saved, the added text is a fixed part of the page and, like other existing text, can no longer be changed directly. So keep your original file and make corrections before you save, if you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The same text on several pages:<\/strong> Click the text box and choose \u201cCopy to pages\u201d in the small bar (only shown for PDFs with more than one page). Enter the pages, e.g. 2-5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Text in a form:<\/strong> If the PDF has form fields, <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/fill-out-pdf\">Fill out PDF<\/a> is the better choice. Without form fields, simply write on the lines with \u201cInsert text\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"830\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-text-box-bar.png\" alt=\"A selected text box with its small bar: colors, opacity, font size, font, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough\" class=\"wp-image-67036\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-text-box-bar.png 830w, https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-text-box-bar-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-text-box-bar-768x463.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clicking the text box opens the bar for font, size and color<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"fonts\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fonts, custom fonts and special characters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the online editor the font list of a text box offers \u201cSans-Serif\u201d, \u201cSerif\u201d and \u201cMonospace\u201d. You add your own fonts like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201c+ Load custom font\u2026\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 choose a font file (.ttf or .otf) from your device. It then appears in the list and is embedded in the PDF.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cInstalled fonts\u2026\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 lists the fonts installed on your computer. This entry exists in Chrome and Edge; the browser asks the first time whether the page may access your fonts.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every font can be used: font collections (.ttc) don't work, and some fonts forbid embedding in PDFs in their licence \u2013 then the editor shows \u201cThis font does not allow embedding\u201d. If a font lacks characters you typed, you see \u201cCharacters not included in the font\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Special characters and other scripts:<\/strong> With the three standard fonts, text in Latin, Greek and Cyrillic script stays real text \u2013 including \u20ac, curly quotes \u201c \u201d, the dash \u2013, and Polish, Czech, Turkish or Vietnamese letters. Other scripts such as Arabic, Hebrew or Chinese and some symbols (e.g. \u2713) are placed on the page as an image: the text box looks as typed but can't be searched or copied. To keep it real text, load a font that contains these characters with \u201c+ Load custom font\u2026\u201d or \u201cInstalled fonts\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the PDF24 Toolbox (offline) you pick the font with \u201cSelect font\u201d from the fonts installed in Windows. A newly installed font appears after restarting the Toolbox. The Toolbox currently doesn't show fonts in the .otf format \u2013 use the online editor for those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"redact\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Remove text or images: redact or white out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Redacting removes content from the PDF for good \u2013 names, addresses, account numbers, but also a word, a logo or an image that should simply disappear. You choose the color of the box: black for visibly redacted spots, white when the spot should simply be empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/redact-pdf\">Redact PDF<\/a> and choose your PDF. (In the editor on <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/edit-pdf\">Edit PDF<\/a> it is the mode \u201cRedact\u201d.)<\/li>\n\n\n<li>In the toolbar choose the color: \u201cBlack\u201d, \u201cWhite\u201d or \u201cCustom color\u2026\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>With \u201cRectangle\u201d, drag boxes over the areas that should go. With \u201cFreehand\u201d you paint over the spots like with a brush, e.g. for slanted or handwritten text; choose the brush width in the toolbar.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>The list in the sidebar shows all boxes of the page. Delete a wrong box there with the trash icon or with \u201cUndo\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cSave PDF\u201d. Only now is the content under the boxes removed.<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Redact a word everywhere:<\/strong> Open \u201cSearch\u201d in the sidebar, enter the word, name or number and click \u201cRedact all matches\u201d. Every match in the whole document gets a box in the chosen color. Check the boxes before saving. On scanned pages the search only finds something after you recognized the text via the button with the name of the mode \u203a \u201cOCR\u201d \u203a \u201cRecognize text\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What happens when you save:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Every page with a box is saved as an image (150 dpi). What was under the box is no longer in the file \u2013 not even in hidden text layers. Text on these pages can no longer be selected or searched; pages without a box stay as they are.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Comments and form fields on these pages are merged into the page image.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>From the whole file PDF24 also removes what could still give away the redacted content: bookmarks, document properties (title, author \u2026), metadata, file attachments and scripts. For an e-invoice (ZUGFeRD\/Factur-X) this also removes the attached XML. In the \u201cSave PDF\u201d window, \u201cRemove bookmarks, metadata and attachments\u201d is ticked for this. Only untick it if you need this information \u2013 and then check yourself that nothing you redacted appears in the bookmarks, document properties or attachments.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>A redaction <strong>cannot be undone<\/strong>. Save the redacted version under a new name and keep the original.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check the result: open the saved PDF and search (Ctrl+F) for a redacted word \u2013 it must not be found any more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-redact.png\" alt=\"The &quot;Redact&quot; mode with the tools Rectangle and Freehand and the colors Black, White and Custom color; a black and a white box on the page\" class=\"wp-image-67037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-redact.png 930w, https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-redact-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-redact-768x495.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Black or white boxes \u2013 the content underneath is removed when you save<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"cover\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Redact or just cover? The important difference<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many people put a black or white rectangle over a spot or mark it thickly with color. On screen and on paper it is then gone \u2013 but not in the file:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rectangle, shape, freehand or text box with a white background<\/strong> (modes \u201cInsert\u201d and \u201cAnnotate\u201d): only covers. The text underneath stays in the PDF and can be copied, searched and made visible again with other programs. If you fill a shape with white, the editor tells you: \u201cThis only covers it up: the content underneath stays in the PDF and can still be copied.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cHighlight\u201d<\/strong> only colors text, even in black \u2013 it stays readable and copyable.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cRedact\u201d<\/strong> (mode or the tool Redact PDF, in any color): removes the content for good when saving.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For anything nobody may read any more \u2013 personal data, trade secrets, a replaced amount \u2013 always use <strong>Redact<\/strong>. Covering is only enough when it is about the look, e.g. a note over an image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"highlight\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Highlight, underline or strike out text<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Online:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/annotate-pdf\">Annotate PDF<\/a> (or the mode \u201cAnnotate\u201d in the editor).<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Choose \u201cHighlight\u201d, \u201cUnderline\u201d, \u201cStrikethrough\u201d or \u201cSquiggly underline\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Drag the mouse over the text. Change the color with the last icon of the toolbar, \u201cColor and line width\u201d \u2013 e.g. yellow.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Save with \u201cSave PDF\u201d.<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Highlights are saved as annotations: they stay selectable in the PDF, can be changed or deleted later in PDF24 and other PDF programs, and the text underneath stays readable. Click a wrong highlight with \u201cSelect\u201d and remove it with Del. To highlight every occurrence of a word, use \u201cSearch\u201d in the sidebar and \u201cHighlight all matches\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Scanned PDF:<\/strong> If the page has no text (a scan or photo), \u201cHighlight\u201d simply marks the area you drag. For highlights that sit exactly on the text, first run \u201cOCR\u201d \u203a \u201cRecognize text\u201d via the button with the name of the mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Offline in PDF24 Reader:<\/strong> Open the PDF in PDF24 Reader, select the text with the mouse and click \u201cHighlight\u201d in the small bar. The arrow next to it offers the color and \u201cUnderline\u201d, \u201cSquiggly underline\u201d or \u201cStrike out\u201d. Right-click an existing highlight to change its color, add a comment or remove it (\u201cDelete\u201d). Save with Ctrl+S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1005\" height=\"565\" src=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-highlight.png\" alt=\"The &quot;Annotate&quot; mode: a sentence with a yellow highlight, on the left the toolbar with Highlight, Underline, Strikethrough and Squiggly underline\" class=\"wp-image-67038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-highlight.png 1005w, https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-highlight-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/11\/edit-pdf-highlight-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1005px) 100vw, 1005px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Drag over the text with \"Highlight\"<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"comments\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comments and notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Online<\/strong> in the mode \u201cAnnotate\u201d or on <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/annotate-pdf\">Annotate PDF<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201cNote\u201d<\/strong> places a small note icon on the page; its text shows when clicked (like a sticky note).<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cInsert text\u201d<\/strong> writes a comment visibly on the page.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cLink\u201d<\/strong> and <strong>\u201cFile attachment\u201d<\/strong> add a link or an attached file.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>The sidebar lists all comments of the file under \u201cComments\u201d. There you can reply to comments and output them as an overview with \u201cExport comments\u201d.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Comments stay editable annotations \u2013 others can read, answer or delete them in their PDF program. If they should become a fixed part of the page so nobody can change them, use <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/flatten-pdf\">Flatten PDF<\/a> afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Offline in PDF24 Reader:<\/strong> right-click a highlight \u203a \u201cAdd comment\u201d. Reply with \u201cReply\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"images\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Insert images<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/edit-pdf\">Edit PDF<\/a>, mode \u201cInsert\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Choose \u201cImage\u201d in the toolbar and then the image file (e.g. JPG or PNG). You can also drag an image from Explorer onto the page and choose \u201cInsert into the page\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Drag the image into place. The corners change its size and keep the aspect ratio. Hold Shift to stretch it freely.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>The small bar at the image offers \u201cOpacity\u201d, \u201cDuplicate\u201d and \u201cCopy to pages\u201d (e.g. a logo on every page).<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Save with \u201cSave PDF\u201d.<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>An image as a page of its own:<\/strong> the mode \u201cOrganize\u201d has \u201cInsert image as page\u201d. For many images, <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/images-to-pdf\">Images to PDF<\/a> followed by merging is easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Remove or replace an existing image:<\/strong> images already in the PDF can't be clicked and deleted directly. Remove them by <a href=\"#redact\">redacting<\/a> in white and insert the new image if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"shapes-stamps\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shapes, arrows, stamps and QR codes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mode \u201cInsert\u201d also offers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201cLine\u201d, \u201cArrow\u201d, \u201cArrow (filled)\u201d, \u201cDouble arrow\u201d, \u201cCurved arrow\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 to point at spots.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cRectangle\u201d, \u201cEllipse\u201d, \u201cPolygon\u201d, \u201cPolyline\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 frames and areas. Fill color, border (\u201cNo border\u201d), line width and \u201cOpacity\u201d are in the small bar at the selected shape.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cFreehand\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 draw with mouse, finger or pen.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cStamp\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 ready-made stamps under \u201cStandard\u201d (e.g. \u201cApproved\u201d, \u201cReviewed\u201d, \u201cPaid\u201d, \u201cDraft\u201d, \u201cConfidential\u201d), \u201cSymbols\u201d (check mark, cross, star, arrow, warning) and \u201cMy stamps\u201d. \u201cAdd stamp\u201d creates your own text stamp, optionally with \u201cDate\u201d and \u201cName\u201d; your browser remembers your stamps.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cInsert QR code\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 from a text or a web address.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To put a stamp on many pages, use \u201cCopy to pages\u201d. If it should sit in the same spot on every page, the mode \u201cAdd watermark\u201d is an alternative. The PDF24 Toolbox has shapes but no stamps \u2013 use the online editor for those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"signature\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Add a signature<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You draw, type or insert a signature as an image online with \u201cInsert signature\u201d in the mode \u201cInsert\u201d or on <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/sign-pdf\">Sign PDF<\/a>, offline with \u201cSign PDF\u201d in the Toolbox. How that works and how to add a digital signature as well is explained on the page <a href=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/sign-pdf\/\">Sign PDF<\/a>; why a digital signature becomes invalid after a later change, under <a href=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/sign-pdf\/#invalid\">Why does a signature become invalid?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"pages\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rotate, delete or reorder pages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the editor open the mode \u201cOrganize\u201d or the \u201cThumbnails\u201d in the sidebar: there you rotate pages (\u201cRotate 90\u00b0 clockwise\u201d), delete them (\u201cDelete page\u201d), move them by dragging or insert blank pages, images and pages of other PDFs. For these tasks alone there are separate tools, online and in the Toolbox: <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/rotate-pdf-pages\">Rotate PDF pages<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/remove-pdf-pages\">Remove PDF pages<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"saving\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Saving: where is my edited PDF?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Online:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click \u201cSave PDF\u201d (disk icon) at the top.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>In the window \u201cSave PDF\u201d you can change the \u201cFile name\u201d; the original name with \u201c_edited\u201d is suggested.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cSave PDF\u201d. The file is downloaded and lands in your browser's download folder (usually \u201cDownloads\u201d).<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The file on your computer is not overwritten. On the PDF24 servers everything is deleted after one hour; with \u201cDelete the files from the server now\u201d in the save window right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In the PDF24 Toolbox:<\/strong> click the disk icon \u201cCreate PDF\u201d. The result appears; with \u201cSave\u201d you choose folder and name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"toolbox\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Edit PDFs offline in the PDF24 Toolbox<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without internet you edit PDFs with the PDF24 Toolbox, which is part of the free <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/creator\">PDF24 Creator<\/a> for Windows. Your files never leave your computer. The Toolbox has its own, simpler editor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201cEdit PDF\u201d:<\/strong> \u201cAdd text\u201d, \u201cAdd picture\u201d, \u201cAdd shape\u201d (rectangle, circle, line, arrow, star \u2026), \u201cFree drawing\u201d. Remove a selected element with \u201cRemove element\u201d, copy it with \u201cClone element\u201d. Choose the font with \u201cSelect font\u201d. Set the color of text with \u201cSelect fill color\u201d \u2013 \u201cSelect stroke color\u201d only colors the outline of the letters.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cBlacken PDF\u201d:<\/strong> put a rectangle or \u201cFree drawing\u201d over the spot; for white, click the element and choose white with \u201cSelect fill color\u201d. As online, the affected pages are saved as images (150 dpi by default; administrators can change the resolution with the registry value <code>blackenSecurity.dpi<\/code>, see the <a href=\"https:\/\/creator.pdf24.org\/manual\/11\/#48-registry-settings-related-to-pdf24-toolbox\">PDF24 Creator manual<\/a>). The result file gets the ending \u201c_redacted\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cAnnotate PDF\u201d:<\/strong> put text, images, shapes and freehand drawings on the page. Real highlights with comments you add offline in <strong>PDF24 Reader<\/strong> (see <a href=\"#highlight\">Highlight<\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cSign PDF\u201d, \u201cRotate PDF pages\u201d, \u201cRemove PDF pages\u201d<\/strong> for signatures and pages.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open the Toolbox with the desktop icon \u201cPDF24 Toolbox\u201d or with \u201cPDF24\u201d in the Start menu. Type e.g. \u201credact\u201d or \u201ctext\u201d into the search field at the top to find the tool quickly. Stamps, the search with \u201cRedact all matches\u201d, custom font files and the modes of the online editor are not in the Toolbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"problems\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions and problems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I can't find the tools \u2013 where is \u201cadd text\u201d?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The toolbar only shows the tools of the chosen mode. Check at the top that \u201cInsert\u201d is selected and otherwise switch with the button showing the mode name. Add text with \u201cInsert text\u201d (the \u201cT\u201d icon). If the toolbar is in an awkward place, move it with \u201cToolbar position\u201d at the end of the toolbar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I still change added text after saving?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No, saved added text is part of the page. Open the original file again and add the text anew, or remove it as described under <a href=\"#change-text\">Replace existing text<\/a>. Comments and highlights from the mode \u201cAnnotate\u201d, on the other hand, stay editable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The font color doesn't change<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Online: click the text box once (don't click into it) and choose \u201cFont Color\u201d in the small bar. To color single words only, select them while typing. In the Toolbox \u201cSelect fill color\u201d colors the letters, \u201cSelect stroke color\u201d only their outline. In the Toolbox color picker the hue slider alone is not enough: as long as the point in the large color field sits on black, the color stays black. Drag the point in the field to the top right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">After redacting I can't select or search text any more<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is intended: pages with redactions are saved as images so nothing of the removed content is left. With <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/ocr-pdf\">PDF OCR<\/a> you make the pages searchable again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I remove a redaction again?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. After saving, the content is no longer in the file. Go back to the original if you need a spot after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The text of a scanned PDF can't be edited or highlighted<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A scan is a picture of the page and contains no text. First run <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/ocr-pdf\">PDF OCR<\/a> (or in the editor via the button with the name of the mode \u203a \u201cOCR\u201d \u203a \u201cRecognize text\u201d); then you can search, highlight and redact text precisely. You can replace the text of a scan only with the workaround of redacting in white and adding new text (see <a href=\"#change-text\">Replace existing text<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The PDF is password-protected<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the file has a password to open it, the editor asks for it (\u201cPassword-protected PDF\u201d). If the author only locked editing, the editor shows a note; with \u201cUnlock\u2026\u201d and the owner password you can use all tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The PDF is digitally signed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Any change makes an existing digital signature invalid. Edit the file before signing it. More: <a href=\"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/sign-pdf\/#invalid\">Why does a signature become invalid after a change?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"defekt\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The PDF won't open or only partly shows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The file is then often damaged, for example by an interrupted download or by a program that created it incorrectly. Repair it first with <a href=\"https:\/\/tools.pdf24.org\/en\/repair-pdf\">Repair PDF<\/a> or with \"Repair PDF\" in the PDF24 Toolbox, then open the repaired file. PDF24 Creator also offers the repair itself when you open such a file. If that doesn't help, download the file again or ask the sender to send it once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is a function missing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Write to us at team@pdf24.org and tell us what you want to edit and with which file. We are glad to take up your suggestions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Edit a PDF with PDF24: add and cover text, redact, highlight, insert images and stamps \u2013 online and offline, step by step.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-creator","category-online-tools"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66927"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67356,"href":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66927\/revisions\/67356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.pdf24.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}