Full-fledged PDF editor

General Discussion
1

I remember the time when I could edit PDF files in Windows using Adobe Acrobat or some other compatible PDF editor: edit text, edit and/or add form fields etc. Is there anything similar in the Linux world?

Now, I know that GIMP does something in this vein, but is not a native PDF editing tool: it involves conversion and maybe some other manipulations that I am not very fond of.

How good is LibreOffice Draw for this? Does it edit PDF files natively, or does this one also do conversion etc.? Also, it looks like it comes bundled with a host of other … stuff that I don’t need.

Anyway, I would appreciate any suggestions you guys might have.

2

If this doesn’t work, install Ghostscript and convert your pdf to EPS/PS/Postscript.

Open with Scribus or Inkscape

Inkscape doesn’t come with Ghostscript pre-installed anymore

If all fails, try PDFescape

3

Thanks! Scribus is good, but it’s not a native PDF editor. PDFescape sounds good too. Anyway, I ended up springing for Master PDF Editor.

(And no, I’m not made out of money, but I’m tired of using patched-up solutions, and I spent too much time fiddling with imperfect conversions and all that. I just needed something that just works, and I hate subscriptions line Acrobat and the like. My fiddling time is entirely spent with Clear Linux these days :grin: )

4

Whatever works best for you :wink:

Another well coded solution is PDF4QT

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5

Nice find! I wish you told me about that before I paid for MPE! Anyway, maybe we can get @arjan to add it to CL bundles. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Apps with ‘Edit PDF’ feature for Linux | AlternativeTo

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7

They both have their own pros and cons.

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8

Yes, there are a number of PDF editors available for Linux, both free and proprietary. Some of the most popular options include. Both LibreOffice Draw and Master PDF Editor edit PDF files natively, without the need for conversion. However, LibreOffice Draw is a more general-purpose application, while Master PDF Editor is designed specifically for editing PDFs.

If you are looking for a free and open-source PDF editor, I recommend PDF Insider. If you need more advanced editing features, I also recommend PDF Insider.:crossed_fingers::crossed_fingers:

As for your concern about LibreOffice Draw coming bundled with a host of other stuff that you don’t need, you can install the LibreOffice Draw package on its own, without installing the rest of the LibreOffice suite.

I hope this helps!

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I have had bad experience with Master PDF Editor support and wouldn’t recommend it. Why not use Libre Office Draw? It allows opening and editing any PDF document and you don’t have to pay or get a subscription.

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10

Did you try PDF4QT ?

11

I asked @arjan a while ago to look into adding PDF4QT as a bundle.