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Subject:Editing a PDF file? From:Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Sun, 19 Jun 2005 11:05:05 -0400
DaveC wondered: <<I want to edit a PDF file. Checking the file
properties, there are no security (passwords, etc.) protections on the
file. Using Acrobat Pro, I can highlight the text, but my only options
are to add a notation of some kind. Is editing PDF content possible? >>
It's certainly possible; it's just a really bad idea, and for two
important reasons. (There are probably others, but these are deal
killers imho.)
First: As soon as you edit the PDF, you've created a difference between
the original document used to generate the PDF and the PDF itself.
These final corrections inevitably get lost or forgotten, meaning that
the next time someone generates a PDF from the original document, they
will recreate all the original errors you just fixed. Given that
they'll assume that you, as editor, fixed the problems (or that they
don't even pause to wonder whether there was any subsequent editing),
they won't make time to check this assumption. If the errors are
serious, rather than merely cosmetic, the consequences can be nasty.
Second, Acrobat offers only the most primitive editing tools. There's
no revision tracking, and you can't make any changes that affect the
layout of more than the current line (text doesn't re-flow)--both true
of earlier versions; I haven't explored more recent versions, and might
thus be wrong about this. Plus, it's a painful and awkward workflow
compared with working in the original file. It's remarkable that the
dog sings opera, but it sings opera badly--hire Pavarotti et al.
instead.
Bottom line? Do your editing in the original file, not in the PDF. Then
regenerate the PDF.
<<How can I change the text in this document?>>
If you have to do the job anyway: Tools > Advanced Editing > TouchUp
Text Tool. Then immediately make the same changes in the original file
to avoid the abovementioned problems.
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