The simplest way to edit a PDF on Mac is Preview, the app already built into your system

You do not need to buy software or read anything. Open the PDF in Preview — the default app when you double-click a PDF file — and you can add text, draw, highlight, erase, and rotate pages. Preview saves your changes directly to the file unless you choose to save a copy instead. For most edits (marking up a form, adding a note, crossing out text), Preview is enough.

If you need to do something Preview cannot handle — like rearranging pages, combining multiple PDFs, or changing the order of sections — you have other options. But start with what you have. It works faster than you might expect.

Key Takeaways

  • Preview is built into every Mac and handles text, drawing, highlighting, and erasing without any purchase or installation.
  • To edit in Preview, open the PDF, click the markup toolbar button (looks like a pen in a circle), and choose your tool from the menu that appears.
  • You can add text boxes, draw freehand, highlight passages, and sign documents, then save the changes to the same file or create a new one.
  • For tasks like combining PDFs or reordering pages, you need a different tool — Preview does not handle those.

How to open the markup tools in Preview

Double-click your PDF file to open it in Preview. At the top of the window, look for the toolbar. You should see a pen-in-a-circle icon — that is the markup toolbar button. Click it.

A menu drops down showing your options: a text tool, a drawing tool, a highlighter, a magnifier, and a signature tool. Each one stays active until you switch to a different tool or close the menu. Click the tool you want, then click or drag on the PDF to use it.

If you do not see the toolbar, go to the menu bar at the top of your screen, click View, and select Show Markup Toolbar. It should appear below the main toolbar.

Adding and editing text in a PDF

Click the text tool (the letter A in the markup menu). Then click anywhere on the PDF where you want to add text. A text box appears. Type your message. When you are done, click outside the box to finish.

To edit text you have already added, double-click the text box. The cursor appears inside, and you can add, delete, or change words. You can also change the font, size, and color by right-clicking the text box and choosing the formatting options from the menu.

If you want to delete a text box entirely, click it once to select it (you will see a blue border around it), then press Delete or Backspace.

Highlighting, drawing, and marking up content

The highlighter tool works like a marker. Click the highlighter in the markup menu, then drag across the text you want to highlight. The color is yellow by default, but you can change it by right-clicking the highlighted area and choosing a different color.

The drawing tool lets you sketch freehand on the PDF. Click the drawing tool, then drag your mouse or trackpad to draw. This is useful for circling text, pointing to a section, or adding a straightforward diagram. Like the highlighter, you can change the color after you draw.

The eraser tool removes any markup you have added — text boxes, drawings, highlights, or signatures. Click the eraser, then click or drag over the markup you want to remove. It does not erase the original PDF content, only the changes you made.

Signing a PDF in Preview

Click the signature tool in the markup menu. A window opens asking you to create or select a signature. If this is your first time, you will see options to sign with your trackpad, your keyboard, or an image file.

To sign with your trackpad, click "Trackpad" and draw your signature in the box that appears. When you are happy with it, click Done. Your signature is now saved to your Mac and will appear in the signature tool menu from now on.

Once you have a signature saved, click the signature tool, choose your signature from the menu, and click on the PDF where you want it to appear. You can resize it by dragging the corners of the box around it.

Saving your changes

Preview saves your edits automatically to the original file by default. If you want to keep the original unchanged and save your edits to a new file instead, go to File in the menu bar and click Duplicate. Edit the duplicate, and your original stays untouched.

You can also export the PDF in a different format. Go to File, then Export, and choose a format like JPEG, PNG, or TIFF. This is useful if you need to share the PDF as an image or convert it for a specific purpose.

To undo a change you just made, press Command+Z. To redo it, press Command+Shift+Z. This works for any edit — text, drawing, highlighting, or erasing.

When you need a different tool

Preview handles most everyday edits, but it has limits. You cannot rearrange pages, delete pages, or combine multiple PDFs into one file using Preview alone. You also cannot fill out complex forms that require specific field types, or password-protect a PDF.

For those tasks, you have options. macOS includes a command-line tool called pdftk if you are comfortable with the Terminal. Many people use PDFtk Pro (a paid app) or free tools like iLovePDF (web-based) or Sejda (web-based or desktop). Some people use Adobe Acrobat Reader (free, limited editing) or Adobe Acrobat Pro (paid, full editing). The right choice depends on what you need to do and how often you do it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a PDF that is password-protected?

Preview will open a password-protected PDF if you know the password, but it cannot remove the protection or change the password itself. If you need to change the protection settings, you will need a different tool like Adobe Acrobat Pro or a web-based PDF editor.

Does Preview work on older Macs?

Preview has been part of macOS for many years, and the markup tools have been available since macOS Sierra (2016). If your Mac is older than that, you can still use Preview to view and print PDFs, but the markup toolbar may not be available. Check your macOS version in System Preferences under About This Mac.

What happens if I close the PDF without saving?

Preview will ask you whether you want to save your changes before closing. If you click Don't Save, your edits are discarded and the original file stays unchanged. If you click Save, your changes are written to the file.

Can I undo changes after I have closed and reopened the PDF?

No. Undo only works during the current session. Once you close the PDF and reopen it, the undo history is gone. If you made a mistake, you will need to edit the file again or restore it from a backup.

Is there a way to batch-edit multiple PDFs at once?

Preview does not have a batch mode. You would need to open and edit each PDF separately, or use a different tool designed for batch processing. Web-based tools like iLovePDF and Sejda offer batch features for some tasks, like converting or compressing multiple files at once.