Guides.

Everything you’ve ever needed to do to a PDF on a Mac, explained in plain steps. Every method here is free.

How to, on a Mac

How to edit a PDF on a Mac, for freeHow to edit a PDF on Mac for free: add text, highlight, sign, reorder pages, compress and redact. Clear steps for PDF Unlimited and Preview. No account.
How to sign a PDF on a Mac and add your signatureHow to add a signature to a PDF on Mac: draw or type your PDF signature once, then place it anywhere. Sign PDF files free and offline. No account needed.
How to combine PDF files on a MacCombine PDF files on Mac in seconds: merge in any order, drop in more files, reorder pages. Free with PDF Unlimited or Preview, and nothing gets uploaded.
How to compress a PDF on a Mac and reduce its file sizeHow to reduce PDF file size on Mac and make a PDF smaller for email without wrecking quality. Pick a preset and see before and after sizes. Free and offline.
How to remove or delete pages from a PDF on a MacHow to remove pages from a PDF on Mac: select the thumbnails and delete. A free PDF page remover that works offline, plus the Preview way and how to undo it.
How to add text and type on a PDF on a MacHow to add text to a PDF on Mac, or just type on a PDF: click anywhere, type, set font size and color. Free in PDF Unlimited or Preview. No account needed.
How to fill out a PDF form on a MacHow to fill out a PDF on Mac, including forms with no fillable fields. Click, type, sign and save. Free in PDF Unlimited or Preview, no printing or scanning.
How to split a PDF and extract pages on a MacHow to split a PDF on Mac: extract pages from a PDF into a new file, or separate pages into parts. Free with PDF Unlimited, plus 2 Preview tricks. No upload.
How to password protect a PDF on a MacPassword protect a PDF on Mac so only the right people can open it. Free steps for PDF Unlimited and Preview, plus how to choose and share a strong password.
How to redact a PDF on a Mac (properly)How to redact a PDF on Mac the right way. A black box is not redaction: the text is still underneath. Free true redaction with PDF Unlimited and how to check.
How to OCR a PDF on a MacHow to OCR a PDF on Mac and make scans searchable, free and offline. No Adobe Acrobat OCR subscription needed. Plus the hidden Preview option and tips.
How to annotate and highlight a PDF on a MacAnnotate a PDF on Mac: highlight, underline, draw, add shapes, arrows and sticky notes. Free with PDF Unlimited or Preview, plus tips for study and review.
How to remove a password from a PDF on a MacHow to remove a password from a PDF on Mac when you know it, so the file opens without asking. Unlock a PDF free with PDF Unlimited or Preview. Not a cracker.
How to crop a PDF on a MacHow to crop a PDF on Mac: drag a rectangle, then crop one page or all pages at once. Free with PDF Unlimited or Preview, plus why cropping is not redaction.
How to flatten a PDF on a MacHow to flatten a PDF on Mac so form entries, signatures and annotations become part of the page and cannot be changed. Free with PDF Unlimited or Preview.
How to print a PDF on a MacHow to print a PDF on Mac: page ranges, double-sided, fit to paper, printing comments and fixes for blank pages and empty form fields. Works with any printer.
How to rotate a PDF on a Mac (and keep it rotated)How to rotate a PDF on Mac and save it so it stays rotated: one page or all pages, in PDF Unlimited or Preview. Plus why a rotation sometimes does not stick.
How to convert a PDF to JPG on a MacHow to convert a PDF to JPG or PNG on Mac for free: save every page as an image at the resolution you choose, or one page with Preview. Offline, no uploads.
How to make a PDF searchableHow to make a PDF searchable: check whether it has real text, then add a text layer with OCR so ⌘F and copy work. Free on Mac, offline, nothing uploaded.
How to edit a scanned PDF on a MacHow to edit a scanned PDF on Mac: make it searchable with OCR, then add text, white out, sign, redact and fix pages. Free and offline, with honest limits.
How to change the default PDF viewer on a MacHow to change the default PDF viewer on Mac so every PDF opens in the app you want: Get Info, Open with, Change All. Plus how to switch back to Preview.
How to search a PDF on a MacHow to search a PDF on Mac for a word or phrase, jump between matches and see every result at once. Plus what to do when search finds nothing in a scan.
How to convert a PDF to text on a MacHow to convert a PDF to text on Mac and extract every word into a .txt file, including scans. Free and offline, with no upload. Plus the copy and paste way.
How to draw on a PDF on a MacHow to draw on a PDF on Mac with a pen, arrows, circles and boxes, then undo, recolor or lock it in. Free and offline in PDF Unlimited or in Preview.
How to add, insert and rearrange pages in a PDF on a MacHow to add pages to a PDF on Mac: insert a blank page or pages from another file, duplicate a page and rearrange the order. Free and offline, plus Preview.
PDF won't open on your Mac? Here's how to fix itA PDF won't open on your Mac? Work out whether it's damaged, locked, still in iCloud or not a PDF at all, and fix it. Plain steps, no Terminal needed.

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