Can you modify a PDF file?

So the company I contract with sends us a truck maintenance report to fill out every month, it comes as a PDF file.

Is there a way to add my information to it on my computer or iPhone so I can just email it back.

Right now I print it, fill it out, scan it, then email it back. I honestly don't have that much experience with PDF files.

The basic Adobe Acrobat Reader software won't allow changes, but they do have an enhanced version that lets you modify/add text/insert images/etc. I have to admit I don't know what it's called exactly, all I know is my company's IT department put it on my office computer for me and it works. If you go to the Adobe website you can probably figure it out.

I don't know if it was a PDF file but I was able to alter a couple of online only bills to put my actual physical address on instead of the P.O. Box they used to get delivered to. It was a simple internet search and then a little light futzing to change. This is a link to Adobe but I used something different. https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/acrobat/edit-pdf-convert-pdf-to-office.html?mv=search&sdid=HZG8X38X&s_kwcid=AL!3085!3!103854997222!b!!g!!edit%20pdf%20docs&ef_id=WKDLtAAAAbTWfCPH:20170324070144:s

Yes. Adobe Acrobat not just Acrobat Reader will let you. I'm sure there are free programs out there as well that will let you edit them.

You can edit them as images and then turn them back into PDFs basically, that's what Adobe's software does behind the scenes. It would be best to get the file in Word/ODF/RTF format so you can edit it directly on the phone.

As an alternative (that might be cheaper) at work I have Nuance PDF Converter software that allows full editing of PDFS.

If the document does not have a editable field where I can just click and type, it is easy enough to just add a text box to add my own text. You can also add markups and stickynotes, etc. if thats your thing.

I do it all the time with doctor forms and other stuff that needs to be filled out using my chicken scratch handwriting. Adobe Acrobat will convert it to a form. Then you just type in what you want.

For stuff deeper than that I use Illustrator.

I use Corel Draw to import PDFs (with text coming over as text, not curves) and then I can edit them, both the text and the graphics. Adobe's Acrobat Pro can do it, of course, but it's actually more of a PITA to do...

As noted above, if it is a form you are filling out, it is pretty simple to convert it so that you can type into the fields in the form (Acrobat does a decent job of automatically detecting areas to put the form fields). Once it has fillable fields, it can be filled in on a computer or phone, then saved / sent back.

Is it the same form all the time? If so, make it accessible and one of use with full Acrobat can likely convert it for you pretty easily.

You can do it on your Mac through the free Preview program that comes with it. Nothing special needed, but I have no idea how to do it on your phone.

Acrobat pro

I think it depends on how the PDF form was created. The various tax forms from the IRS have editable fields. I swear if they added a bit of intelligence to the forms (if it did the math and could link data from other forms) it would put Turbo Tax out of business. It's that easy. I've filled out the forms at home where I just have normal Reader.

Likewise, I get data forms from vendors with editable fields as well. I'll download a fixture cut sheet, fill out the data for the specific options I want, and then save it into the project folder. I do this a lot. At work I have Acrobat Pro as well as Bluebeam (another good PDF editor).

Can get tricky if it is already a PDF form with fill in the blanks. Becomes a 3 step process. Clear the blanks, make your change and add the blanks back. Also a multi-step if Adobe reads it as a flat picture, will have to run the text identifier/converter (forget what it's called) then make your changes. If it Pro reads it all as text, not difficult but not that quick to change/replace from the tools menu. Can also add text boxes. Can also copy/paste into Word, make what ever changes you want and either convert back to PDF or print to PDF, whichever is easier.

Can you tell I work with PDF a lot? Used to work as a tech editor for army helicopter maintenance manuals. We received the draft procedures in PDF. And the manuals were converted to PDF for print. Still deal with PDFs that sometimes needs editing. The forms is new to me and just learned it. Find it amusing that everyone converts things to PDF so it can't be edited and we find ways around that and edit the stuff anyway.