How to Type on a PDF for Free, With or Without Form Fields

Find out which kind of PDF you have

Open the file in any browser and click a blank line. What happens next tells you everything you need to know about the document.

How to add a text box to any PDF

1. Open Edit PDF and select your document. It stays on your device.
2. Click Add a text box in the toolbar, or press T on the keyboard.
3. Click the page where the text should start. A box opens with a cursor.
4. Type your text. Enter starts a new line, and Ctrl+Enter finishes the box.
5. Select the box again to change the font, size or colour, or drag it into line with the printed text.
6. Click Download to save a copy with your text on the page.

Text boxes come in three font families: Helvetica, Times New Roman and Courier. They won't copy an unusual font from the document, so choose whichever is nearest. Pick a slightly smaller size than the printed text if the blank is tight, because a box that looks fine on screen can overlap the line when printed.

How to type on a PDF in Chrome

Chrome's built-in PDF viewer has an Add text tool. Google's help page says you select Add text, choose a font, style and colour in the sidebar, then click where the text should go. Google's enterprise release notes describe a gradual rollout from Chrome 151, so the button may not be on every computer yet. If you don't see it, update Chrome or use a text box in the editor above.

Chrome is a good answer for a quick one-off. It will not change anything already printed on the page, though, so it can't fix a typo. For that you need to edit the line itself, which is covered in how to edit a PDF.

Do you need a Chrome PDF editor extension?

Usually not. Extensions that promise to edit PDFs in Chrome can ask to read the pages you visit, and many of them simply open a website that receives your file. Check the permissions and the privacy policy before installing one. For typing on a page, the built-in viewer or a browser tool with nothing to install covers the same ground, and a tax form or an ID proof never has to pass through a third party you know nothing about.

How to type on a PDF on a Mac

Preview can do this with nothing extra installed. Show the Markup toolbar, click the Text tool, then drag the box where you want it. Apple also has a Form Filling toolbar with a Text Box tool for forms that refuse typing. Our Mac guide goes through what Preview can and can't do.

How to fill in a long form faster

Placing thirty text boxes by hand is slow and they rarely line up. Fill PDF Form reads the fields in a fillable form and lists them in one panel, so you can move through them in order. On flat forms it can also try to find the blanks from the drawn lines and labels on the page. Treat those detected boxes as a first draft, and move or resize any that land in the wrong place.

How to stop your typed text being changed

A filled form stays editable, which is handy for you and for anyone else who receives it. Before sending a final copy, lock the answers. Fill PDF Form has a Flatten option that turns entries into part of the page. Flatten PDF does the same job for a file you have already filled. Keep an unflattened copy in case you need to correct something later.

Adding a signature is a separate step. A typed name in a text box is not the same thing as a certificate-based digital signature, and if a form asks for one, follow the instructions from whoever issued it. For an ordinary visible signature, Sign PDF lets you draw, type or upload one.

Frequently asked questions