Edit / remove text in a scanned PDF document?

[FuzzyLogic]

I have several scanned PDF documents where I need to change or delete a small amount of text i.e 1 or 2 words (due to incorrect addresses etc).

I have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Pro X but can't see a way of doing this. The docs were scanned using 'Turboscan' on an iphone if that makes any difference.

Can anyone help please (or suggest an app / software that will allow me to do this easily)

[droopsnoot]

When I need to do this (usually when I'm filling in a PDF form and don't want to print it or subject people to my handwriting) I convert it to an image and use Paintshop to add the text. Wouldn't be much use in a many-page document, of course.

[boyse7en]

If it has been scanned then it has been converted to a raster image (which is essentially a photograph).

This means that to change anything on it you will have to treat it the same as you would if you were editing a photo and use Photoshop, GIMP, Paint or similar to erase and replace the text.

[Mammasaid]

Simple to do if you have Word, open in Word, and then save as PDF, However you may lose some formatting.

[andygo]

Print the doc out and scan it with the Adobe mobile app.

It saves as a pdf which you will be able to edit as normal with Acrobat Pro. I use the app on an iphone all the time, works really well on my iphone with good quality.

https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/catalog/mob...

[boyse7en]

andygo said:

Print the doc out and scan it with the Adobe mobile app.

It saves as a pdf which you will be able to edit as normal with Acrobat Pro. I use the app on an iphone all the time, works really well on my iphone with good quality.

https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/catalog/mob...

Thats's interesting. How does the app change the scan into editable text?
I've played around with OCR software in the past and they have all been pretty hopeless


Edit: I looked up Turboscan App and it makes no mention of OCR capabilities, so I assume that it just saves the scan as a raster PDF, which won't be editable

Edited by boyse7en on Friday 16th August 11:19

[S6PNJ]

FuzzyLogic said:

I have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Pro X but can't see a way of doing this.

Do you have an option to add a white box (no border) in effect 'erasing' the old text, then add text with the typewriter tool, of course matching the font style, size and colour etc.

[Yabu]

Try gimp if you are looking for something like photoshop but free

[imck]

S6PNJ said:

FuzzyLogic said:

I have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Pro X but can't see a way of doing this.

Do you have an option to add a white box (no border) in effect 'erasing' the old text, then add text with the typewriter tool, of course matching the font style, size and colour etc.

I use PDFescape.com (online version) occasionally to edit PDFs.
You can do the above on there with a non-text PDF.

Or paste the PDF into Word as a Pic and put a Text Box over the top of the part that needs correcting.

[andygo]

boyse7en said:

Thats's interesting. How does the app change the scan into editable text?
I've played around with OCR software in the past and they have all been pretty hopeless


Edit: I looked up Turboscan App and it makes no mention of OCR capabilities, so I assume that it just saves the scan as a raster PDF, which won't be editable

Edited by boyse7en on Friday 16th August 11:19

Well the app cant tell the difference between a printed doc or a photo. I have edited loads of the resultant PDF's. Its a free app, so worth a go! Not sure why anyone is looking at other apps when this Adobe app works with, er, Adobe Acrobat!

[FuzzyLogic]

Thanks all - I will have a go with some of these ideas.