A PDF is a widely used file format created by Adobe. Essentially, you use PDFs when you want to save files that can’t be easily modified, but can be easily shared and printed. Most of us have programs that can read PDF files.
However, what if you want to edit the contents of a PDF? There are some programs that allow you to do that, and CorelDRAW is one of them. Here, we’ll show you how to edit the text and images in a PDF using CorelDRAW.
Importing a PDF File to CorelDRAW
The first step to editing your PDF is to import it to CorelDRAW. You can do this by clicking on File > Import. From here, select your PDF. You can also press Ctrl + I on your keyboard to access the same menu.
After clicking on Import, you will get a small window that asks whether you want to import the PDF as Text or Curves. You should select Text. Why? Well, when you select Text, you can easily edit a text-heavy PDF. You can change the text’s font, color, size, and other aspects with just a click.
However, if you choose to import the PDF as Curves, everything from the background to the text of your PDF will become curves/vectors. This means that you will not be able to change the font, color, size, and other aspects of the text within that file.
In case you are editing a client’s PDF, you should check the box for Import comments and place on a separate layer. This will allow you to see the comments the client has added about certain parts that they want you to change.
Once you click on OK, you can either click anywhere in CorelDRAW to import the PDF in its original size, or you can click and drag to decide on the size of the document yourself.
Sorting Out Text and Curves
All the text elements are now imported as Artistic Text Objects, which you can see in the Object Manager on the right side of the screen. In case CorelDRAW does not automatically open this window for you, click on Object > Object Manager.
The fonts should be identical to those that were in the PDF, as long as you have those fonts in your system. In case you just want to edit fonts, text size, or colors, you don’t need any additional software to do so.
As mentioned, by importing your PDF as Text, you will be able to freely edit any text by simply clicking on what you want to change.
You can select the object (in this case, the spaceship) and the background separately, piece by piece. You can do this on the right side of the screen in the Object Manager, or you can just click on the picture.
To select multiple objects this way, hold Shift on your keyboard, and click on all the objects you want to select. The pictures are all imported as curves, thus you have the freedom to change them however you want.
On the left side of the screen, click on the Shape Tool (F10), and then click on the shape you want to change. You can edit their color, shape, or add your own vector drawings.
If you’re happy with the background and/or the shapes you have made, you can group them all together for easier maneuvering. To do this, select all the curves you want to group, and click on Object > Group > Group Objects. You could also press Ctrl + G on the keyboard, or right-click on the object and click on Group Objects.
By grouping the object and the background separately, you can later export them as objects to use elsewhere.
How to Edit the PDF’s Text
Changing the font and color of the text is not difficult. However, for more complex editing, you need to convert your text to Paragraph Text. Artistic Text in CorelDRAW is typically used for headings and titles, so you’ll likely see this on your PDF if it’s a flyer or poster.
When selecting the Artistic Text that you wish to convert to Paragraph Text, you need to pay attention to the order in which you select them. Usually, the order of the text is in reverse, as you can see in the Object Manager once you click on your text.
So, you should select the first line (which is the last Artistic Text line in Object Manager) hold Shift, and then select the last line (which is the first Artistic Text line in Object Manager). It is good practice to do this in the Object Manager, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally not selecting a piece of text.
After you have all the text selected in the correct order, right-click on your selection in the Object Manager and click on Combine. You can also hold Ctrl + L. That will bring everything into one line. After this, you can right-click on your text and select Convert To Paragraph Text or press Ctrl + F8 on your keyboard.
To separate the lines, all you have to do is drag down the Leading Icon which will increase the spacing between the lines. To remove line breaks, you can go into the text itself by double-clicking within the paragraph.
For more precise control of spacing, you can click on Text Properties and select Paragraph. Here, you will have better control of your paragraph spacing, while the Character option will give you more control over every single character.
By converting the Artistic Text to Paragraph Text, you are able to edit the text as you normally would in CorelDRAW. Everything else will be converted to curves, meaning that you can edit the objects just as you would normally in CorelDRAW. You can change the colors, shapes, and everything you’d like.
Edit Your PDFs With Ease
CorelDRAW gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to editing your PDFs, as it gives you all the tools you need to edit both the images and text within a PDF. This means that you don’t need software that is specifically designed for PDF editing.