3 Simple Steps to Edit PDFs with LibreOffice Draw

LibreOffice Draw is an open-source vector graphics editor that you can use to edit and modify PDFs. You can use it to add text, images, and other objects to an existing PDF document, remove pages or add new ones as you see fit. It’s easy to get started using LibreOffice Draw—just follow these three simple steps!

Open a file in LibreOffice

Choose File > Open, and find the file you want to edit. Once the file has been opened, you will be able to see its content in a window. Scroll through the document by dragging your mouse’s scroll wheel or by pressing Page Up and Page Down on your keyboard. In some cases, editing certain parts of a document might require you to go back and forth between different pages. You can do this quickly by clicking on Previous Page or Next Page below the window. If you need to return to the start of the document, click on First Page. If you want to leave the document and come back later, choose File > Close.

You can also save your work so that it doesn’t get lost if there is an interruption while you are working on it. To save a document, choose File > Save As. Under Save as type: select ODF (Open Document Format). Finally, give the file a name and then click Save.

Use the redaction tool

Start by opening your document and then choose the Redaction Tool. The redaction tool looks like a pencil, but there’s a red line through it (redacted). In the toolbar next to the document, you’ll see three options: Pencil-Redacted, Pencil-Unredacted, and Eraser. The Pencil-Redacted icon is your brush tool when using the redaction tool. To select this option on Mac OS X, click once on the icon. When you do this, a circle will appear around your cursor as shown in the image below.

Then go over what you want to redact and start drawing over it while holding down your mouse button or trackpad. Once you’ve covered up what you want to hide, release the mouse button or trackpad button and all that remains of that text will be redacted. If at any point during this process, something goes wrong, just undo what you did by pressing Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac OS X.

Print it out

PDF editing might seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The three steps below will teach you how to quickly edit a PDF document in LibreOffice. First, open the file using LibreOffice Draw. Second, use your mouse to select the text you want to edit. Third, press CTRL+X or click the cut icon and select Cut from the pop-up menu that appears on your screen. Fourth, find where you want to paste the text (in another document or on a blank page) and click Paste. Fifth, give the pasted text a new title. Sixth, save your changes by clicking File > Save All and name your file so you can easily find it again later.