How do I change text in a scanned PDF using Adobe Acrobat?

Open the scanned PDF in Acrobat. Click 'Edit' in the global bar. Acrobat will automatically run OCR to make the text editable. Click on the text and type your changes. Always proofread the OCR output, especially for numbers and names, as it can make mistakes like '0' for 'O'.

What is the difference between editing text directly and adding a new text box in Adobe Acrobat?

Method When to Use Benefit. Edit Text Directly Small changes, typos in existing text. Keeps original formatting and layout. Add Text Box Scanned PDFs, complex layout changes. Easier to control new text without breaking old layout.

If my edited text in Adobe Acrobat looks different from the original, what should I check?

Check the font type. Make sure it matches the original. Verify the font size. New text should be the same size. Look at the text color. Ensure it's identical to the surrounding text.

Immediate Board Packet Change in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

CDecide — “help me choose”Legal pushed a policy update through late and the board asked for a single official file they…+

Legal pushed a policy update through late and the board asked for a single official file they can reference at tomorrow's 9am meeting. I have the redline, the final text, and two appendices, but I'm not sure which version should be the 'official' master and who on the exec team should sign it first so it doesn't get rewritten. Tell me the likely diagnosis (is this timing, an ownership gap, or a version-control risk), recommend the quickest defensible choice of master document and first signer, and give me a short note to send the board that preserves a single source of truth without sounding like I'm imposing. I won't skip legal's approval but I need a decision before [deadline=5pm].

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
2
Select the Edit PDF tool from the right pane or the toolbar.
3
Click on the text you want to edit in the PDF.
4
Type to add, delete, or change the text as needed.
5
Click outside the text box or press Esc to finish editing.
6
Save the PDF to keep your changes.
Best practiceIf you notice formatting issues after editing, try adjusting the font size or spacing for better alignment.

In the appWith the API

You can undo text edits immediately by pressing Ctrl+Z or using the Undo option in the Edit menu.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

OCROCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. It is technology that turns images of text into real text you can search and copy.ExampleAfter scanning a paper invoice, OCR allows you to copy the vendor's name from the image.

Embed FontTo embed a font means to save the font information inside the PDF file itself.ExampleWhen saving a PDF, you can embed the special font to ensure it always displays correctly.

Global BarThe menu bar at the very top of the Adobe Acrobat window, where main tools are found.ExampleYou click 'File' or 'Edit' on the Global Bar to access basic functions in Acrobat.

Who does this

3 roles

Administrative AssistantContent EditorLegal Secretary

FAQ

about this task

Open the scanned PDF in Acrobat.
Click 'Edit' in the global bar.
Acrobat will automatically run OCR to make the text editable.
Click on the text and type your changes.
Always proofread the OCR output, especially for numbers and names, as it can make mistakes like '0' for 'O'.

Acrobat needs the font to be installed on your computer to let you edit text using that font. Even if the font is embedded in the PDF, Acrobat still looks for it locally. To fix this, you can install the missing font on your system, activate it through Adobe Fonts, or use Acrobat's 'Print Production > Preflight' tool to embed any missing fonts into the PDF itself for better compatibility.

Method	When to Use	Benefit
Edit Text Directly	Small changes, typos in existing text.	Keeps original formatting and layout.
Add Text Box	Scanned PDFs, complex layout changes.	Easier to control new text without breaking old layout.

Check the font type. Make sure it matches the original.
Verify the font size. New text should be the same size.
Look at the text color. Ensure it's identical to the surrounding text.

OCR, or Optical Character Recognition, is a technology Acrobat uses to identify and convert text from images, like scanned documents, into editable text. It's important because without OCR, a scanned PDF is just an image, and you cannot select or change the words directly. OCR makes the text usable for editing, searching, and copying, turning a static image into a dynamic document.

Immediate Board Packet Change

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

Video

Other guides

When it fails