Create and edit PDFs without Acrobat

Action

Creating PDF documents does not necessarily require buying Adobe Acrobat Pro. Common file types and some edits can be completed using software you may already have.

Instructions

Create PDFs using the print to PDF function of your computer 

Common computer operating systems can “print” most files to PDF format using a software printer choice. 

Create PDFs of Microsoft Office documents 

Microsoft Office apps can export most documents to PDF format. Using this, you may create and edit documents in their Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. Format, then save it as a PDF when needed. 

Microsoft has instructions for creating PDF files using their apps. 

Make basic edits to PDFs in Microsoft Word 

Microsoft Word can open simple PDF files to make basic edits to them. Note that the easiest and most reliable method to edit a PDF is to edit the source file that was turned into a PDF. 

Microsoft has instructions for editing PDFs in Word and information on the functions and limitations of editing PDFs in Word. 

Additional Information

If you need more advanced capabilities, purchasing Adobe Acrobat Pro may be appropriate. See the ITS Software Catalog for purchase details.