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✏️ How to Edit Text in a PDF or an Image Online (Your Own Files)

By the MZScan team · Updated 10 October 2026 · 4 min read

Editing a PDF has a reputation for being hard. Most free tools lock the text, and desktop editors are expensive. For simple corrections to your own documents, such as a typo in your CV, an outdated phone number or a missing line on a form, a browser-based text editor is often all you need. This guide explains how it works and what you should never use it for.

What you can do

• Edit text: tap an existing line, and an editable box appears with the same wording, size and colour.
• Erase: drag a box over text, a number or a mark you want to remove. Auto fill matches the surrounding background, or you can pick a solid colour.
• Add text: tap where the new text should go and type. Choose a font, size, colour and alignment, including fonts for Urdu, Arabic and Hindi.

Step-by-step

1. Open the editor and choose your PDF or image.
2. Accept the terms of use.
3. Pick Edit text and tap the line you want to change, then type the new text.
4. Use Erase or Add text for anything else.
5. Download the result as a PDF, or save the current page as PNG or JPG.

Scanned PDFs and photos

If the file is a scan or a photo, there is no selectable text to tap. Press Detect text on this page. The tool reads the words with OCR, and they become clickable like normal text. For the best result, start with a clear, straight, well-lit scan from the document scanner.

Make the edit look natural

• Choose a font that is similar to the original. Sans-serif for modern documents, a Times-style font for formal ones.
• Match the size and colour. The editor starts with the original values, so change them only if needed.
• Zoom in while you work. Align the new text on the same baseline as its neighbours.

Important: edited pages become pictures

To remove the old text for real, the editor redraws the edited page as a clean image. The old words are not hidden underneath. The trade-off is that edited pages are no longer selectable or searchable text. Pages you did not touch stay exactly as they were.

Use it responsibly

This tool is for correcting and updating your own files, or files you are authorised to modify. Changing identity documents, certificates, bank statements, receipts, contracts or any other official record to deceive someone is illegal in most countries. You are fully responsible for what you edit and download. Please read the terms of use before you start.

Examples of legitimate edits

• Correcting a typo or an old phone number in your own CV.
• Updating the date on your own meeting notice or invitation.
• Adding a name or a line to a form you are filling in.
• Removing your private address from a document before you share an example of it.
• Fixing text in a poster or an image that you designed yourself.

When text detection does not find the words

OCR depends on the quality of the picture. Better results come from sharp, straight, well-lit images with dark text on a light background. Choose the correct language before you press detect. Handwriting, very small print, stylised fonts and low-contrast photos are harder to read. If a line is not detected, use Erase to remove it and Add text to type the new line in its place.

Tips for clean erasing

• Drag the erase box a little larger than the text so no edge remains.
• On plain backgrounds, Auto fill gives a natural result. On patterned or coloured backgrounds, pick a solid colour that matches.
• Zoom in to check the edges after each change. Undo is available if the result is not right.
• Edit one area at a time. Several small, careful edits look better than one big one.

Privacy

Editing happens in your browser. Your file is not uploaded. Only the OCR language data and fonts are downloaded.

Frequently asked questions

Is the editor free?
You can try it free with 2 downloads per day and a watermark. Edit Premium removes the watermark and the limit.

Can I change the font of existing text?
Yes. After you tap a line, you can change font, size, colour and alignment.

Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The editor is designed for both phones and computers.

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