Correcting a PDF can have a double meaning. The first is how to correct textual errors in a PDF document, errors that cannot be corrected without the aid of a program or service capable of editing PDFs as if it were a Word document or any other Office document.
The other meaning related to the phrase “correct PDF” instead goes as ” repair PDF ” when a PDF document does not open or is damaged. PDFs, as well as any other type of digital format, could become corrupted and cause the inability to open or damage the content.
In this article we will try to investigate both scenarios. Read on to find out how to correct a PDF quickly, easily and in some cases for free. If you do not find the answer to your problems, contact us or write a comment at the bottom so that you can also deepen your question and look for a concrete answer.
Part 1. How to Correct Textual Errors in a PDF
Part 2. How to Fix / Repair a Corrupt PDF
Part 1. How to Correct Textual Errors in a PDF
Do you have a PDF document that contains a serious error in it? Or do you have a PDF file that you need to edit by removing some pages that are superfluous or making other types of corrections? What you need is a PDF Editor tool , that is a program that can open the PDF and allow you to edit it in the simplest and most intuitive way possible.
We have already explored various ways to edit text in a PDF file , and we can divide PDFs into two types: software and online services . The first type consists in downloading and installing on your computer (Windows or Mac) a program that is able to manage, change and correct text (or images) present in the file. The second type consists in using online services, on which you must first import the PDF and then you can edit it. Below we report these two solutions, one for each type.
A) Correct PDF Text with PDFelement Software
If you want to correct a PDF from every point of view you need a professional software solution like PDFelement . It is a program that has established itself over the years as one of the best alternatives to Adobe Acrobat (and certainly cheaper!). To use PDFelement to correct errors in your PDF here are the simple steps to follow:
Download the free trial version software for Windows or Mac from below:
Install and start PDFelement. You will see this splash screen:
Click on Open File to select the PDF document to be corrected from your computer. Once selected it will preview in the program. At this point, click on the “ Edit ” menu at the top and then select the part of the document (eg text or text blocks) to be edited and corrected.
You will have all the text formatting tools you find in Word and other Office software. So the use of the software is really simple and intuitive, and within everyone’s reach.
The great advantage of using this type of programs to correct PDF is that you can also import scanned PDFs: the PDFelement software, thanks to the OCR function, can make the document editable in all its parts and you can then save it again in PDF format.
To make corrections to the PDF it is also possible to access the ANNOTATION section and here use the many tools available. You will be able to correct a PDF as if it were a paper sheet and apply notes in red, highlight incorrect text, insert boxes or arrows, and much more.
Once the corrections to the document have been completed, you can save the file by clicking on the File menu -> Save as . With the free demo version of the program the PDF will be saved on your computer but there will be an overlay watermark. It is essential to purchase the license to remove this limitation. Below is a short video tutorial showing how you can use PDFelement to correct and edit a PDF:
B) Correct PDF online
If you don’t want to install any programs, a good service to edit PDF online is PDFZorro. To use this service, access this page and upload the PDF you want to correct and / or modify. To upload a PDF click on the Upload button , or you can import it directly from Google Drive.
After selecting and importing the PDF, click on Start PDF Editor and the screen will open where you can select the page of the PDF to edit and use the various tools available. For example, if there is some text you want to erase you can use the Erase tool, a kind of eraser that allows you to remove incorrect or unwanted text.
After making the changes and corrections you can save the corrected PDF by clicking on the Finish / Download button at the top left . That’s all!
It must be said that PDFZorro does not have all the PDF editing functions that are present on software solutions such as PDFelement, but it is a free service that allows you to make small corrections such as deleting and adding new text, ‘highlighting of sentences and reorganizing the pages of the document.
Part 2. How to Fix / Repair a Corrupt PDF
If you find yourself in this article because you want to correct, or rather repair a damaged PDF , what you need is a tool that can analyze the file and repair it. Unfortunately, the repair of damaged PDFs is not always guaranteed, so we recommend that you use the free demo version of a program called PDF Repair to first see if it is still recoverable. Here are the detailed steps to follow to do this.
Step 1. Download, install and launch PDF Repair
Click on the button below to access the page where you can download the free demo version of the PDF Repair program:
After downloading and installing the program, the following main window will open:
Step 2. Import PDF document to repair / fix
Click on the SELECT FILES button at the top left to import the damaged PDF
Step 3. Start the PDF repair
Click on REPAIR at the bottom right to start repairing the selected PDF. Wait patiently for the process to finish. Under the ” Progress Indicator ” column you will see ” Done ” as soon as the repair is complete.
Compared to other similar software, this utility has some advanced features. In fact, the software has been programmed to identify the PDF structure in almost any condition and then restore it. The positive aspect of the software is its ability to determine the source location of the text data and to perform the necessary actions to repair the PDF file in a short amount of time.
Don’t forget the fact that during the recovery process, this software performs a full scan . The software is well integrated with the data recovery algorithm ( QFSCI ), which plays a decisive role in scanning damaged PDF files. The tool evaluates the damaged or corrupted PDF file and then corrects it. This method is followed by rebuilding the file with the recovered PDF file data. The scan time depends on the level of corruption and the size of the file. If the process is running, it indicates that the application is still analyzing the damaged file. You just have to be patient because at the end of the scanning process you will get the repaired file.
