How-To Guides

Split a PDF or extract specific pages for free using Preview on a Mac or Acrobat on Windows, leaving the original document completely untouched.

Permanently rotate a sideways PDF page using Adobe Acrobat or Preview, and avoid the one missed step that makes rotation revert the next time the file is opened.

Compress a PDF for free with Adobe Acrobat or Preview, and understand why the images inside it, not the text, are almost always what’s driving the file size.

Merge multiple PDF files into one document for free using Preview on a Mac, or an online tool on Windows, without changing the original files.

Convert a PDF table to Excel with Adobe Acrobat or Google Sheets, and know why a table made from aligned text almost never converts cleanly.

Add a password to a PDF the right way — understand the difference between an open password and a permissions password before you set either one.

Sign a PDF without printing it using free tools on Windows and Mac, and know when a formal e-signature service is the safer choice for a real contract.

Edit a PDF’s text, images, and pages with the right free or paid tool for the job, and avoid the black-box redaction mistake that doesn’t remove anything.

Convert a PDF to an editable Word document for free using Word, Google Docs, or Adobe Acrobat, and know which method your file actually needs.