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How to Create an Editable PDF | Easy Editable Printables

October 10, 2018 by Simplifying DIY Design 16 Comments

Last updated on October 19th, 2022

This article will show you how to take any worksheet or printable that you’ve designed and convert it into a fillable PDF! Editable PDFs are perfect for those who want to reduce their paper consumption and keep everything organized electronically.

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Have you ever downloaded a workbook or even worksheet/printable and couldn’t edit it on your computer?

There were text boxes that couldn’t be typed in and checkboxes that couldn’t be checked.

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The only way to make it work was to print it out!

Not everyone has a printer.

Not everyone has the money to keep buying ink cartridges that need replacing after just a few prints.

And, not everyone wants a print-out that can only be used once… not to mention those that are all about reducing their waste.

The thing is, ANY workbook, worksheet, printable, you name it can be converted into an editable format.

Most bloggers think they need fancy tools or Adobe Acrobat which is just not true! (We actually believed this for a time, too.)

Now, we have a solution to create an editable PDF for FREE. The best part?

It’s incredibly fast and easy and can be done on both a Mac and PC!

WHAT IS AN EDITABLE PDF?

We have a lot of readers that consider creating a printable in Canva and letting their readers edit it.

Unfortunately, there’s a major problem with this.

Depending on your audience, they may not know how to use Canva or have a Canva account. In fact, unless they’re a blogger or online business owner, chances are they have NO idea what Canva is!

We know how frustrating it can be to buy or even opt-in to something to find out we need to download an app or program to use said item.

So not user-friendly, right?

Creating a chore chart that has someone signing up for Canva just to add their kids’ names is NOT going to be super helpful.

We want your reader to click on the document, type in what they need to customize, and hit save or print. Quick wins are the name of the game!

So, how can we do that? We do this by converting our printable into a fillable PDF.

PDFs can be created AND opened on any computer regardless if it’s a PC or Mac, making an editable PDF the perfect solution for both sides of the print and digital spectrum.

WANT TO REMEMBER THIS LATER? SAVE IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD! ⬇

Find out how you can create amazing, editable printables that your readers can customize to fit their needs. The best part is this tool is free and super easy to use and only takes seconds! Step up your lead magnet design with this awesome trick #leadmagnet #printables #simplifyingdiydesign

Before we get started, please note that this post is written the intent that your printable is already created.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide on creating a killer printable for your blog, we’ve got you covered!

STEP 1: UPLOAD YOUR PDF

Once you have your printable created, you can download it as a PDF as usual. Leave any spots that your reader would edit or customize blank.

Reference the second image below for an example of blank space.

Next, you’re going to head over to PDFEscape.com.

This is a free online program. You don’t need to pay anything, you don’t even need to create an account.

Once you’re on that website, go ahead and upload your PDF as shown below.

Once it’s uploaded, your screen will look like the image below.

Notice the top left menu? That’s where you’ll find all of your tools to create an editable PDF!

STEP 2: ADD FORM FIELDS

The tool we’ll use is called “Form Field”. You’ll be able to select various types of forms including:

  • Text
  • Text paragraph
  • Checkbox
  • Radio
  • Dropdown
  • Listbox
  • Reset button
  • Submit button

For most editable printables, you’ll use the ‘Text’, ‘Text Paragraph’, and ‘Checkbox’ fields.

Choose the one you want and use your mouse to click and drag to create the editable area on the printable.

You’ll need to repeat that process for every area that you want someone to be able to type in.

You don’t have to reselect the ‘Form Field’ button unless you change the form field type.

For this example, the top two areas are ‘Text Paragraph’ and then I changed the ‘Form Field’ to ‘Text’ and did each of the bullet points.

The areas don’t have to be perfectly sized; the green (as shown below) will not show up when you download your editable PDF.

STEP 3: ADD CHECKBOXES

Next, we changed the ‘Form Field’ to ‘Checkbox’ and filled in all of our checkboxes.

Convert a workbook or printable into an editable PDF fast, easy and FREE. Create an editable PDF that can be easily customized for both PC and Mac users!

STEP 4: DOWNLOAD YOUR EDITABLE PDF

Now that we have all of our edits in place, we’ll click ‘Save & Download’ because we’re done!

Convert a workbook or printable into an editable PDF fast, easy and FREE. Create an editable PDF that can be easily customized for both PC and Mac users!

Your printable is now an editable PDF that can be used right away. Text boxes can be typed in, and checkboxes can be checked with just a click of a button.

Pretty cool, right?

Convert a workbook or printable into an editable PDF fast, easy and FREE. Create an editable PDF that can be easily customized for both PC and Mac users!

Whether you have worksheets, planners, chore charts, or budget sheets; the possibilities are endless with a fillable PDF!

You can get super creative with this, and your readers will be able to edit it with ease!

Don’t forget to grab our FREE Lead Magnet Template Pack! These fully editable Canva templates will help you create lead magnets that build trust, so they’re ready to buy!

GET THE LEAD MAGNET TEMPLATE PACK!

TRY CANVA PRO FREE FOR 30 DAYS

Start your FREE Canva Pro trial today and unlock ALL of their incredible time-saving features that’ll cut your design time to just minutes.

To be honest? It’s the best $12.99/mo OR $119/yr we spend on our business because that time we save with every single design is put back into making MORE money in your business!

WANT TO SAVE THIS FOR LATER? PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!⬇

Filed Under: Design Tutorials, List Building

Comments

  1. Stephanie says

    July 21, 2019 at 4:31 pm

    This is so awesome! Thanks for sharing. I was looking for something like this a while back. I will keep this in mind for my next lead magnet.

    Reply
    • karafidd says

      July 22, 2019 at 4:37 pm

      I’m glad you liked it! Thanks!

      Reply
  2. Renee says

    July 10, 2019 at 12:19 am

    Thank you so much!!! I have been searching for this information for so long.

    Reply
    • karafidd says

      July 22, 2019 at 4:39 pm

      I’m glad it was helpful!! <3

      Reply
  3. Amber says

    May 29, 2019 at 10:04 pm

    I have been dreading learning how to do this, and have taken the easy route by just selling uneditable printables in my Etsy shop. But I realized I need to keep up with the times, lol. I’m SO GLAD I found this article. You broke this down into super easy steps, which I went and tried with one of my worksheets right away. You are awesome!! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • karafidd says

      June 3, 2019 at 5:22 pm

      Thank you so much!! I’m so glad it helped!!! <3

      Reply
  4. Jelica says

    April 25, 2019 at 3:59 pm

    Oh my goodness! This is exactly what I was looking for – thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • karafidd says

      May 19, 2019 at 11:10 pm

      I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks Jelica!

      Reply
  5. Emilee says

    April 16, 2019 at 11:32 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing! This is exactly the information I was looking for!

    Reply
    • karafidd says

      May 19, 2019 at 11:09 pm

      Yay! I’m glad it was helpful! Thank you Emilee 🙂

      Reply
  6. Maira Vial says

    October 21, 2018 at 1:23 am

    Wow! This is Fantastic! I’m so glad I came across this blog through EBA. I will definitely be using this tool. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply
    • karafidd says

      October 22, 2018 at 10:26 pm

      You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  7. Kristi Dee | Helping Mompreneurs Master Productivity says

    October 10, 2018 at 3:55 pm

    Thank you so much, Kara! You have no idea how much time you save me and how much knowledge you give every time you post. And all for free. You’re amazing!

    Reply
    • karafidd says

      October 10, 2018 at 5:45 pm

      That’s so nice Kristi! Thank you so much, happy I can help <3

      Reply
      • Jamie Wilson-Houghtalen says

        October 28, 2018 at 3:39 pm

        I agree with this. I’m in the car with my husband while I’m reading this post and I’m telling him how blown away I am by the info you give away for free. It’s seriously incredible. I’m so thankful for you!

        Reply
        • karafidd says

          October 28, 2018 at 4:21 pm

          That’s so sweet! Thank you!!

          Reply

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