Free PDF editing Software

[doodeck]

Hi

I tried to find similar question on the forum but without success. I need to edit reports in pdf files so I have tried numerous software including LibreOffice Draw, Evince, Master PDF Editor 4 and Inkspace. Some of them allowed me to edit some parts of pdf files however in my office after my editing nobody else is able to change or edit anything else in this file. I know that others are using either Adobe Readers or Foxit software and I thought of getting PDF Studio but it is still too steep. So my question is: Is there a Linux Mint alternative to those programs that is free of charge, or do I need to pay to be able to work with pdfs?

Any advice is much appreciated

Many thanks

[phd21]

HI doodeck,

It would help to know more about your system setup. If you run "inxi -Fxzd" from the console terminal prompt, highlight the results, copy and paste them back here, that should provide enough information.

Do you know which application the original PDF documents were created with?

FYI: If the PDF files were created as PDF images, then you will not be able to edit them like editing text, you would have to edit them as if they were images, or run them through an OCR application which may or may not work well.

What's wrong with the wonderful Master PDF editor? Master PDF editor have a paid for version for $50us, which if you do a lot of PDF editing would certainly be worth the money. If it is for work, maybe they will reimburse you for the cost of purchasing it?

You might be able to open the PDF document and export it (or save as) into a more editable friendly format, make your changes, then export, or save as, or print that as a new PDF file?

How about the newer Scribus (NG or Trunk (developer)) application, see links below? Available as an AppImage as well or deb files from the PPA.
Development Candidates – Scribus
https://www.scribus.net/downloads/unstable-branch/

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:scribus/ppa

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update

For the NG version

Code: Select all

sudo apt install scribus-ng

For the "Trunk" Version

Code: Select all

sudo apt install scribus-trunk

4 Best Linux PDF Editors You Can Use in 2018
https://itsfoss.com/pdf-editors-linux/

How To Edit PDF Files In Linux In The Easiest Way Possible
https://itsfoss.com/edit-pdf-files-ubuntu-linux/

pdfmod - Linux Mint Community
https://community.linuxmint.com/software/view/pdfmod

Using LibreOffice as a PDF Editor - gHacks Tech News
https://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/13/using ... df-editor/

linux scribus edit pdf - Google Search
https://www.google.com/search?client=op ... Vy9XLKCqAs


Hope this helps ...

[absque fenestris]

Commercial and Free versions of Master PDF Editor for Linux
Master PDF Editor is the optimal solution for editing PDF files in Linux.
It enables you to create, edit, view, encrypt, sign and print interactive PDF documents.

(...or Mac or Windows)

$50 + Taxes

Adobe Acrobat Professional is a little more expensive...

[BenTrabetere]

The only open source PDF editor I have found is PDFEdit. The package has not been updated in years and it appears to be abandoned. I found it difficult to install, confusing to use, and very unstable.

Master PDF Editor is what I recommend and use for editing PDFs. I have used Foxit in the past on a Windows machine, and I found it to be a capable program. I have also used the Linux version of Foxit, and I found nothing to recommend except to avoid it.

Are the "others are using either Adobe Readers or Foxit software" trying to edit PDFs in Adobe and Foxit Reader? That may be part of the problem

"do I need to pay to be able to work with pdfs?"
If it is commercial software, in your case ... yes. You stated you are using the software "in my office," so you should purchase a license for Master PDF Editor - it is only free for non-commercial use.

[Hoser Rob]

... "do I need to pay to be able to work with pdfs?"
If it is commercial software, in your case ... yes. You stated you are using the software "in my office," so you should purchase a license for Master PDF Editor - it is only free for non-commercial use.

That was my thought exactly. To not do so sounds, um, unprofessional to me.

[BenTrabetere]

....so you should purchase a license for Master PDF Editor - it is only free for non-commercial use.

That was my thought exactly. To not do so sounds, um, unprofessional to me.

IMO anyone who uses FOSS, especially in a commercial environment, should contribute to the project. Money is the best, but disabling ad-blockers or offering assistance to others qualifies. I think it is the moral, ethical and professional thing to do.

[doodeck]

Hi All

Thank you for all the answers, much appreciated. Yes, I know PDF editing software for commercial use should be paid for. I should explain myself a bit more really, I am just starting editing reports this way and as in my company some people use Windows and some Macs and there are so many different software to edit pdfs I just didn't want to end up buying something that will not work or not be compatible with others. Then there is that I am self-employed so no refund option I'm afraid. Only good thing about my reports done in LibreOffice Draw is that reports of finished works were sent and read without problems by the receiving party and they also could edit that. Problem arises when job/final report is not finished and other Technicians have to add more info afterwards. Also I had to complete these reports fast "on site" and thus had no chance to get my head around Master PDF fully yet. That also may be the problem here.

I also realized that perhaps another part of that problem may be the fact that I have used Master PDF to start the report but had problems adding names of Technicians on site as there were only drop list options and I could not add names that were not on list, so I ended up finishing the report in LibreOffice Draw. Is professional version of Master PDF for commercial use is any different? Has it more options and is it compatible with Win & Mac? So far Foxit I think has the most problems with my reports

Back to the case now here are my system info:

System: Host: BlueSkyMind Kernel: 4.13.0-36-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.6 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine: System: LENOVO (portable) product: 20AL007SUK v: ThinkPad X240
Mobo: LENOVO model: 20AL007SUK v: 0B98401 PRO
Bios: LENOVO v: GIET89WW (2.39 ) date: 04/26/2017
CPU: Dual core Intel Core i5-4200U (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 9178
clock speeds: max: 2600 MHz 1: 2294 MHz 2: 2294 MHz 3: 2294 MHz
4: 2294 MHz
Graphics: Card: Intel Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller
bus-ID: 00:02.0
Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: 1366x768@60.00hz
GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Mobile
GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 12.0.6 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio: Card-1 Intel 8 Series HD Audio Controller
driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
Card-2 Intel Haswell-ULT HD Audio Controller
driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:03.0
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.13.0-36-generic
Network: Card-1: Intel Ethernet Connection I218-LM
driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k port: 3080 bus-ID: 00:19.0
IF: enp0s25 state: down mac: <filter>
Card-2: Intel Wireless 7260 driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 03:00.0
IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 500.1GB (8.1% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: HGST_HTS725050A7 size: 500.1GB
Optical: No optical drives detected.
Partition: ID-1: / size: 451G used: 31G (8%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
ID-2: swap-1 size: 8.26GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda5
RAID: No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 42.0C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 3078
Info: Processes: 202 Uptime: 3 days Memory: 1644.0/7668.7MB
Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35

I am not entirely sure which program was used to create original report. Only mark I found on it is Layout (c) 2014 and signature of creator.

What kind of program is this Scribus you mentioned? Is this also PDF Image or Editor closer to Adobe kind? Is this software worth giving a go for this kind of work? Maybe another solution could be PDF Studio? This one at least gives me first month for free. I quite liked the Master PDF just Foxit not being able to edit that afterwards made me to question this software.

Many thanks for your help again everybody. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards

[AZgl1800]

Would something like this help you?

many people can work on the same document in 'real time'

https://blog.teamviewer.com/best-projec ... l-project/

Google also has a tool like this

[absque fenestris]

Ask the manufacturers directly. Sometimes they have very competent employees who can help you.
I have had good experiences in this respect with well-known manufacturers and their local representatives.

Scribus is a layout program. And that's a tough stand against giants like Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress.

Google once to Viva or Viva Express. This is a commercial company, but it has Linux support (and trial versions).

I think a part of the problems with pdf's are Patent Rights hold by Adobe. The format PDF is based on Adobe PostScript and that's their goldmine.

[phd21]

Hi doodeck,

You are welcome from all of us that replied...

I still very highly recommend "Master PDF Editor" for macOS, Windows and Linux. Yes, the paid for version has more options.

You should install Scribus-NG or Scribus-Trunk or both, and try them yourself. It does work with PDF and other files as well. It will not hurt anything to install this and try it, if you don't want it, remove it.

I do not see anything wrong with the results of the "inxi -Fxzd" console terminal command, so that is a good thing.

[kc1di]

I've never had Master PDF fail me get it here: https://code-industry.net/get-masterpdfeditor/ download the .deb file and install with gdebi.
use the free one and if it works well then pay for the commercial one. Good Luck in your search.

[escher]

Unfortunately the free edition of Master PDF Editor now places a watermark on your pdf if you try to add/remove text, just like any other trial software, so it's useless. Too bad I didn't keep the older versions...

[jimallyn]

Too bad I didn't keep the older versions...

I have the following versions of Master PDF Editor on my hard drive:

master-pdf-editor_1.9.25_amd64.deb
master-pdf-editor_2.0.30_amd64.deb
master-pdf-editor_2.2.15_amd64.deb
master-pdf-editor-3.4.03_i386.deb
master-pdf-editor-3.5.81_amd64.deb
master-pdf-editor-3.6.00-qt4.8_amd64.deb
master-pdf-editor-3.6.30_i386.deb
master-pdf-editor-3.7.10_amd64.deb
master-pdf-editor-3.7.10_amd64.deb
master-pdf-editor-4.0.20_i386.deb
master-pdf-editor-4.2.70_qt5.amd64.deb
master-pdf-editor-5.0.36_qt5.amd64.deb

and could put one (or more) online if you like. I'm assuming it's OK to share those as they were free when they were released.

[AZgl1800]

I would like to have the latest copy that does not watermark the document.

I too, keep older installs, in my Windows days, I always went to filehippo.com

haven't found a similar repository for Linux yet.

[escher]

I have the following versions of Master PDF Editor on my hard drive

Since v5 added the watermarks, I assume the last in v4 (4.2) should be usable... hopefully. I'd appreciate if you could share it.

[jimallyn]

OK, I uploaded two 64 bit versions and one 32 bit version of 4.x to:

http://allynelectronics.com/Mint/MasterPdfEditor/

Let us know if those work for you. If not, I have some older ones you could try.

[AZgl1800]

Thanks Jim,
got all of them...
ya never know what the next laptop will be.

[escher]

OK, I uploaded two 64 bit versions and one 32 bit version of 4.x to:

http://allynelectronics.com/Mint/MasterPdfEditor/

Let us know if those work for you. If not, I have some older ones you could try.

Thank you so much!

[jimallyn]

You're quite welcome!

[BG405]

I have the following versions of Master PDF Editor on my hard drive:

I've just checked on my Manjaro system and found this:

Code: Select all

[brian@BG-D255E-MANJARO ~]$ yaourt masterpdfeditor
1 aur/masterpdfeditor 5.1.12-1 (114) (6.12)
    A complete solution for creation and editing PDF files
2 aur/masterpdfeditor-qt4 4.3.61-1 (Out of Date) (5) (0.00)
    A complete solution for creation and editing PDF files - Qt4 version
==> Enter n° of packages to be installed (e.g., 1 2 3 or 1-3)
==> ---------------------------------------------------------
==> 

Would you like me to (somehow) post a copy of the V4.3.61-1 once I've tested it? I suppose alien could make a .deb package; I'll probably try that for my Mint systems if it works OK in Manjaro.

ETA: Seems the source is missing (I've had this a few times) will keep looking.