Edit PDF in LibreOffice Draw on Windows, Mac and Linux
To edit a PDF in LibreOffice, open LibreOffice Draw, choose File › Open, pick the PDF, click a line of text to change it, then choose File › Export as PDF to get a new PDF. Draw costs nothing, but each line arrives as its own text box and missing fonts are replaced. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens the same file in a browser with nothing to install.
Runs in a modern web browser, nothing to install. Files up to 250 MB.
Editing and PDF export come with a paid plan; opening and viewing PDFs is free.
- Text blocksEditable
- PhotosIn place
- Import Report1 font swap
What you can change in a PDF without LibreOffice's line-by-line boxes
Change the words
Digital PDFs open with editable text boxes where the layout allows.
Keep the design
Columns, photos and shapes stay where the original PDF put them.
Replace a logo
Put a new photo or logo in the old one's place.
Catch font swaps
The Import Report names any font that was replaced.
Rearrange pages
Reorder, add or remove pages and pick a new page size.
Skip the .odg step
Paid plans export a print-ready PDF directly from the editor.
Related guides for desktop PDF editing
LibreOffice users usually land here for one of three jobs. Pick yours.
Editing PDFs on Linux
Ubuntu, Fedora and Mint options side by side, including Okular and Xournal++.
See Linux optionsChoosing an editor
Acrobat, Preview, Draw and PublishMedia matched to the jobs each one does well.
Compare editorsCan LibreOffice edit a PDF?
Yes, LibreOffice edits PDFs through LibreOffice Draw, which opens them with File › Open on Windows, Mac and Linux. Expect one text box per line of text and replacement fonts where the originals aren't installed. File › Save creates a Draw .odg file, so choose File › Export as PDF to get a PDF back.
Three ways to start when Draw isn't the right fit
Open the PDF you already have, borrow a ready-made design, or begin on an empty page.
Open the PDF
Drag the same file you tried in LibreOffice onto the start screen, or browse to it.
Any PDF without a password, up to 250 MB
Open your PDFUse a template
Rebuilding a flyer or program from scratch? Start from a print-ready design instead.
Browse templatesEditor features that answer Draw's PDF headaches
Four parts of the PublishMedia page editor that matter most to people coming from LibreOffice.
Pages that stay whole
Instead of one box per line, digital PDFs come in as editable text boxes where the layout allows. Pages too complex to rebuild arrive as an exact picture of the page, so no content is dropped.
Import Report
Draw replaces fonts you don't have installed. PublishMedia's Import Report lists any swapped font and anything else worth a second look.
Make it editable (paid)
Recovers editable text and pictures from pages that opened as pictures, and reads scanned pages with OCR. It can be undone, and complex layouts may need touch-ups.
Print Preview, then PDF
Check every page in Print Preview, then export a clean, print-ready PDF on a paid plan — no Save versus Export confusion.
Would a fresh flyer be quicker than a repair?
A finished design can beat patching Draw's line-by-line boxes one at a time.
Start from a finished design
Flyers, programs, bulletins and tickets laid out and ready for your words.
Popular template types
How to edit the same PDF in your browser instead
If Draw split your text into dozens of pieces, these four steps take you through PublishMedia.
Bring over the same PDF
Sign up at publishmediasoftware.com without a credit card and drop in the file you tried in Draw.
Review the Import Report
See anything flagged for review, such as a swapped font, so you know what to check.
Make your changes
Click a text box to change words, font, size or color; move or replace pictures; add, delete or reorder pages.
Export the fixed PDF
Look over each page in Print Preview, then export a print-ready PDF (paid plan).
6 ways to edit a PDF on a desktop, free and paid
Each option below lists where it runs, what it costs and the one limit you should know before you start.
As of October 2026, six common ways to edit a PDF on a desktop computer are Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), which runs in a browser on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook and charges $99 a year or $9.99 a month for editing and export; LibreOffice Draw, free and open source, which opens PDFs one text box per line; Adobe Acrobat Standard or Pro, a paid subscription that edits text in place with OCR; Microsoft Word 2013 and later, which converts PDFs through PDF Reflow; Preview on every Mac; and the PDF viewer in Microsoft Edge, which adds text and drawings.
1. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia)
Runs in a modern web browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook and iPad, with nothing to install. Editing and export cost $99 a year or $9.99 a month; opening and viewing are free. Limit: no forms, signatures or offline use.
2. LibreOffice Draw
Free, open-source and installed with LibreOffice on Windows, Mac and Linux. Opens a PDF with File › Open. Limit: text comes in one box per line, missing fonts are replaced, and you must use Export as PDF.
3. Adobe Acrobat Standard or Pro
Windows, Mac, web and mobile, by paid subscription. Edits text and pictures in place, with OCR, forms, signatures and page tools. Limit: the subscription is a lot to carry for an occasional typo.
4. Microsoft Word 2013 and later
Word 2013 and later for Windows, which is paid Microsoft software. PDF Reflow converts the PDF into an editable document; save back with File › Save As › PDF. Limit: columns, text boxes and graphics often shift.
5. Preview on a Mac
Built into every Mac at no cost. Markup adds text boxes, shapes and signatures; the sidebar deletes, reorders and rotates pages. Limit: existing paragraphs can't be rewritten, and it only runs on a Mac.
6. Microsoft Edge's PDF viewer
Included with Edge on Windows at no extra cost. Adds typed text and drawings on top of a page and fills in forms. Limit: the words already printed on the page can't be changed.
PublishMedia pricing next to LibreOffice's price of nothing
Opening and viewing PDFs in PublishMedia is free; free-plan files are kept 7 days, then deleted automatically after a reminder email. Editing, every template, saved projects, unlimited storage and print-ready PDF export come with All-Access at $99 a year (Recommended) or Monthly at $9.99, cancel anytime. LibreOffice stays free, so pay only if Draw's line-by-line text is costing you more time than it saves.
Free Starter
$0
Open and view unlimited Publisher, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and picture files free — stored for 7 days, then deleted automatically. Editing and export are on the paid plans.
Start freeAll-Access
$99/yr
Everything unlocked — full editing, every template in the library, and unlimited storage.
Monthly
$9.99/mo
All the same features, billed monthly — cancel anytime.
LibreOffice and PDF editing: questions people ask
How do I open a PDF in LibreOffice Draw?+
Open LibreOffice Draw, choose File › Open, select the PDF and click Open; the steps are the same on Windows, Mac and Linux. Each page appears as a Draw page, with its text split into text boxes, usually one per line, and fonts that aren't installed replaced by ones that are.
Why does LibreOffice split my PDF text into one box per line?+
LibreOffice Draw splits PDF text into one box per line because a PDF stores text as positioned lines, not flowing paragraphs, and Draw rebuilds each line where it sat. Changing a word that makes a line longer won't push the next line down. For a short fix that's fine; for rewriting a paragraph, retype it in a single new text box.
How do I save my LibreOffice edits as a PDF again?+
Choose File › Export as PDF in LibreOffice Draw, set any options, click Export and give the file a new name. File › Save does not make a PDF; it saves Draw's own .odg format. Keeping the original PDF untouched and exporting a new copy gives you a fallback if something shifted.
Why do the fonts change when I open a PDF in LibreOffice?+
Fonts change in LibreOffice Draw when the PDF uses a font that isn't installed on your computer, so Draw replaces it with one that is. Installing the original font before opening the PDF usually fixes it. If you can't get the font, pick a close match by hand for the lines you edit so the page still looks consistent.
Can LibreOffice Draw change the words in a scanned PDF?+
No, LibreOffice Draw can't change the words in a scanned PDF, because a scan is a picture of a page and changing its words needs OCR (optical character recognition). In PublishMedia, the paid Make it editable option reads scanned pages with OCR and turns them into text you can change; check the result, since complex pages may need touch-ups.
Is LibreOffice really free to use?+
Yes, LibreOffice is free, open-source office software for Windows, Mac and Linux, with no subscription or trial period. Draw, the part that opens PDFs, is included in the standard LibreOffice installation alongside Writer, Calc and Impress. Get it from libreoffice.org rather than from third-party download sites.
When is LibreOffice Draw a better choice than PublishMedia?+
LibreOffice Draw is the better choice when LibreOffice is already installed, the PDF is simple, and you only need to fix a word or two, because it costs nothing and works offline. PublishMedia makes more sense for designed pages such as flyers, programs and newsletters, or on an iPad, where Draw doesn't run.
Why pay for PublishMedia when LibreOffice costs nothing?+
People pay for PublishMedia when the time spent repairing a PDF in Draw costs more than the plan. PublishMedia opens in any modern browser, keeps text in editable boxes where the layout allows, flags swapped fonts in the Import Report, and exports a print-ready PDF. Opening and viewing are free, so you can see your file first.
Does LibreOffice Draw work on a Chromebook or iPad?+
LibreOffice Draw is a desktop program for Windows, Mac and Linux, so it doesn't run on an iPad, and on a Chromebook it needs the optional Linux setup first. On those devices, a browser-based editor is the simpler route: Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens PDFs in Chrome on a Chromebook and in Safari on an iPad, with editing on a paid plan.
Publisher retires October 2026
Get a short guide to moving off Microsoft Publisher — opening your Publisher files online and creating new documents.