Can you Edit a PDF in Canva? — The Answer

PDF, aka Portable Document Format, is a file format that gives anyone the flexibility to exchange documents, present, and edit them.

Regardless of what hardware, OS, or software you’re using, you can still view the document — and possibly edit it — in the process.

With that note, can you edit an uploaded PDF on Canva? And if it’s possible, how can you edit it?

 

Can you Edit a PDF in Canva?

With Canva’s PDF-to-design conversion feature, you can indeed edit PDFs in Canva. However, it needs to be pointed out that editing PDFs in Canva is far from perfect and, in many cases, only certain, if any, (text) elements of a PDF can be adjusted. Scanned PDF elements can’t be adjusted.  

 

Can you Edit a PDF in Canva? Find Out Here!

For those who’ve used Canva in its previous versions, you won’t find this PDF uploading and editing feature in the tool.

Uploading a PDF to Canva is such a breeze. You only need to either click the Import PDF button on the Create a Design’s dropdown menu, or drag and drop the file directly on Canva’s home page.

You can read all about how to upload a PDF in Canva by reading about it in this blog.

But, as to editing, let’s explore that in a bit.

 

The Basics of Editing PDFs in Canva

Step 1: Once you’ve successfully uploaded your PDF to Canva, simply click on the file thumbnail to open it. You’ll find it in the All your Designs section of Canva’s home page.

Step 2: After clicking the PDF, you will then be redirected to the editor page. You’ll then see the rest of the file you uploaded onto the canvas.

Scroll down to see if there are no missing pages to your uploaded PDF.

Step 3: If you find that some elements of the PDF are changed, for instance, the font style of the text, you can still edit them.

Double-click on the text box to highlight the text and change the font style through the Font style button on the editor toolbar. 

You can also change the font size and color by clicking on the corresponding buttons on the editor toolbar.

Continue with these steps for all the text that you wish to use another font style or revert to the original one used instead.

Step 4: After editing the text, you can add some graphic elements to your PDF.

Head to the Elements tab on the left side panel and select the graphic element that best connects with the content of your PDF.

Click and drag the said graphic element on the part of the canvas you want it to be placed. 

Step 5: But, to ensure that the graphic element doesn’t interfere with the readability of the text, adjust the text wrapping around it.

Select and resize the text box by dragging the white circles or pill handles surrounding it.

Adjust the graphic element’s size as well until you achieve the desired look.

Step 6: In case the file you uploaded includes pictures, you can also swap the original image for the one you can find on Canva.

Select the photo and press Delete on the keyboard. You will then see a frame retained after removing the original image from the file.

Step 7: Add a new photo to the frame by heading to the Photos tab on the left side panel.

Click and drag the selected image from the gallery to the frame. 

And, if you want to adjust the picture’s crop positioning, double-click it and drag it sideways to feature the part of the image in the frame.

Step 8: Once you’ve made all the edits necessary on your PDF, save it to your device.

Select the Download button, and choose the File type you’ll export the document into. You can opt to keep the file as a PDF, or you can choose other file types applicable.

Very easy and nifty, right? Better try Canva’s PDF editing feature now and see for yourself how it works wonders on your workflow.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Editing a PDF in Canva

 

Why is it that the font style on my PDF is different from the original one?

As much as Canva tries to match every element of the PDF during the importation process, it’s possible there’s no exact match to it, including font styles. But, you can always change it by selecting the text and heading to the Font style button in the editor toolbar.

 

How many pages of PDF can you upload to Canva?

In the first Beta release of the PDF import feature, you can only upload up to 15 pages. Yet, as the Canva team added improvements to the feature, you can now enjoy adding up to a hundred pages to the tool.

 

Can Canva convert scanned designs or documents as editable PDFs?

As scanned documents and designs are processed by Canva as flat or merged images, the tool cannot break the elements individually for editing.

 

Is the PDF editor feature of Canva available for its mobile app as well?

Unfortunately, Canva’s PDF editor is only available for its web version. Hence, you still cannot import PDFs onto the mobile app version of Canva and edit it. But, you can work on an imported PDF file if you access Canva through the mobile browser.

 

Is the usage of the PDF editor in Canva limited to Canva Pro users only?

All Canva users, whether they’re in a free or premium account, can enjoy this PDF editor feature. They can import, customize, and even share those PDF documents free of charge.

 

Can you share or allow others to edit your uploaded PDF documents in Canva?

Like all documents in Canva, you can share and allow others to view and even edit your uploaded PDF files. Select the Share button on the editor page, choose the persons who you want to share or assign the editing, and get the Edit or View link accordingly.