Editing a PDF

Title

Even when the contents of a PDF do not require any change, check to ensure it has the appropriate Title property field filled in before uploading elsewhere.

1. After opening the PDF document in Adobe Acrobat DC, click File in the top left corner

2. Choose Properties from the options listed

3. In the Document Properties window, add or change the Title through the available text field. Press OK in the bottom right corner when done.

Contents

For minor PDF changes, contact the owner or creator of the original document and have it edited at the source. If the owner cannot be located, please contact the Digital Footprint team.

Larger PDF content changes should generally not be made after the file has been created. This file type discourages changes to the document, and safeguards against unnecessary changes.

Never use Adobe Acrobat DC to edit the content directly without permission from the owner.

Created Date

Changing the Created Date to Today’s Date

1. After opening the PDF document in Adobe Acrobat DC, click File in the top left corner

2. Choose Print

3. When the Print window appears, select Adobe PDF as the Printer option. Press Print in the bottom right corner when done.

4. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the PDF. Once found, you may rename the PDF in the File name text field, or keep the name as-is.

Note:

• If the File name is not changed, and the location is the same as the original document, the window will ask if you want to replace the original document
• If the File name is changed and in the same folder as the original document, both copies will be available
• If the File name is not changed but the saved location is different from the original document, both can have the same name (they do not conflict as they are in separate locations)

In the example above, we are changing the name (adding “– New”) and saving in the same location as the original PDF.

5. Press Save in the bottom right corner when done

6. Verify the PDF has been properly saved by navigating back to the folder where the PDF should be

7. Open the new PDF in Adobe Acrobat DC and click on File in the top left corner

8. Choose Properties from the options listed

9. Verify that the Created date has been updated to the current date

Changing the Created Date to a Past Date

If a document’s Created date needs to be changed to a date in the past, please contact the Digital Footprint team for assistance. This may be required for older PDFs that have incorrect dates associated with them, affecting their ability to be sorted on a site.

Other Attributes (Optional)

Adding additional attributes are optional, however this will help with the accessibility of the document for those using assistive technology. 

1. After opening the PDF document in Adobe Acrobat DC, click File in the top left corner

2. Choose Properties from the options listed

3. In the Document Properties window, the Author, Subject, and Keyword text fields can be edited

Author

• The creator of the document. This can be an individual or the name of a group or department.

Subject

• The subject should describe the subject matter and content of the document.

Keywords

• Keywords added can be useful for narrowing down results during search. Only keywords relating to the main content should be included; be selective and avoid adding too many.
  
  Ie. If a report is titled “Service Provider Commissions Report – 2014/15”, some keywords could be service provider, strategic direction, commissions, gambling operations model, gaming and bingo, capital investments

4. Press OK in the bottom right corner to save when done