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This document explains how to add, resize, move, or replace images and objects in a PDF using Acrobat DC. (If you are looking for information on how to edit or format text in a PDF or edit a scanned PDF, click the appropriate link above.)
Note: This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC or 2017. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help.
Learn how to edit text and images in your PDF files with Acrobat on the desktop, and how to edit PDFs on mobile devices with an Acrobat Pro subscription.
Video (05:07) | By Matthew Pizzi (train simple)
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- To move the image or object, drag it to the desired location. You cannot drag images or objects to a different page (you can cut and paste them to a new page instead). To constrain movement up or down, or right or left, press and hold the Shift key and then drag the object.
- To resize the image or object, select it, then drag a handle. To retain the original aspect ratio, hold the Shift key and then drag the handle.
Note:
If you select multiple objects, you can move or resize them together. To select multiple objects, press and hold the Shift key and then click the objects one-by-one.
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Flip Vertical
Flips the image vertically, on the horizontal axis.
Flip Horizontal
Flips the image horizontally, on the vertical axis.
Rotate Counterclockwise
Rotates the selected image ninety degrees in the counterclockwise direction.
Rotate Clockwise
Rotates the selected image ninety degrees in the clockwise direction.
Crop Image
Crops or clips the selected image. Drag a selection handle to crop the image.
Replace Image
Replaces the selected image with the image you choose. Locate the replacement image in the Open dialog, and click Open.
Note:
To rotate the selected image manually, place the pointer just outside a selection handle. When the cursor changes to the rotation pointer , drag in the direction you want it to rotate.
The Arrange options let you move an image or object in front of or behind other elements. You can push an item forward or back just one level, or send it to the front or back of the stacking order of elements on the page.
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Under Objects in the right hand panel, click Arrange
and choose the appropriate option.
Alternatively, you can right-click the object (or objects), and point to Arrange and then choose the appropriate option.
Note:
For complex pages where it is hard to select an object, you may find it easier to change the order using the Content tab. (Choose View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Content.)
The Align
When you align objects relative to each other by their edges, one of the objects remains stationary. For example, the left option aligns the left edges of the selected objects with respect to the left edge of the leftmost object. The leftmost object remains stationary, and the other objects are aligned relative to it.
The horizontal center option aligns the selected objects horizontally through the
Depending on the alignment option you select, objects move straight up, down, left, or right, and might overlap an object already located there. If you see an overlap, you can undo the alignment.
You can edit an image or graphic using another application, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, or Microsoft Paint. When you save the image or graphic, Acrobat automatically updates the PDF with the changes. The applications that appear in the Edit Using menu depend upon what you have installed and the type of image or graphic you have selected. Optionally, you can specify the application you want to use.
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Under Objects in the right hand panel, click Edit Using
and then choose an editor.
To choose a different editor than offered on the menu, select Open With, locate the application, and click Open.
Note:
If a message asks whether to convert to ICC profiles, choose Don’t Convert. If the image window displays a checkerboard pattern when it opens, the image data could not be read.
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Make the desired changes in the external editing application. Keep in mind the following restrictions:
- If you change the dimensions of the image, the image may not align correctly in the PDF.
- Transparency information is preserved only for masks that are specified as index values in an indexed color space.
- If you are working in Photoshop, flatten the image.
- Image masks are not supported.
- If you change image modes while editing the image, you may lose valuable information that can be applied only in the original mode.
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In the editing application, choose File > Save. The object is automatically updated and displayed in the PDF when you bring Acrobat to the foreground.
Note:
For Photoshop, if the image is in a format supported by Photoshop 6.0 or later, your edited image is saved back into the PDF. However, if the image is in an unsupported format, Photoshop handles the image as a generic PDF image, and the edited image is saved to disk instead of back into the PDF.
You can save every page (all text, images, and vector objects on a page) to an image format using the File > Export To > Image > [Image Type] command. You can also export each image in a PDF to a separate image file.
For more information, see Convert or export PDFs to other file formats.