Customizing Text Properties in PDFpen

Need to edit or add text to a PDF? Chances are, you’ll use a text box. But what if you want the text in a size or color that’s different from the text box default? Can you change it from Arial, 12 pt., black, into something else?

You can! In this article, we’ll show you how to customize text box text to your needs. But first, a quick word about what text boxes are and what they’re for.

Text boxes, also known as text objects, enable you to add text to a PDF. When you add a text box to a PDF document, they become a part of the core document, especially if you choose to flatten the document upon saving.

Note: Text boxes are different from comments and notes, which are text additions you make in response to content on a document.  Comment boxes will print where they appear within the PDF. Notes will print below the bottom margin of each page as a footnote, and subsequently, the text of the page will be reduced to allow this.

The most common use of text boxes is filling out form fields that aren’t interactive. The date field in the sample tax document below is an example. It’s flat, meaning you can’t type directly into it. The only way to fill it out is to add a text box first.

Text boxes aren’t perfect as soon as you add them. You usually need to adjust their size so they fit. You might also have to adjust the font and color of the text inside, if the form fields require a font size larger or smaller than the default 12 pt, or blue “ink.” 

Here’s how to make text boxes (and the text inside them) look just right.

To adjust the size of your text box, select the Edit Tool, then drag the blue sizing handles at the corners (see screenshot below):

Use the Editing bar to change the text typeface or size, the color, and the justification. If the Editing bar isn't visible, go to View > Show Editing bar.

To choose the text and background colors, select Object Properties (see screenshot above) from the Editing bar, then set your colors.

• Have a preferred font size, style, or color? Save time by changing the default settings. You can do this by choosing PDFpen > Preferences, then selecting the Editing tab. 

• When adding text boxes to the same document, PDFpen preserves your last setting. For example, if you previously set the font color to white with a black background, PDFpen will maintain these properties until you select a new font color and background.
  

• To create a text box with a new setting: 
  
  a. Select the Text Tool in the Editing Bar.
  b. Choose your font type and size from the Font Bar.
  c. Choose your text color and background fill from Object Properties.
  d. Create your text box.

  Subsequent text boxes should retain your last selected settings.

Want to have different options for customized text boxes handy? Create them, then add them to the PDFpen Library for later use.