How to Add Text, Images and Shapes to a PDF for Free

To add text, images or shapes to a PDF for free, open it in the free PDF editor (no sign-up) and use the Text Box, Image or Shape tool from the toolbar. Click where you want it on the page, and it becomes part of the document once you save — this works on a scanned page just as well as a native PDF.

It's the fastest way to fill in a form that isn't interactive, add a stamp or logo, or annotate a document before sending it on.

Adding a text box

1. Open the free PDF editor and choose your PDF (no account needed).

   

2. Select the Text Box tool.

3. Click on the page where you want the text, and type.

4. Drag to reposition, or use the resize handles to adjust the box.

This is the common way to fill in a blank on a scanned form — a printed line for a name, a date, a signature — where there's no interactive field underneath.

Adding an image

Select the Image tool, choose the file to insert (a logo, a scanned stamp, a photo), and it drops onto the page. Drag to move it, and use the corner handles to resize while keeping its proportions.

Adding a shape

Select the Shape tool to draw lines, arrows, rectangles and other simple shapes. Useful for circling a figure, drawing an arrow to a specific clause, or boxing off a section you want someone to notice.

A worked example: filling in a scanned form

1. Open the scanned PDF in the PDF editor.
2. For each blank line, add a Text Box positioned over it and type the answer.
3. If the form needs a signature, either add an Image of your signature, or use a Text Box to type your name over the signature line.
4. Save the file when every field is filled in.

If the PDF has real interactive form fields instead of printed lines, use the Forms tool instead — see how to fill out and sign a PDF form.

Frequently asked questions

Can I edit the text I just added?

Yes — click back into any text box you've placed to change the wording, as long as you haven't saved and closed a redaction over it.

Does this change the original scan underneath?

No, the scan itself is unchanged — text boxes, images and shapes sit on top of the page as an added layer.

Can I undo a shape or text box I placed by mistake?

Yes, within the editing session, the same way you'd undo any other action. Save only once you're happy with the result.

Is there a size limit?

Files can be up to 50 MB. Without an account an editing session lasts up to an hour, so download your PDF before it ends; with a free account it's saved in your file space.

Keep going

For the editor's other tools (pages, forms, redaction), see the full guide to editing a PDF online.