The Best PDF Editing Tools for the Education Sector

Trying to make changes or modifications to a PDF can be very frustrating. If you’re someone that handles documents, textbooks, and so on daily, you most likely will need to make some changes to them once in a while. However, Portable Document Format (PDF) files are created in a format that does not support editing, so you would need specialized software to edit PDF files easily and digitally. Here we will discuss The Best PDF Editing Tools for the Education Sector.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the education sector has tilted towards online education, and tools that will make classroom interactions easier are in higher demand. Working with a very good online pdf editor that can get these changes done is a necessity now more than ever.

There are multiple PDF editing software/tools on the internet. To decide on a suitable pdf tool for students and teachers, you need to be aware of factors like price, functionality, and available features.

Here is a short list of the best pdf editing tools for students and teachers.

Lumin PDF

This tool is as education-friendly as they get. Lumin has multiple features that easily make it a very practical pdf tool for students and teachers alike. A number of them include:

• Synchronization in Real-time: Viewing the changes someone is making on a shared document as they are making it has never been easier.
• Annotation Abilities: Right from your web browser, without having to go through any other apps, you will be able to draw lines, shapes, text, and even scores on any pdf
• Cloud Integration: Automatic saving of your files to your Google Drive, Dropbox, or Lumin is easy.
• Autosaving: It’s not necessary to click on “save” anymore. As you input your new text or drawings, they are saved instantly.
• Collaborating: Live chats with your students or teachers are available and easy to carry out.
• Cross-Platform: Whether you’re using a phone, tab, or computer, it doesn’t matter. You can access, create and make changes to your PDF documents on any device.
• e- Signing: Anywhere you are, you will be able to e-sign any document hassle-free.
• Integration with Google Classroom: Google classroom has the option of integrating Lumin PDF so PDF files shared in class can be accessed and edited easily.

Many of these features are free although some of them will require a Lumin Premium subscription to be accessed. The ability to integrate seamlessly with Google Classroom makes this software the best PDF editor for students. Another reason is that Lumin also offers premium services for free to teachers that are able to verify their occupation. Therefore, Lumin is an efficient and free pdf editor for teachers.

Sejda PDF:

Sejda is an online pdf editor that people can use in an academic environment. A huge reason why this tool is a great pdf editor for teachers is that teachers can assess multiple features for free if they create a teacher’s account.

Sejda solves pdf-related classroom problems with several exciting features it possesses. Its advantages include:

• Editing PDF documents on the internet.
• Creating templates
• Making copies of files
• Range of Alterations: This tool can convert PDF documents to Word, Excel, or PowerPoint formats.
• Printing, faxing, emailing, or exporting PDF documents is made easy.
• Teachers or students can input their e- Signature on sensitive files
• Password Protection: There is no need to worry as your PDF document is always secure with Sejda. Documents like exam questions and result sheets would be safe and protected from prying eyes.

However, Sedja has the following cons:

• Pricing model: They push you to buy the premium by significantly limiting what you can do with the free version.
• Limited fonts on the online version and lack of custom fonts found in the document: There are fewer fonts on the mobile applications. Users can overcome this by working on a computer.
• Not very user-friendly: Finding the functionality one is looking for is difficult as there are over 40 options to be read first.

Alternatively, the beta version allows Sejda’s various features to be used for free.

Smallpdf:

SmalllPDF has every tool you need to begin, manage and complete any work with digital documents. SmallPDF is a pdf file editor that is adaptable for teachers and students. SmallPDF is a pdf annotator students can use because it has an extension for Chrome, and it can also be integrated into Google Workspace and Dropbox. This makes online classes simpler for both teachers and students alike. And this tool doesn’t cost a penny besides your subscription.

Pros:

• Work on your files directly: Free-hand annotation on any PDF is possible. You will be able to highlight details and add texts, images, and shapes.
• Availability to link with about 20 other tools to vamp up your PDF and give the user more editing ability.
• Teachers and students can keep track of changes to their PDF files
• Digital admission of students is made possible by simply requesting e-signatures from parents in a few easy steps.
• Files can be compressed and converted to other formats as preferred.
• Splitting and merging of files.
• From the web platform, you can access and share your PDF on any mobile or desktop device.
• With 256-Bit TLS Encryption, the security of any information is assured. SmallPDF security standards are high as it complies with CCPA, GDPR, and so on
• This tool can be used with multiple devices, making it convenient for students without access to laptops.
• There is 24/7 customer support.
• Discount for students: This is a good pdf editor for students because coupons exist for up to 10% off.
• Systems compatibility: This is one of the most versatile pdf editing software and is available to be used on Android, Apple, Mac, Windows, and as a cloud-based web service.

Its cons include:

• Monthly plans are fixed regardless of the number of files
• The conversion process of bigger files is slow even with high internet speed
• PDF compression doesn’t always give expected results
• There is no document scan feature
• No off-line mode is available

PDFescape:

It’s a free online PDF reader, editor, form filler, and form designer. Both desktop and online versions of PDFescape are available. However, more features are found on the desktop version.

With PDFescape, PDF files can be made out of other files such as HTML, TXT, PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP, TIF/TIFF, CBR/CBZ, ePUB, etc. The paid plan has a 15-day money-back guarantee besides the free trial period to let you get acquainted with the app and experience it firsthand.

Pros:

• You can use it online and offline.
• Form filling options are provided
• Creating your fillable forms is possible.
• Batch processing is present. This will come in handy when marking or distributing results to students.
• Edit PDFs with PDF editor tool
• The user interface is similar to the Microsoft Office interface, so it is familiar to most.
• The online version can be on multiple platforms
• Affordable when compared to other PDF software.
• Teachers can merge multiple PDFs to form a single document. This can be used when compiling study materials for students.
• Systems Compatibility: Works with all operating systems, devices, and major browsers.

Cons:

• Paid Versions are subscription-based.

The information above will help you search for the best free pdf editor for students and teachers. A comprehensive understanding of what each tool offers would help in your decision-making.