Choose your local files.
Choose files to load the local PDF workspace. Nothing is uploaded or stored by Aftermath.
The local PDF workspace loads after you choose a file.Free local PDF editor
Add text and draw on a PDF locally
Open one flat PDF, add text boxes or freehand pencil marks, review the result, and download a separate copy. Everything stays in your browser; the editor does not upload your document to an Aftermath server.
Add text and draw on a PDF locally
Choose one flat PDF, then place new text boxes or freehand pencil marks in the browser. JavaScript activates the local editor on this page. The download is a separate, flattened copy; it does not replace existing PDF text or preserve forms or signatures.
Add new content without changing the source file
Use the text tool to place a new text box, or use the pencil to draw freehand marks on a page. Aftermath writes those additions into a separate exported PDF, leaving the source file on your device unchanged. The download uses flattened page-content overlays, so additions are permanent in the exported copy rather than reader-editable PDF annotations.
A focused editor with browser-safe limits
To keep the editor usable on ordinary devices, it accepts one flat PDF up to 25 MB and 50 pages, with up to 100 additions across the document and 50 additions on one page. Text boxes are limited to 500 characters each and 5,000 characters in total. Pencil strokes and the preview are also bounded before export. Your browser or device can still impose a lower practical limit.
Use a dedicated PDF application for structural changes
This tool adds new text and drawing; it does not replace existing PDF text, remove original content, perform OCR, create redactions, preserve forms, or preserve digital signatures. It intentionally rejects encrypted, permission-restricted, interactive-form, and signed PDFs so it does not create a broken or unverifiable file. Keep your original and use an authorized flattened copy or dedicated application for those tasks.
Questions people ask
Can I edit the text already inside a PDF?
No. This editor adds new text boxes and freehand drawing overlays; it does not rewrite, delete, or redact existing PDF text. The exported additions are flattened into the new PDF copy.
Are my PDF and my edits uploaded?
No. Previewing, drawing, text placement, and export occur in the current browser session. Aftermath has no PDF upload endpoint, account storage, or server-side document editing job.
What limits protect my browser?
The editor accepts one flat PDF up to 25 MB and 50 pages. It limits a document to 100 additions, 50 per page, text boxes to 500 characters each and 5,000 total characters, and bounds stroke points and preview rendering. A device with limited memory can still impose a lower practical limit.
Can I edit a signed, filled, or encrypted PDF?
No. The editor rejects encrypted or permission-restricted PDFs and PDFs containing interactive form or signature data. Adding content would invalidate signature verification and may break form behavior, so keep the original and use an authorized flattened copy or dedicated PDF application instead.
Which text characters can I add?
The first editor uses a built-in PDF font and checks that each character can be exported. If a character is unsupported, the editor tells you before download rather than silently replacing it. Use a dedicated PDF application when font fidelity or broader language support is essential.
Try a measured example
A PDF note that survives the next step
We added “Synthetic workflow note” to the sample PDF, reviewed the new copy, then passed it to page extraction. The page stayed Letter-sized.
- Choose the PDF and add a text note.
- Choose Review & download to inspect the saved copy.
- Choose Extract pages to continue with the edited PDF.
| Before the note · PDF | Bytes: 99,926 Pages: 1 Page size: 612 × 792 pt |
|---|---|
| After the note · PDF | Bytes: 100,461 Pages: 1 Page size: 612 × 792 pt |
The note is drawn permanently onto the saved copy. This synthetic PDF has no forms, encryption, or digital signatures.
Tested: · Chromium 149.0.7827.55
How we checked
These files passed through the actual tool controls. Downloads were reopened to check sizes, duration, dimensions, or page structure. Capture used synthetic streams; hardware permissions were not tested.
These synthetic samples are free to reuse under CC0. No personal files or recordings were used. Your results may differ.
How to use this tool
Add new text boxes and freehand vector marks to one readable flat PDF, then review a separate annotated copy before download. The browser does not delete or rewrite existing text, perform OCR, guarantee redaction, or preserve unsupported interactive, signed, encrypted, or malformed features. Use merge or split when the document change is page-level rather than an overlay.
What to choose and what you get
What to choose
- one flat, unencrypted, unsigned PDF plus the text boxes or marks to add
Result
- one separate annotated PDF copy
Supported use
- Adding supported text in bounded boxes
- Adding bounded freehand vector marks and reviewing the generated PDF
Before you start
- Existing text replacement, deletion, OCR, redaction, forms, and signature preservation are not supported.
- Encrypted, interactive-form, signed, malformed, or over-limit PDFs are rejected.
Supported formats
- Accepted formats: PDF.
- Output formats: PDF.
Browser support and permissions
- Modern browser with JavaScript; flat PDF features, page limits, and available browser memory apply.
- No camera, microphone, or screen permission is needed.
Choose the right settings
- Use this route only to add new text or freehand marks to a flat PDF.
- Use a dedicated PDF application for text replacement, OCR, redaction, forms, signatures, or structural editing.
- Use merge, split, normalization, metadata, or blank-page routes for their separate tasks.
Worked example
A flat PDF needs a new date label and a freehand circle while the original document remains untouched.
Starting facts
- The source is readable, unsigned, unencrypted and non-interactive.
- Existing text is not being edited or redacted.
Observed operation: Place a new text box and vector mark on chosen pages, review overlays and export a separate flattened PDF copy.
Review the result: Reopen every edited page and verify placement, clipping, text rendering and the absence of unintended marks.
Boundary: Overlay editing is not true text editing or redaction and cannot safely preserve signatures, forms or complex PDF structures.
What you can do
Add new text boxes and freehand vector marks to one flat PDF
Choose another tool when
- This route does not rewrite or delete existing PDF text, perform OCR, redact content, or preserve interactive forms and signatures.
- It does not merge documents, extract pages, normalize page size, or clear metadata.
Next step: Choose a related route when the input, output, or required workflow is different.
If it does not work
- The source is encrypted, malformed, signed, contains interactive form data, or exceeds editor limits.
- Text includes characters unavailable in the embedded font.
- Overlay count, text, vector points, preview, or output exceeds the bundled safety boundary.
Things to know
- New text and ink are written as permanent page content; existing content is not structurally edited.
- The first editor uses a bounded embedded font character set.
- The generated PDF is reloaded for review, but the user must still inspect the final download.
Privacy boundary
Selected PDF bytes stay in the current browser session and are not sent to an Aftermath processing service. How local processing is verified.
What this tool verifies
Checks the displayed limits and reports or creates one separate annotated PDF copy from one flat, unencrypted, unsigned PDF plus the text boxes or marks to add.
Check before sharing
This route does not rewrite or delete existing PDF text, perform OCR, redact content, or preserve interactive forms and signatures.