Get creative with Canva’s free PDF editor

Absolutely! All users can upload, customize, and share their PDF documents for free using our PDF editor.

Mobile app

1. Open your Canva app.
2. Add a PDF file to your Canva account. You can (a) click Create > Upload, then browse your device for the PDF file; (b) select the Projects tab, then scroll down and click on your Uploads folder. Click on the three dots in the upper righthand corner, and select Upload files to add a PDF from your device; or, alternatively, (c) click Import, then select from Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox. Pick your desired app, then login to connect and import your PDF.
3. In the Projects tab or in your Uploads folder, find and click on the PDF to open it.
4. Each element will now be customizable and you can create the PDF you need with added elements, graphics, colors, and text.

Desktop browser

1. Open the browser window of your choice.
2. Login to your Canva account.
3. Upload or import a PDF file in one of a few ways: (a) click Create on the sidebar, then scroll down and select Upload. Drag-and-drop or click to browse your device for the PDF file; (b) select Projects on the left sidebar. Then, click the plus sign (+) on the right-most side of the screen. From here, you can upload a PDF file; or, (c) click Import, then select between Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox to add your PDF from another cloud storage solution.
4. Check your Projects tab > Recents for the newly uploaded PDF file. Click to open and start editing.
5. Each element will now be customizable and you can create the PDF you need with added elements, graphics, colors, and text.

Once you’ve opened a PDF in the drag-and-drop editor, you can add as many (and whatever kind of) images you want. Click on the Elements tab to browse the Canva library for free images you can use in any design, or click on the Uploads tab to add your own. Canva accepts images in JPEG, PNG, HEIC/HEIF, and WebP format up to 50MB in size.

We try to identify and match every element during the conversion process. With many font options available, it’s not always possible to find an exact match. When it comes to having editable image colors, there’s a higher chance of success if the original type is a vector. Flat images can’t be broken down, making them uneditable.

You can do a lot with our PDF filler and editor. Easily import, customize, convert, compress, then download your PDF files. Access our library and tools to help you create your best design yet. But, you might want to consider a few limitations while you’re working on it:

• You can import PDF files with up to 500 pages and 300 MB in size.
• We don’t have support (yet) for soft masks, shading, tiled patterns, JPEG 2000 or JBIG images, and color filters.
• PDFs are imported as individual images in an A4 document. Unlike in Docs, not all text may be editable.

Yes, you can import your very own drawings and illustrations using our drag-and-drop upload feature. If you’re feeling creative, you can also start drawing freehand using the Draw tool on Canva.

Our online PDF editor has been designed for every use you might need, from classroom projects to impressing clients in the boardroom. All completely free. Simply import your PDF right into Canva and we’ll break it into elements you can easily edit — no special skills required. Once you’ve customized it, we’ll compress your PDF into JPEG and PNG files or resave into PDF format that are all downloadable and shareable.

Absolutely! The Canva online PDF editor is available through the Canva desktop app, which works on Windows and Mac computers. You can also download it directly from your browser.