Most PDFs originate from another type of file, such as a Microsoft Word document. They are then converted to the PDF format before publication. However, you can create a blank PDF in Adobe Acrobat without relying on outside software.
This tutorial will walk you through three processes:
While Adobe Acrobat offers many powerful features, it doesn’t provide the same versatility as traditional word processing software. So, the steps shown here are only recommended for short documents.
The images below are from Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. The steps are the same in Adobe Acrobat Standard DC and will be similar in older versions of the software.
This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.
Watch more than fifty other videos about Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat on my YouTube channel.
Attention Acrobat Reader Users: Adobe’s free PDF software, Acrobat Reader, doesn’t provide the option to create a blank PDF, add text, or add a blank page.
How to Create a Blank PDF
- Select the Tools tab.
- Select Create PDF in the Tools Center.
- Select Blank Page from the Create a PDF from any format options.
- Select the Create button.
A blank page should appear immediately.
How to Add Text to a PDF
Before you can add text to a PDF in Adobe Acrobat, you first have to create a text box.
- Select Edit PDF from the Tools pane.
- Select Add Text from the Edit PDF toolbar.
- Decide if you want to insert text with a scalable text box or a fixed-width text box:
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- Scalable text boxes will extend from the cursor to the right margin and the bottom margin of the page as text is added.
To create a scalable text box, (1) place your cursor anywhere on the page and (2) start typing or copy and paste text onto the page.
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- Fixed-width text boxes maintain their original width and will only scale lengthwise to accommodate additional text.
To create a fixed-width text box, (1) drag your cursor to create the box and (2) start typing or copy and paste text into the box.
- To format text, select the text and then choose from the options in the Format pane:
| 1. Font | 6. Bulleted and numbered lists |
| 2. Font size | 7. Alignment |
| 3. Font color | 8. Line and paragraph spacing |
| 4. Bold, italic, and underline | 9. Scaling and character spacing |
| 5. Superscript and subscript |
Your format changes should appear immediately.
Important Note: Text that reaches the bottom of the page won’t flow to a new page. Instead, you have to create a new blank page, as shown below, and then begin a new text box, as shown above.
A yellow warning icon will appear if text is not visible due to a lack of space.
Pro Tip: How to Delete a Text Box
You can’t delete a text box while the Add Text tool is active. Instead, you have to switch to the Edit tool.
- Select Edit in the Edit PDF toolbar.
- Hover your cursor over the border of the text box until your cursor becomes a movement cursor, which is two crossed arrows.
- Press the Delete key on your keyboard or right-click and select Delete from the shortcut menu.
How to Add a Blank Page to a PDF
- Select the Page Thumbnails button in the navigation pane.
Pro Tip: Select the small gray arrow if your navigation pane is not visible.
- Select the Options button.
- Select Insert Pages from the menu.
- Select A Blank Page from the menu.
- Select Before or After from the Location menu in the Insert Pages dialog box.
- Select an insertion location from the Page section:
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- First will insert a blank page before or after the first page.
- Last will insert a blank page before or after the last page.
- Page allows you to insert a blank page before or after the page entered in the text box. (Note that you can’t enter a page number for a page that hasn’t been created yet.)
- Select the OK button.
Your new page should appear immediately.
Pro Tip: Access the Insert Pages Dialog Box
In addition to the method shown above, you can also access the Insert Pages dialog box by using the keyboard shortcut Shift + Ctrl + T or through the Organize Pages toolbar:
- Select Organize Pages from the Tools pane.
- Select Insert from the Organize Pages toolbar.
- Select Blank Page from the menu.
Related Resources
How to Insert and Modify Images in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat
How to Use Adobe Acrobat DC’s Comment and Mark-Up Tools
How to Create Internal Links in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat
Three Ways to Create Bookmarks in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat
How to Combine Files into One PDF in Adobe Acrobat
How to Adjust Line Spacing in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat
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